Montalcino Report

A Great Article on Sangiovese and Nice Words for Our Rosso by Taylor Eason

We have very much appreciated this article by wine critic Taylor Eason.

When I look at wine lists in Italian restaurants, it’s tragic that Tuscany’s Chiantis are are so damn expensive. Even for the lowest “Chianti” classification (what’s this?). I simply refuse to pay $40 restaurant pricing for something worth $15. So the other night, feeling the urge to spend more wisely, I ordered something a little different to pair with my savory red sauce, a Rosso di Montalcino.

The main grape in Italy’s famous Chianti is Sangiovese, but a slightly different Sangiovese clone (what’s a clone?) graces bottles of the famed Brunello di Montalcino (people often drop the “di Montalcino”). “Di Montalcino” refers to the commune where the fruit is grown. Earning the highest quality distinction in Italy, Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) — translated as “regulated and guaranteed place”– Brunello is considered in some circles to be the best aging wine on Earth. In other words, the wine is big, tannic and often undrinkable under 15-20 years of age. It’s also pretty pricey, retailing at over $30-$40 per bottle. 

But enter Rosso di Montalcino, made from the same grape and often sourced from the exact same vineyards. In 1983, the Italian government granted producers permission to release younger, “baby Brunellos” — it’s one of the only locales where the Italian government allows this practice. With one caveat: Brunello is reserved for wines destined to age for a long time, and Rosso di Montalcino, a younger wine with freshness, great acidity and bright red fruit, can be released as early as September 1st the year after harvest.

What does this mean for us? Great fruit. Less money.

The 2008 Il Poggione Rosso di Montalcino is no exception. I paid $42 on a wine list in Santa Rosa, California and online prices are around $23. But I bet you can find it cheaper. It’s worth the search. Light-bodied with the characteristic dustiness of Italian wine. Dried red cherry and raspberry with a cool smokiness and a hint of menthol on the tongue. Refreshing, food friendly acidity and a clean, lean, fruity finish.

Sweetness: 1 out of 10
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Price: $23
Occasion: Tasted at a restaurant, Italian, of course
Availability: Online and independent retailers
Food pairing: Classic Italian dishes like Osso Buco, lasagna or mussels in marinara

By Taylor Reason

A tasting note for the 1999 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Paganelli

We have recently discovered the wine blog of Mrs. Sandra Crittenden. She has tasted the 1999 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Paganelli by Tenuta Il Poggione and has written:

In the glass, the wine was a brownish red color with medium intense aromas of dark cherries and berries, cocoa and floral notes. It had a medium+ body, high acidity and very smooth medium+ tannins with flavors of the ripe dark cherries and berries, black tea, vanilla and a bit of spiciness in the long finish. Absolutely delicious!

Click here to read her post.

Tasting notes for the 2004 Brunello di Montalcino by the Wine Cask Blog

We have found this review in the most popular wine blog Wine Cask:

Tasting notes: 

Beautiful black cherry, earth, and sweet spice on the nose 

Full bodied on the palate 

Long finish with cherry, savory herbs, and sweet tobacco 

Summary: 

This Brunello is very good, nicely layered, and youthful. With sweet and savory dancing across the palate, it has all the complexity and character I expect from a Brunello which is the hightest expression of the Sangiovese grape in Italy. The retail price runs around $65 or so. Raise a glass!

Tasting notes of Brunello 06 and Paganelli 05 by Eric Guido

Herewith tasting notes of Tenuta il Poggione 2006 Brunello di Montalcino and Tenuta il Poggione 2005 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Paganelli from the Italian Wine Masters in New York by Eric Guido "Owner, Chef and Writer at The.V.I.P. Table Contributing author at Snooth Media and www.whatscook.in Musician, Poet, Wine Lover, Photographer... Can you tell I'm easily bored?"

2006 Il Poggione (Proprietá Franceschi) Brunello di Montalcino – The nose showed elegant floral notes against rich red fruits. On the palate, this wine was focused with spicy sweet cranberry yet restrained by its large structure. (91 Points)

2005 Il Poggione (Proprietá Franceschi) Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Paganelli – The Riserva Vigna Paganelli took the elegance of the normale, yet added rich dark fruit and wood tones to the nose. On the palate, this wine was big in structure with mouth-filling raspberry fruit fading to an uncharacteristically short finish. (90 points)

Thanks you Eric for tasting our wines!

James Suckling Wine Spectator scores for the 2004 Brunello di Montalcino by Tenuta Il Poggione

IL POGGIONE BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO VIGNA PAGANELLI RISERVA 2004, 92 points (out of 100)

Editor's Note: Offers ripe blueberry notes, with hints of violet, lilac and sandalwood. Full-bodied, with supersilky tannins and a long, fresh finish. Not a big wine, but balanced and pretty. Best after 2011. 3,335 cases made.–JS

IL POGGIONE BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2005, 90 points (out of 100)

Editor's Note: This has a lovely nose of dried dark fruits, with flowers and sandalwood. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and a serious amount of subdued fruit. Long and stylish. Chewy. Needs a little time in the bottle to come together. Best after 2012. 11,665 cases made.–JS

Jancis Robinson tasting note of 2003 Brunello di Montalcino of Il Poggione

We have been very glad to read the reviews and scores and tastings notes of the Brunello di Montalcino 2005 vintage by Tenuta il Poggione. But we also remember you that there is still the 2003 vintage of the Brunello di Montalcino has begun to unveil its beautiful expression of the true Sangiovese character. We remember herewith a tasting note of the wine that one of the ours favorite British wine writer Jancis Robinson has written in 2008 about this wine:

Il Poggione 2003 Brunello di Montalcino 17 Drink 2009-13

This wine really does taste of the sunbaked Montalcino zone in southern Tuscany and has no shortage of Sangiovese character.

Lively dark crimson. Very roasted and come- hither on the nose. Very true Montalcino style – I can’t spot anything other than Sangiovese! – but good refreshment on the finish too.

Tenuta Il Poggione has also make the Brunello Riserva "cru" from our oldest vineyard the "Paganelli" for the 2003 vintage.

Thanks you Mrs. Robinson for your generous words of our wine.

 

Antonio Galloni: "The 2005 Brunello di Montalcino is a model of weightless finesse."

We are very grateful to Messers Antonio Galloni and Robert Parker for their very kind words about our 2005 Brunello di Montalcino and about my father Fabrizio Bindocci and me. Herewith is Mr. Galloni's review of the wine and his score of 93/100 points.

Tenuta Il Poggione 2005 Brunello di Montalcino 93 points

The 2005 Brunello di Montalcino is a model of weightless finesse. Elegant and refined throughout, the wine offers up dark wild cherries, minerals, menthol and spices. The 2005 naturally lacks the sheer stuffing and richness of the finest years, but it has just enough density to balance the tannins nicely all the way through to the round, enveloping finish. I was a little surprised Il Poggione has decided to bottle a Riserva in 2005 as the addition of that juice would have almost certainly strengthened this wine, perhaps considerably. That said, this is another of the 2005 Brunellos that has come along beautifully in bottle over the last few months. The 2005 is a terrific Brunello to drink while some of the more important vintages like the 2004 mature in the cellar. In 2005 the harvest began on the 20th of September and finished on the 10th of October. Production was down roughly 25% in 2005 because of the challenging weather that year. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2030. 

Father and son team Fabrizio and Alessandro Bindocci are on a roll. Il Poggione remains a benchmark property for fine, traditionally made Brunellos capable of ageing exquisitely. I can’t think of too many properties in the world producing wines of this level at these prices with an established track record going back 40+ years. I tasted an extraordinary range of wines at the estate in January 2010, including all of the Brunellos and Riservas in cask from vintages 2005-2009. Fans of this venerable estate have a lot to look forward to in coming years. As of this writing the most promising vintage in barrel appears to be 2006. The Brunellos are fermented with the submerged cap method, a traditional style of vinification that is common in Piedmont, but not in Montalcino. The wines are subsequently aged in French oak casks, with the Riserva seeing a higher percentage of newer oak. Unfortunately, the 2008 Rosso had not been bottled as we went to press, but I look forward to tasting that wine in the near future.

—Antonio Galloni, "The Wine Advocate", April 2010

Herewith are the other scores and reviews by Mr. Galloni to whom we are very thankful for his kind attention and consideration.

Tenuta Il Poggione 2004 Brunello di Montalcino
Riserva Vigna Paganelli 96 points

The 2004 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Paganelli emerges from the glass with masses of scorched earth, leather, tar, licorice, menthol and dark fruit. The Riserva shows a touch more inner sweetness, richness and depth in its fruit than the regular bottling, plus a bit more French oak as well. For now, the Riserva is quite reticent and requires air, but with time its awesome richness and power come through in spades. This dark, brooding and authoritative Riserva from Il Poggione is simply gorgeous. Readers who don’t want to pay the premium for the Riserva in 2004 need not worry; I tasted the 2004 regular bottling (twice!) while preparing this article and it is every bit as promising as my review last year suggested. In 2004 the Paganelli vineyard was harvested on the 13th of October, quite late for this estate. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2039.

—Antonio Galloni, "The Wine Advocate", April 2010

Tenuta Il Poggione 2004 Brunello di Montalcino 95 points

The 2004 Brunello di Montalcino is awesome. This finessed, regal Brunello flows onto the palate with seamless layers of perfumed fruit framed by silky, finessed tannins. The wine remains extremely primary at this stage, and its full range of aromas and flavors have yet to emerge, but the sheer pedigree of this Brunello is unmistakable. The elegant, refined finish lasts an eternity, and subtle notes of menthol, spices, licorice and leather add final notes of complexity. The estate’s 2004 Brunello is a wine to buy and bury in the deepest corner of the cellar. Brunello is never inexpensive, but this is the real deal, and in relative terms, it is one of the world’s great values in fine, cellar worthy wine. Incredibly, there are 18,000+ cases of the 2004 Brunello, so it should be fairly easy to source in various markets. The Brunello is made from four vineyards ranging from 250 to 400 meters in altitude, all in Sant’Angelo in Colle. The wines from the various vineyards were aged separately in French oak casks prior to being assembled and bottled. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2034.

I was completely blown away by the wines I tasted from Il Poggione this year. Readers who want to experience first-class Sangiovese from Montalcino won’t want to miss these exceptional wines. Winemaker Fabrizio Bindocci and his team have done an exceptional job for which they deserve all the praise in the world.

—Antonio Galloni, "The Wine Advocate", June 2009

Tasting notes on 1955 Brunello by Il Poggione

A friend of Tenuta Il Poggione recently has sent us the link to an unusual blog by a "snow boarder" who lives in Roma. This talented young man has attended the Ian d'Agata vertical tasting in February of the Brunello di Montalcino by Il Poggione and the Franceschi family dating back to the 1955 vintage. He has clicked some very interesting photographs and has taken excellent notes. 

The name of his blog is in the dialect: "na cica de vino" meaning "a little glass of the wine".

Click here to read about his impressions of this remarkable and excellent tasting. 

 

Tenuta Il Poggione at Vinitaly

 TENUTA IL POGGIONE  (Pad. 8 - stand B2)

We await you at the Vinitaly!

Il Poggione "favorite Brunello" of Falstaff leading Austrian wine magazine

At Tenuta Il Poggione we were very glad to see that the leading Austrian wine magazine and wine guide the Falstaff has included us among its favorite 8 producers of Brunello. Herewith is that which the Falstaff writer has said about the Brunello of Tenuta Il Poggione. We believe it is very interesting to think about how the Brunello has changed and how there are many different styles of Brunello today. Tenuta Il Poggione continues its commitment to a traditional style of the Brunello, aged in large French casks.

Brunello as we love it



Already 200 wineries directly produce their Brunello. Since it is important to know what are the producers whom for years have made wines that give the greatest pleasure, we conducted our tasting notes on wines and tested wineries which have impressed us especially in the last ten years.

Here we present our eight favorite wineries.

Montalcino is less clear than it used to be. There are now over 200 wineries producing Brunello. Even the professionals are confused. If you browse the last years, only a handful of companies that produce those wines that make us dream - that tell the about the wines of Montalcino, this small town south of Siena, whose walls were once besieged by the troops of Emperor Charles V, but resisted; wines that feature notes of cherries and plums, soft and juicy tannins, wines that speak of the land and of their people. 

The important factor about the list of our top wineries is that their style - which is both modern and traditional - is not important. If you read the endless descriptions and texts of some colleagues about it, we can say that the Brunello can only be great when it is aged in large oak barrels or - as other people think - only in barriques. In truth, however, you get great wines over and above just said, you don’t just need the instruments in the winery, but the sum of a number of factors - the variety, soil, location, weather conditions, treatment of the vines, date of harvest, storage technology; of course, the intuition of the winemaker and his personality are responsible for bringing the pleasure in a wine.

In our case, there are wines that have been aged exclusively in barriques, as long as those aged in large oak barrels.

Il Poggione is a winery with a great tradition in Montalcino. In the owner’s private cellar, one can find old vintages going back to the Thirties. The estate is located in Sant'Angelo in Colle, a picturesque village south of Montalcino. A church, several buildings and two restaurants make an interesting ensemble. You can look far down into the valley of  the Ombrone, behind which you can see the slopes of Mount Amiata. With about 600 hectares, this estate is among the largest wineries of Montalcino. The current owners, Livia and Leopoldo Franceschi are the fifth generation to lead the company. In addition to the Franceschis, at Il Poggione there is another family to have a central role: the Bindoccis. Fabrizio Bindocci is manager and director of the winery. His father, in turn, had worked at Il Poggione. The next generation is ready: Alessandro Bindocci studied viticulture and oenology in Pisa and has already worked for four years at the winery.

The estate has 123 hectares of vineyards, mostly planted with Sangiovese. The wines of Poggione highlight classic style. After fermentation in stainless steel tanks, the wines are aged in large oak casks. Since 1996 these are no longer aged in Slavonian oak casks, but French. <<The Tannins of the Sangiovese become, through French oak, fine and elegant>> says Bindocci. The results give reason. In fact since 1998, the Poggione Brunello is dense and fine.

Great is the Brunello Riserva, which, in addition to the 2003 vintage, shows the vineyard name Vigna Paganelli. It is powerful, deep, with the fruits of the South, but fresh and juicy - a classic wine

Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino 2005 90 Points

Bright ruby red. Nose very clean and accessible with aromas of cherries, supported by notes of violet. The palate is fresh and juicy, showing intense notes of cherry, with a very good length.

Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2004 – Vigna Paganelli - 93 Points

Bright ruby red and intense. Notes of cherry, raspberry and rosemary. Juicy and soft, showing fine-grained tannins. Very elegant, with juicy cherry finish.