Il Poggione

Brunello di Montalcino 2017

Geht es um die Geschichte des wohl berühmtesten Weines der Toskana, und das ist und bleibt der Brunello di Montalcino, dann kommt man um einen Namen nicht herum: Tenuta Il Poggione! Schon seit dem Ende des 19. Jahrhunderts ein Synonym für Qualität, gehört dieses Musterweingut heute zu den besten, zuverlässigsten und – gemessen an der Qualität – preiswertesten Adressen in ganz Bella Italia.

The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino opens to a saturated and shiny dark ruby color. This edition is loaded with black and purple fruits, such as blackberry preserves and plum. Those more robust tones are followed by spice, tar and campfire ash. The tannins are young (but not stemmy or bitter), and you'd be best served by letting this wine age and relax with more cellar aging. Il Poggione always makes some of the smoothest and most texturally enriched wines in the appellation, and this vintage is no exception.

Masses of ashen earth, smoke, dusty cherry and roses with nuances of clove lift up from the 2017 Brunello di Montalcino. This is silky and pliant upon entry, presenting a rich display of intense red and hints of black fruits laced with chalky minerals that drenches the palate. Penetrating acidity and grippy tannins create a burst of cheek-puckering tension, clenching down hard with youthful poise, as notes of licorice and hard red candies linger through the structured, medium-length finale. There are some moments where the 2017 reminds you that it comes from an incredibly hot and dry vintage, yet overall, it's a huge success for the year. That said, it needs time to unwind from its youthful state. Production was down 15-20% at Il Poggione in 2017 due to severe selection of bunches, and all of the fruit that would have been reserved for the Riserva Vigna Paganelli was added to the Brunello instead.

Sweet, ripe cherry, blackberry and plum fruit flavors are framed by mineral, tobacco and thyme accents in this vibrant, balanced red. Make no mistake, there are ample tannins too, yet this still finds a nice equilibrium on the lingering finish.