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The world of wine boasts countless treasures, but few hold the allure and aging potential of Brunello di Montalcino. Produced in the sunny vineyards of Tuscany, Italy, these Sangiovese-based wines are renowned for their bold flavors and remarkable ability to age gracefully over decades.
Today, we’re exploring the world of Il Poggione, a historic winery celebrated for its exceptional Brunello di Montalcino. Not only are their wines known for quality and complexity, but they also pair beautifully with a variety of foods, making them a true delight for any discerning palate.
Let’s dig into what makes Il Poggione’s 2017 Brunello di Montalcino so special and why this fifth-generation family-owned winery is still considered one of the best.
Brunello di Montalcino (sometimes just called Brunello) is a very special kind of Italian red wine made from Sangiovese grapes that comes from the town of Montalcino, a small area in Tuscany. This category of Brunello wine must be aged for two years in oak barrels and five years total before it can be released. This aging process mellows what would otherwise be a highly tannic wine and creates the deep, rich flavors that Brunello di Montalcino is known for.
Nestled in the Montalcino region of Tuscany, Italy, sits Il Poggione, a historic winery renowned for its Brunello di Montalcino wines. Founded in the early 1900s by Lavinio Franceschi, who fell in love with the area’s beauty, Il Poggione has been a leading producer ever since. They were among the first to bottle and sell Brunello and are even a founding member of the Brunello di Montalcino Consortium, which helps ensure quality standards for the region.
Il Poggione’s dedication to meticulous vineyard work is a cornerstone of their success and part of the reason their reputation precedes them among fans of high-quality Brunello. They believe that crafting exceptional wines starts with healthy, thriving grapes. This philosophy, combined with generations of research and refinement in winemaking techniques, has resulted in their highly respected and powerful Brunello wines. Today, the father-son team of Fabrizio and Alessandro Bindocci lead the winemaking, upholding the family’s legacy of excellence for a fifth generation.
Winemaking at Il Poggione is an art form. Fermentation happens in stainless steel tanks, and winemaker Alessandro Bindocci uses all native yeasts during this process. Like all of the winery’s offerings, the 2017 Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino is aged in large oak barrels and cellared in an underground “natural” cellar beneath the estate. While the current winery facility is fairly new, completed in 2004, the cellaring technique is pretty old school. Using a traditional cellar creates an optimal combination of temperature and humidity that benefits the wine.
It’s also worth mentioning that the grapes used to make this esteemed wine come from the oldest vines on the 530-hectare estate – all of which are organically farmed. The winery produces a modest 17,000 cases of wine a year.
Italy
Montalcino, Tuscany
Sangiovese
14.5
Alessandro Bindocci
62–68°F / 16–20°C
Burgundy
30 Minutes
Now to 2027
Il Poggione
The 2017 Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino is a full-bodied and powerful Sangiovese with a clear, deep garnet color. On the nose, it offers a pronounced bouquet of earthy aromas like forest floor, mushroom, and clay, accented by graphite and rich black cherry and black currant notes. High alcohol brings a warming sensation to the palate, which by and large mirrors the nose with black cherry and black currant leading the way, followed by olive, plum, tart cherry, and hints of oak, earth, cigar box, and tobacco.
Despite the wine’s high alcohol and tannins, this bottle boasts a well-balanced structure with medium acidity, resulting in a long, lingering finish. This complex and powerful Brunello is built to age and promises to develop further complexity over time. We recommend decanting before serving to allow all of the elements to integrate and showcase the wine’s full potential.
It goes without saying that the wines of Il Poggione are fantastic. The price point may be on the higher side, but this bottle really impressed us. When you consider the fact that Brunello’s leading wine, the incredible Soldera, is four times the price, this bottle is kind of a steal.
How long to decant Brunello di Montalcino?
How long it takes to decant a wine depends on the age of the wine, but a good rule of thumb for decanting Brunello di Montalcino is 60 to 90 minutes. Older vintages of Brunello should not be decanted for more than 30 minutes.
What grape is used in Brunello di Montalcino?
Only Sangiovese grapes are used to make Brunello di Montalcino. The grape must come from Tuscany’s Montalcino region at vineyard heights no higher than 600 meters.
