2018 Brunello di Montalcino

Il Poggione never ceases to amaze with its blend of consistency, dependability, remarkable quality and complexity from vintage to vintage. The 2020 is no different. Alessandro Bindocci described 2020 as a very warm season but not as dry as recent years, with an extended cooldown ahead of harvest that helped retain freshness in the finished wine. Harvest began on September 20 and lasted through the October 20, which is impressive by recent standards. It goes without saying that they achieved remarkable balance from this warm year. The 2020 is a more immediate style—bright and punchy. Still, considering that the typical Il Poggione Brunello takes 10 to 15 years even to begin to enter its window of maturity, I welcome this edition. As for the 2019 Riserva Vigna Paganelli, it’s a perfect example of a Riserva that delivers all of the added depth and regal structure that is often missing from this category. Bury this beautiful beast in a deep, dark corner of your cellar—it’s money in the bank.

Alessandro Bindocci of Il Poggione compares the weather conditions of 2019 to 2016. However, when tasting the two vintages, I found them markedly different. While both come across as quite classic, there is more energy and fruit to be found in the 2019 versus the 2016 at the same stage. As for the 2016 Brunello, it’s coming along beautifully. I had the opportunity to revisit it on this last trip in the company of some pretty heavy hitters, where it reigned supreme. Except for 2016 and 2019, the previous eight years were characterized by warm and dry conditions. As a result, Il Poggione has begun to prioritize irrigation for emergency uses (which is becoming a necessity in the southwest of Montalcino) and is looking to their higher-elevation vineyards to find more balance. It bears mentioning that despite its location in one of the warmest and driest parts of the region, Il Poggione remains one of the absolute top producers of Brunello from year to year at a remarkably fair price point.

Touring the vineyards of Il Poggione with Fabrizio and Alessandro Bindocci during a long dry spell in July of 2021 was eye-opening to show how well these old vines could remain healthy through such hot and parched conditions. The canopies were full and vibrant, thriving in the calcareous clay soils that these vines are planted in. Like most producers in Sant’Angelo in Colle, Il Poggione will use emergency irrigation, but only if necessary. At that time (July 2021), it was not even being considered; but in a vintage like 2017, it was necessary. Granted, what Il Poggione also has going for them is the health and age of their vines, the biodiversity of the property, and higher elevations (up to 450 meters) that help to balance the heat. The massive Il Poggione holdings encompass 600 hectares of land, of which only 125 are planted to vines, and 70 with olive groves. To this day, and even at that size, harvest continues to be done by hand. During the torrid 2017 vintage, that harvest was also done earlier, starting September 1st, in an attempt to maintain acidity and prevent the grapes from shriveling on the vines; as a result, the winery needed to be incredibly strict with their selection, and go as far as removing seeds during the early parts of the fermentation process. As is always the case, Il Poggione vinifies all of their parcels separately, refining in large French oak casks, which gives them the ability to blend fruit from young vines to old, and lower elevations to high, in order to create the most balanced expression of each vintage. In the case of 2017, that meant adding all of the old-vine fruit from Vigna Paganelli. In the end, production may be down by 15%, but what they created is an atypical expression of the vintage. Speaking of Vigna Paganelli, the 2016 may just be the greatest rendition of this wine that I’ve yet encountered. The Riserva is a selection from within the Paganelli vineyard, which was planted in 1964. A second selection then takes place at the winery, prior to crush, fermentation and a long refinement of forty-eight months in large French oak barrels between thirty-three to fifty-two hectoliters. This is a wine that will require a lot of patience from collectors, as today it is tightly wound yet densely packed with fruit and teeming with unbridled energy. While at the winery, I was able to taste a 1967 Riserva with Alessandro Bindocci, which resolidifies the staying power of these wines. In the end, we collect Il Poggione Brunello with the long game in mind--but it’s a game worth playing.

Alessandro Bindocci of Il Poggione compares the weather conditions of 2019 to 2016. However, when tasting the two vintages, I found them markedly different. While both come across as quite classic, there is more energy and fruit to be found in the 2019 versus the 2016 at the same stage. As for the 2016 Brunello, it’s coming along beautifully. I had the opportunity to revisit it on this last trip in the company of some pretty heavy hitters, where it reigned supreme. Except for 2016 and 2019, the previous eight years were characterized by warm and dry conditions. As a result, Il Poggione has begun to prioritize irrigation for emergency uses (which is becoming a necessity in the southwest of Montalcino) and is looking to their higher-elevation vineyards to find more balance. It bears mentioning that despite its location in one of the warmest and driest parts of the region, Il Poggione remains one of the absolute top producers of Brunello from year to year at a remarkably fair price point.

Il Poggione continues to set the benchmark for uncompromising quality, which is all the more remarkable considering it is one of the largest wineries in Montalcio and makes some 200,000 bottles of Brunello a year. The estate is located on the southern slopes of Montalcino, in the warm, yet well-ventilated micro-climate of Sant’Angelo in Colle, where we find varied exposures, soils and elevations of behind these impeccably balanced Brunellos. Fabrizio Bindocci explains that Il Poggione has no interest in making any big changes in the near future, and eschews the trend of cru classifications in Montalcino, preferring to stick to traditions has served this estate well for decades now. That said, the winery technically already has a cru Brunello in the form of their Riserva, which emerges from fifty-five-year-old vines in the Paganelli vineyard. Simply stated, you’d be hard pressed to find more dependable bottles of Brunello or Riserva with this combination of quality and price point.

Like very few other Montalcino estates, Il Poggione is able to combine quantity with quality (600 hectares of which 140 are planted to vines; 200,000 bottles of Brunello a year, but the estate actually makes over 600,000 bottles of wine a year). Il Poggione owns the Paganelli vineyard (from where the estate Brunello Riserva I Paganelli is made), which is one of the oldest vineyards of Sangiovese in Montalcino. Technical director Alessandro Bindocci points out that the entire vineyard was planted in 1964, so unlike other estates that might boast a few rows of very old vines, at 12 hectares, the Paganelli vineyard is most likely Montalcino’s single largest vineyard of old vines. In 1999, the estate abandoned the use of Slavonian oak and moved to French oak of 30-50hL as their casks of choice. For those who might not be aware, I point out that il Poggione also makes a delicious 100% Sangiovese Rosato (called Sbrancato) and a delightful Moscadello di Montalcino. This year’s releases are especially strong.

With over 300 acres planted to vine, Il Poggione remains one of Montalcino’s largest producers of Brunello, and yet they continue to maintain a level of quality that is unparalleled through much of the region. Located in the warm, yet well-ventilated micro-climate of Sant'Angelo in Colle, in the southeast of Montalcino, Il Poggione Brunello displays elegance, depth, classic structure and Sangiovese purity - all while remaining a remarkable value. In the winery, Fabrizio Bindocci adheres to a progressive approach, blending tradition with innovation. His practice of completing fermentation using submerged-cap, is something you’d expect to see more in Barolo than Montalcino. From there the Brunello is refined for three years in 30-50-hectoliter casks (all neutral wood, of course) before resting in bottle one year prior to release. Finding another Brunello in this price-point that is as long-lived, true to place and coloring within classic lines, isn’t easy.

Il Poggione shows why it is one of the top estates in Montalcino with these new releases. Both 2014 Rossos and the 2011 Brunello are terrific. Fabrizio and Alessandro Bindocci describe 2011 as a tough year because of the intense summer heat. There will be no Riserva in 2011, while production of the straight Brunello is around 150,000 bottles, down significantly from 230,000 that were made in 2010. The Brunellos are made with submerged-cap fermentation and spend three years in large French oak, with the Riserva seeing an additional year in cask.

Are the 2010 Brunellos really all they are cracked up to be? After months of seeing and hearing all the hype Vinous readers wanted to see (and taste) for themselves. This recent dinner at Lincoln Ristorante gave attendees an early look at a dozen of the vintage’s best known and most highly regarded wines.

Il Poggione remains a reference point for Montalcino. No large estate does a better job of achieving high quality at these production numbers, which typically top 220,000 bottles of Brunello alone. Fabrizio Bindocci and his son Alessandro, along with their team, have done a fabulous job with the new and upcoming releases. Since 1995 the Poggione Brunellos have been made with submerged-cap fermentations, an approach that is typical in Piedmont, but less so in Montalcino. The Brunellos are aged 33Hl French oak casks, three years for the straight Brunello and four years for the Riserva. In addition to these wines, I also tasted all of the estate's Brunellos from cask, as I have done here for many years. There will be no Riserva in either 2014 and 2013, while the lots are still separate for the 2012 and 2011. In my opinion, Il Poggione's straight Brunello di Montalcino is the single greatest, cellar worthy, Old World red for the money.

Il Poggione continues to impress for an ability to marry exceptional quality with scale and affordability, making these some of the most consumer friendly wines on the planet. Today Il Poggione makes about 200,000 bottles of Brunello and another 180,000 of Rosso, quantities that are simply unbelievable at this level. This year, the estate has a new wine, a sort of 'super-Rosso' that is made in a bigger style than the straight Rosso. Call me nostalgic, but I prefer the regular bottling. One of the other changes here, is that Il Poggione has decided to bottle their Riserva more selectively, which frankly I think is a shame, but also highlights the reality of a Brunello market that is either scorching hot or dead in the water, with no middle ground. The estate struggled to sell their 2003 Riserva through even though it was and remains a magnificent wine because of the perceived poor quality of the vintage, so in the future we will see Riservas only in the very best years. Of course, that does benefit the consumer in that the regular bottling will be clearly strengthened in vintages in which there is no Riserva, 2008 being a great example of that.

Il Poggione continues to impress for an ability to marry exceptional quality with scale and affordability, making these some of the most consumer friendly wines on the planet. Today Il Poggione makes about 200,000 bottles of Brunello and another 180,000 of Rosso, quantities that are simply unbelievable at this level. This year, the estate has a new wine, a sort of 'super-Rosso' that is made in a bigger style than the straight Rosso. Call me nostalgic, but I prefer the regular bottling. One of the other changes here, is that Il Poggione has decided to bottle their Riserva more selectively, which frankly I think is a shame, but also highlights the reality of a Brunello market that is either scorching hot or dead in the water, with no middle ground. The estate struggled to sell their 2003 Riserva through even though it was and remains a magnificent wine because of the perceived poor quality of the vintage, so in the future we will see Riservas only in the very best years. Of course, that does benefit the consumer in that the regular bottling will be clearly strengthened in vintages in which there is no Riserva, 2008 being a great example of that.

Long time winemaker Fabrizio Bindocci describes 2008 as a challenging year. The winter saw quite a bit of rain. Flowering was normal, but it was followed by a wet July. Like most of their neighbors, Il Poggione suffered the devastating effects of the August 15 hailstorm that took with it 50% of the production. Proprietor Leopoldo Franceschi happened to be at the estate to celebrate the national holiday, but was so traumatized by the events he vowed never again to set foot on his property on August 15th! When Franceschi has more time to reflect on the quality of his wine, he may change his mind. Longtime winemaker Fabrizio Bindocci and his son, Alessandro, decided not to bottle their Riserva in 2008, so all of the juice went into the straight Brunello bottling, which is easily one of the wines of the vintage. The next Riserva from Il Poggione will be the 2010. As has long been the custom here, the Brunelli are fermented in stainless steel, with natural yeasts. The malos also occur naturally, after which the wines are moved into 33 and 50-hectoliter French oak casks. The Poggione Brunellos, especially the straight bottling, remain among the very best values in cellar worthy wine anywhere in the world.

Long time winemaker Fabrizio Bindocci describes 2008 as a challenging year. The winter saw quite a bit of rain. Flowering was normal, but it was followed by a wet July. Like most of their neighbors, Il Poggione suffered the devastating effects of the August 15 hailstorm that took with it 50% of the production. Proprietor Leopoldo Franceschi happened to be at the estate to celebrate the national holiday, but was so traumatized by the events he vowed never again to set foot on his property on August 15th! When Franceschi has more time to reflect on the quality of his wine, he may change his mind. Longtime winemaker Fabrizio Bindocci and his son, Alessandro, decided not to bottle their Riserva in 2008, so all of the juice went into the straight Brunello bottling, which is easily one of the wines of the vintage. The next Riserva from Il Poggione will be the 2010. As has long been the custom here, the Brunelli are fermented in stainless steel, with natural yeasts. The malos also occur naturally, after which the wines are moved into 33 and 50-hectoliter French oak casks. The Poggione Brunellos, especially the straight bottling, remain among the very best values in cellar worthy wine anywhere in the world.

It's hard to know where to start with these new releases from Il Poggione, as every wine I tasted was strikingly beautiful. This is a great showing from father and son team Fabrizio and Alessandro Bindocci. Il Poggione's Brunello di Montalcino remains one of the most fairly priced, ageworthy wines on the planet.

This wine was tasted during Aspen Food & Wine Classic in June of 2013

Il Poggione is Montalcino's fourth largest estate, with an eye-popping 125 hectares of Brunello designated vineyards, behind Banfi, Castelgiocondo and Col d'Orcia. My annual tasting spanned every wine in barrel from 2006-2010. I continue to be deeply impressed by the average level of quality father and son team Fabrizio and Alessandro Bindocci coax from these sites. Frankly, it is hard to go wrong with any of the Brunelli Il Poggione has put into bottle over the last few years. The straight Brunello remains one of the most reasonably priced, cellar-worthy wines in the world. The 2006s are rich, bombastic wines that will require patience to drop their baby fat. The Brunelli are fermented with a submerged cap and pumpovers, an approach that is unusual in Montalcino but common in Piedmont. My visit ended with a taste of the 1955 Brunello, which is still in great shape, even after all these years.

Il Poggione is one of Montalcino's most consistently outstanding producers. As the years pass, I often find the straight Brunello just as compelling or even better than the Riserva. The estate's straight Brunello is also arguably the single greatest value in top-notch Brunello di Montalcino.

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 vintagesFans 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 barrels. 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.

Il Poggione creates some of the most long-lived wines in the Brunello appellation. Watching these unfurl over the first decade can be a painful experience. However, at twenty years old, they often find their footing. Both the flagship Brunello and the Riserva Vigna Paganelli are showing beautifully today, yet I also expect them to continue aging gracefully for over a decade. These are as classic as they come.

Il Poggione is one of Montalcino's most consistently outstanding producers. As the years pass, I often find the straight Brunello just as compelling or even better than the Riserva. The estate's straight Brunello is also arguably the single greatest value in top-notch Brunello di Montalcino.

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.

Few classically-minded producers have been as successful as Il Poggione in giving their wines a moderate dose of modern aromas, flavors and textures without essentially compromising what is still a fairly traditional approach to winemaking. Today the wines are made with the submerged cap method. Malolactic fermentation takes place in stainless steel after which the wines are racked into 33- and 52-hectoliter French oak barrels where they age for three years. A recent tasting of the estate's wines back to 1967 showed the extraordinary capacity they have to improve with age.

Both of the 2001 Brunellos from Il Poggione showed wonderfully. While the 2001 Annata was delivered directly from the cellar, the Riserva came from a private collection, but it was purchased in Italy upon release. Placing these two wines next to each other was a beautiful representation of the house style and vineyard sources. The Brunello was a selection of fruit sourced throughout Il Poggione’s vineyards from vines that were no less than twenty-five years old, and it was refined for three years in large casks of both Slavonian and French oak. The Riserva, which didn’t carry the name Vigna Paganelli in 2001, but was indeed sourced from its old vines (at that time around thirty-five years old) was refined for four years, again in both large Slavonian and French oak.

Alessandro Bindocci credited the success of the vintage to the long growing season and late harvest, the result of a balanced summer and cooler-than-average temperatures during the spring. Since 2001, Il Poggione has been focused on improving practices in the vineyards to deal with global warming while also avoiding the use of herbicides. Like many producers, they have started to plant at higher elevations in order to maintain elegance even in the warmest vintages. Il Poggione completed their new winery in 2004, and moved entirely to large French oak, 3,300 to 5,200 liters in size, for the maturation of the wines. Having regularly tasted the wines of Il Poggione across many vintages, I can tell these developments improved upon their already impressive portfolio. When asked how Montalcino has changed since 2001, Alessandro Bindocci responded that the increase in communication between producers and the acceptance of the younger generation’s opinions have helped the region as a whole.

This historic property located in Sant'Angelo in Colle traces its roots back to the late 1800s. Today the wines are made by Fabrizio Bindocci, who cut his teeth working alongside Piero Talenti, one of the most famous figures in the world of Montalcino oenology. Although some small concessions are made to modern tastes the wines remain quite classic in their expression of Sangiovese.

Il Poggione is one of Montalcino's historic wineries. The estate, which is owned by the Franceschi family, traces its lineage back over 100 years. Leopoldo Franceschi was one of the founders of the Brunello producers' consortium, the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino, and also served as its first president. Today the Il Poggione is run by Franceschi's grandson, also named Leopoldo. I recently had a chance to sit down with Winemaker Fabrizio Bindocci to survey an incredible collection of the estate's older vintages. Bindocci has spent more than 25 years at Il Poggione and learned his craft during the years he worked alongside Piero Talenti, widely recognized as one the leading winemakers in Italy of his era. He is also the fourth generation of his family to work for the Franceschis at Il Poggione, insuring a level of continuity that is practically unheard of in today's day and age. To say Bindocci lives, eats and breathes these wines with extraordinary passion would be a massive understatement. The man has Sangiovese running through his veins. Bindocci has recently been joined by his son Alessandro, a graduate of the University of Pisa, who is being groomed to lead the estate in the future.

Il Poggione is located in Sant'Angelo in Colle, in a part of Montalcino known for its warm, yet well-ventilated micro-climate. In top vintages the wines are capable of extraordinary development in bottle. Even better, prices have remained very fair considering the quality of what is in the bottle. This was a fascinating tasting, as the wines traced the arc of the estate's development throughout the years and decades. It was interesting to observe how faithfully each wine captured the essence of the vintage, and perhaps even more importantly, how wines never really change, rather they develop. In other words, as they age ripe, fat wines from warm vintages and the more linear, structured wines typical of cooler, fresher years retain the unique qualities they showed as young wines. The early vintages of the 1960s and 1970s were fermented in cement and aged in barrels made from a variety of woods, including oak, acacia and chestnut, each of which was known to impart different characteristics to the wines. The single biggest development was the introduction of modern temperature-controlled fermentation in the early 1980s, something which is clearly felt in the greater polish of the wines from that era. During the mid-1990s the estate moved towards a very traditional vinification method on one hand, and a greater use of French oak (especially for the Riserva) on the other hand. Today both Il Poggione Brunellos are aged in French oak casks.

Il Poggione is one of Montalcino's historic wineries. The estate, which is owned by the Franceschi family, traces its lineage back over 100 years. Leopoldo Franceschi was one of the founders of the Brunello producers' consortium, the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino, and also served as its first president. Today the Il Poggione is run by Franceschi's grandson, also named Leopoldo. I recently had a chance to sit down with Winemaker Fabrizio Bindocci to survey an incredible collection of the estate's older vintages. Bindocci has spent more than 25 years at Il Poggione and learned his craft during the years he worked alongside Piero Talenti, widely recognized as one the leading winemakers in Italy of his era. He is also the fourth generation of his family to work for the Franceschis at Il Poggione, insuring a level of continuity that is practically unheard of in today's day and age. To say Bindocci lives, eats and breathes these wines with extraordinary passion would be a massive understatement. The man has Sangiovese running through his veins. Bindocci has recently been joined by his son Alessandro, a graduate of the University of Pisa, who is being groomed to lead the estate in the future.

Il Poggione is located in Sant'Angelo in Colle, in a part of Montalcino known for its warm, yet well-ventilated micro-climate. In top vintages the wines are capable of extraordinary development in bottle. Even better, prices have remained very fair considering the quality of what is in the bottle. This was a fascinating tasting, as the wines traced the arc of the estate's development throughout the years and decades. It was interesting to observe how faithfully each wine captured the essence of the vintage, and perhaps even more importantly, how wines never really change, rather they develop. In other words, as they age ripe, fat wines from warm vintages and the more linear, structured wines typical of cooler, fresher years retain the unique qualities they showed as young wines. The early vintages of the 1960s and 1970s were fermented in cement and aged in barrels made from a variety of woods, including oak, acacia and chestnut, each of which was known to impart different characteristics to the wines. The single biggest development was the introduction of modern temperature-controlled fermentation in the early 1980s, something which is clearly felt in the greater polish of the wines from that era. During the mid-1990s the estate moved towards a very traditional vinification method on one hand, and a greater use of French oak (especially for the Riserva) on the other hand. Today both Il Poggione Brunellos are aged in French oak casks.

Il Poggione is one of Montalcino's historic wineries. The estate, which is owned by the Franceschi family, traces its lineage back over 100 years. Leopoldo Franceschi was one of the founders of the Brunello producers' consortium, the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino, and also served as its first president. Today the Il Poggione is run by Franceschi's grandson, also named Leopoldo. I recently had a chance to sit down with Winemaker Fabrizio Bindocci to survey an incredible collection of the estate's older vintages. Bindocci has spent more than 25 years at Il Poggione and learned his craft during the years he worked alongside Piero Talenti, widely recognized as one the leading winemakers in Italy of his era. He is also the fourth generation of his family to work for the Franceschis at Il Poggione, insuring a level of continuity that is practically unheard of in today's day and age. To say Bindocci lives, eats and breathes these wines with extraordinary passion would be a massive understatement. The man has Sangiovese running through his veins. Bindocci has recently been joined by his son Alessandro, a graduate of the University of Pisa, who is being groomed to lead the estate in the future.

Il Poggione is located in Sant'Angelo in Colle, in a part of Montalcino known for its warm, yet well-ventilated micro-climate. In top vintages the wines are capable of extraordinary development in bottle. Even better, prices have remained very fair considering the quality of what is in the bottle. This was a fascinating tasting, as the wines traced the arc of the estate's development throughout the years and decades. It was interesting to observe how faithfully each wine captured the essence of the vintage, and perhaps even more importantly, how wines never really change, rather they develop. In other words, as they age ripe, fat wines from warm vintages and the more linear, structured wines typical of cooler, fresher years retain the unique qualities they showed as young wines. The early vintages of the 1960s and 1970s were fermented in cement and aged in barrels made from a variety of woods, including oak, acacia and chestnut, each of which was known to impart different characteristics to the wines. The single biggest development was the introduction of modern temperature-controlled fermentation in the early 1980s, something which is clearly felt in the greater polish of the wines from that era. During the mid-1990s the estate moved towards a very traditional vinification method on one hand, and a greater use of French oak (especially for the Riserva) on the other hand. Today both Il Poggione Brunellos are aged in French oak casks.

Il Poggione is one of Montalcino's historic wineries. The estate, which is owned by the Franceschi family, traces its lineage back over 100 years. Leopoldo Franceschi was one of the founders of the Brunello producers' consortium, the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino, and also served as its first president. Today the Il Poggione is run by Franceschi's grandson, also named Leopoldo. I recently had a chance to sit down with Winemaker Fabrizio Bindocci to survey an incredible collection of the estate's older vintages. Bindocci has spent more than 25 years at Il Poggione and learned his craft during the years he worked alongside Piero Talenti, widely recognized as one the leading winemakers in Italy of his era. He is also the fourth generation of his family to work for the Franceschis at Il Poggione, insuring a level of continuity that is practically unheard of in today's day and age. To say Bindocci lives, eats and breathes these wines with extraordinary passion would be a massive understatement. The man has Sangiovese running through his veins. Bindocci has recently been joined by his son Alessandro, a graduate of the University of Pisa, who is being groomed to lead the estate in the future.

Il Poggione is located in Sant'Angelo in Colle, in a part of Montalcino known for its warm, yet well-ventilated micro-climate. In top vintages the wines are capable of extraordinary development in bottle. Even better, prices have remained very fair considering the quality of what is in the bottle. This was a fascinating tasting, as the wines traced the arc of the estate's development throughout the years and decades. It was interesting to observe how faithfully each wine captured the essence of the vintage, and perhaps even more importantly, how wines never really change, rather they develop. In other words, as they age ripe, fat wines from warm vintages and the more linear, structured wines typical of cooler, fresher years retain the unique qualities they showed as young wines. The early vintages of the 1960s and 1970s were fermented in cement and aged in barrels made from a variety of woods, including oak, acacia and chestnut, each of which was known to impart different characteristics to the wines. The single biggest development was the introduction of modern temperature-controlled fermentation in the early 1980s, something which is clearly felt in the greater polish of the wines from that era. During the mid-1990s the estate moved towards a very traditional vinification method on one hand, and a greater use of French oak (especially for the Riserva) on the other hand. Today both Il Poggione Brunellos are aged in French oak casks.

Il Poggione is one of Montalcino's historic wineries. The estate, which is owned by the Franceschi family, traces its lineage back over 100 years. Leopoldo Franceschi was one of the founders of the Brunello producers' consortium, the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino, and also served as its first president. Today the Il Poggione is run by Franceschi's grandson, also named Leopoldo. I recently had a chance to sit down with Winemaker Fabrizio Bindocci to survey an incredible collection of the estate's older vintages. Bindocci has spent more than 25 years at Il Poggione and learned his craft during the years he worked alongside Piero Talenti, widely recognized as one the leading winemakers in Italy of his era. He is also the fourth generation of his family to work for the Franceschis at Il Poggione, insuring a level of continuity that is practically unheard of in today's day and age. To say Bindocci lives, eats and breathes these wines with extraordinary passion would be a massive understatement. The man has Sangiovese running through his veins. Bindocci has recently been joined by his son Alessandro, a graduate of the University of Pisa, who is being groomed to lead the estate in the future.

Il Poggione is located in Sant'Angelo in Colle, in a part of Montalcino known for its warm, yet well-ventilated micro-climate. In top vintages the wines are capable of extraordinary development in bottle. Even better, prices have remained very fair considering the quality of what is in the bottle. This was a fascinating tasting, as the wines traced the arc of the estate's development throughout the years and decades. It was interesting to observe how faithfully each wine captured the essence of the vintage, and perhaps even more importantly, how wines never really change, rather they develop. In other words, as they age ripe, fat wines from warm vintages and the more linear, structured wines typical of cooler, fresher years retain the unique qualities they showed as young wines. The early vintages of the 1960s and 1970s were fermented in cement and aged in barrels made from a variety of woods, including oak, acacia and chestnut, each of which was known to impart different characteristics to the wines. The single biggest development was the introduction of modern temperature-controlled fermentation in the early 1980s, something which is clearly felt in the greater polish of the wines from that era. During the mid-1990s the estate moved towards a very traditional vinification method on one hand, and a greater use of French oak (especially for the Riserva) on the other hand. Today both Il Poggione Brunellos are aged in French oak casks.

Il Poggione is one of Montalcino's historic wineries. The estate, which is owned by the Franceschi family, traces its lineage back over 100 years. Leopoldo Franceschi was one of the founders of the Brunello producers' consortium, the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino, and also served as its first president. Today the Il Poggione is run by Franceschi's grandson, also named Leopoldo. I recently had a chance to sit down with Winemaker Fabrizio Bindocci to survey an incredible collection of the estate's older vintages. Bindocci has spent more than 25 years at Il Poggione and learned his craft during the years he worked alongside Piero Talenti, widely recognized as one the leading winemakers in Italy of his era. He is also the fourth generation of his family to work for the Franceschis at Il Poggione, insuring a level of continuity that is practically unheard of in today's day and age. To say Bindocci lives, eats and breathes these wines with extraordinary passion would be a massive understatement. The man has Sangiovese running through his veins. Bindocci has recently been joined by his son Alessandro, a graduate of the University of Pisa, who is being groomed to lead the estate in the future.

Il Poggione is located in Sant'Angelo in Colle, in a part of Montalcino known for its warm, yet well-ventilated micro-climate. In top vintages the wines are capable of extraordinary development in bottle. Even better, prices have remained very fair considering the quality of what is in the bottle. This was a fascinating tasting, as the wines traced the arc of the estate's development throughout the years and decades. It was interesting to observe how faithfully each wine captured the essence of the vintage, and perhaps even more importantly, how wines never really change, rather they develop. In other words, as they age ripe, fat wines from warm vintages and the more linear, structured wines typical of cooler, fresher years retain the unique qualities they showed as young wines. The early vintages of the 1960s and 1970s were fermented in cement and aged in barrels made from a variety of woods, including oak, acacia and chestnut, each of which was known to impart different characteristics to the wines. The single biggest development was the introduction of modern temperature-controlled fermentation in the early 1980s, something which is clearly felt in the greater polish of the wines from that era. During the mid-1990s the estate moved towards a very traditional vinification method on one hand, and a greater use of French oak (especially for the Riserva) on the other hand. Today both Il Poggione Brunellos are aged in French oak casks.