2016 Brunello di Montalcino

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.