2013 Rosso di Montalcino

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.