2012 Rosso di Montalcino

This is a stellar set of wines from Poggio di Sotto. Proprietor Claudio Tipa and Winemaker Federico Staderini continue to pursue the house style made famous by former owner Piero Palmucci and long-time consulting winemaker Giulio Gambelli. Staderini makes the wines at Poggio di Sotto pretty much as he learned from Gambelli. Volatile acidity is always a characteristic, but at times it is perceptibly high, as is the case in both the 2010 and 2011 vintages. In other years, such as 2012 and 2013, the volatile acidities are much less evident. The estate does nothing to encourage or discourage volatile acidity. "The wines come as they come," says Staderini. Subsequent to his acquisition of Poggio di Sotto, Tipa bought the adjacent estate, Poggio Celsi, with an eye to potentially adding some of those blocks to Poggio di Sotto when viticulture has caught up.

I was quite impressed with the wines I tasted at Poggio di Sotto this year. Quite understandably, it took the team some time to get settled in, and things appear steadier here than they have at other moments in the recent past. Then again, proprietor Claudio Tipa can count on the services of winemaker Federico Staderini, who worked here under the direction of Giulio Gambelli until Gambelli's passing in 2012. Staderini describes 2012 as a vintage that was dry and hot throughout the entire year, which gave the plants time to adjust, while 2011 was marked by a severe and unexpected heat wave the second half of August after a relatively cool summer, a far greater shock to the vines. In 2010, the grapes struggled to ripen and were brought in between September 26 and October 4, a good ten days later than normal. I have to admit, it was fascinating to hear Staderini describe the constant struggle at Poggio di Sotto between his mentor, Giulio Gambelli, who always wanted to harvest late and former proprietor Piero Palmucci, who advocated picking early. I bet those were interesting conversations! Poggio di Sotto plans to release a 2010 Brunello Riserva, which I tasted from cask, as well as Riserva in 2011, one of very few estates to make that decision. At times, both the Rosso and Brunellos can show elevated volatile acidities, but history has shown the wines develop beautifully in bottle.