Il Poggione Brunello: the 'explosive' 2020, and a double-dip on the 2019

'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.' - Eric Guido, vinous.com

Il Poggione is a benchmark Montalcino estate. It produces top-class, archetypal Brunello vintage after vintage, at an accessible price point. It’s been on the scene for 140 years, since Florentine landowner Lavinio Franceschi arrived, bought land, and began to farm. In the early 1900s, it was among the very first estates to bottle and sell Brunello; in the 1960s, it was a founder member of the Consorzio (the regional wine governing board). It continues to operate at the cutting edge - its ongoing research programme has provided two of Brunello’s most widely-used Sangiovese clones.

The estate lies in the warm south-west of Montalcino, with vineyards spread between 150 and 450 metres of altitude. That’s a big advantage when it comes to responding to very diverse vintage conditions, with some grapes that will have ripened fast, and others that will still be very fresh at the end of a long growing season. It gives Il Poggione a resilience and adaptability many estates lack.

2020 is a case in point, when Il Poggione spread harvest over a full month. It was an excellent vintage, with enough rain at the start of the season, but not during the crucial flowering period; and a hot summer that was tempered by a cool approach to harvest. 2020 Il Poggione has an impressive energy, opening on ripe cherry fruit, sweeping through the mouth to a mineral, herb-packed finish. Writing on vinous.com, Eric Guido has called it 'explosive'. As well as the 2020, we've done a double-dip on 2019 Il Poggione. We liked the structured elegance of that vintage so much, we went back to the estate for second helpings. They clearly haven’t read Charles Dickens, and said, 'yes, of course' - and even gave us a lower price. What's not to like? /NT

Offered subject to remaining unsold. Wines due to arrive early Autumn 2025. To place an order, click on the wines below or call 020 7638 5998