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| ~ A Market in Montalcino ~ |
Tenuta Il Poggione, along with the iconic Biondi Santi and Frescobaldi, is one of three original producers of Brunello di Montalcino. For over a century, the Franceschi family has been tending their farm southwest of Montalcino and producing wines of stature and elegance. With vineyards that average about 400 meters above sea level, the cool breezes from the Mediteranean, which is only 30 minutes by car from this portion of the Brunello zone, allow for cool nights and gentle even ripening as the winds from the sea help prevent rot and fungus in the vineyards.
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| ~ Winemaker Alessandro Bindocci at Benvenuto Brunello: 1/20/2015 ~ |
I spoke to Alessandro for a while at Benvenuto Brunello yesterday and mentioned that we had just enjoyed the subject of today’s post. When I told him we paired the wine with aged Pecorino and my ragu sul cinghiale – he smiled, “ahh, the perfect pairing”. No question.
The 2007 Il Poggione Vigna Paganelli Brunello Riserva has it all going on. This is one of the best wines I’ve tasted in a long, long time. A young deep garnet ruby color shows a bit of violet reflections. Decanted for 60 minutes, the wine has numerous harmonic aromas that are very expressive. Turned earth, leather, crushed berry, flowers and game explode from the glass. On the palate, the wine has a huge core of wonderfully ripe fruit, with savory tart acidity, a monstrous wall of ripe tannin that adds structure and power and a red cherry laden finish that trails off for minutes. It’s delicious now, but will cellar well for the next decade with ease. It’s amazing. 97 points. SRP ~ $95. Disclosure: This bottle was an importer provided sample.
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| ~ Elegance and Power at once ~ |
E vero!
The Il Poggione sounds great. I have a 99 in the cellar that is on my near term list to try.
But, the best part of the article was the picture of the Enoteca Di Piazza storefront. Brings back many enjoyable memories of an establishment that knows my credit card way to well.
Thank you for the detailed description of the Il Poggione.
Ha! Your card and mine amico. It's a great time to love Sangiovese and Brunello. 2010, 2011, and 2012… all present excellent options for great drinking. I took so many pictures in Italy, there are many I've still not used on the site. Thanks as always for reading and commenting.