Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino 2020

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

About Il Poggione

Below the beautiful hilltop town of Sant’Angelo in Colle – in the southern section of the Brunello di Montalcino appellation – is the historical farm of Tenuta Il Poggione, a property steeped in history, with origins dating back to the late 1800s.

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.

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.

Lavinio Franceschi, a landowner from Florence, visited the area near Montalcino in 1890 after hearing romantic stories from shepherds who grazed their herds in this warmer area over winter. It was love at first sight, and he purchased land and established a farm. Soon after, he realised this was an ideal place to grow grapes.

Franceschi’s greatest achievement was to recognise the area’s potential for vine cultivation and to see the suitability of the region to produce superior examples of Sangiovese. His management, modern business approach and enterprise marked the end of the almost medieval agricultural methods of the time. New Sangiovese clones adapted to producing high-quality grapes were selected, and new vineyards were planted in the most suitable sites, with a view to producing only superior wines. A new winery was built, complete with the most up-to-date technology, while still maintaining a focus on tradition, authenticity and regionality.

Il Poggione is one of the founding members of the Brunello di Montalcino Consortium and was one of the first wineries to market Brunello di Montalcino wine – as early as the 1900s. In more recent years, the farm has been used as a nursery for Montalcino biotypes.

These days, Il Poggione is run and managed by the father-and-son team of Fabrizio and Alessandro Bindocci, but even after 130 years, Lavinio Franceschi’s work remains fundamental to their approach. The same dedication, unflagging passion and a combination of tradition with the most innovative techniques are used to amplify quality.

Check out the podcast below with Il Poggione’s winemaker, Alessandro Bindocci.

The good stuff starts around the 8 minute mark.

In the Vineyard

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.

In the Winery

In 2004 the new winery was built in the heart of the property where the estate’s winemaking tradition meets the most avant-garde technologies.

After the harvest the wine ferments at controlled temperature with indigenous yeasts, inside stainless steel tanks with the “submerged cap” technique.

Thanks to this type of fermentation, it is possible to obtain intense colours and flavours and honour the style of Brunello di Montalcino.

Five metres under the vinification cellar the winery keeps its large French oak barrels used for aging the wines.

Since it is completely underground, the cellar’s temperature and humidity are naturally ideal, which allows an optimal aging and storage of the wine.

Where in the World is Il Poggione?

Il Poggione is in Montalcino, Tuscany.