Product information

Poggio di Sotto Brunello di Montalcino 2015

Sangiovese from Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy

$480

$465ea in any 3+
$450ea in any 6+
Closure: Cork
There is something here that takes Sangiovese to a special place, the perfume, the lovely linear shape of fruit, that deceptive depth and length that builds!

Description

This my friends this is a thing of beauty! Frankly, my tasting budget is blown, big time! I had to try this.

Brunello has such a spectrum of styles from the divine, elegant, and, graceful to the overblown clumsy monsters. I typically play on the side of elegance and into the middle of the spectrum. Poggio di Sotto’s is undoubtedly on the elegant side.

So, Trembles rocks up with a box. We sit, we pour, we proceed to shoot the s@#t. Then that moment after swirling the vino around for a couple of minutes, I smell. That little spark ignites. I’m looking at more than your average Sangio. The conversation shifts from the 123 varieties of heirloom tomatoes he’s planted to a glass full of happiness.

There is something here that takes Sangiovese to a special place, the perfume, the lovely linear shape of fruit, that deceptive depth and length that builds. Here we see a Brunello at 13.5% where many from 2015 are well north of 15%. As expected the pieces fall into place. Low yield, meticulous vineyard work combine to offer fruit with flavour ripeness at much lower sugar levels affording the opportunity to create such an elegant personality in the wine. The superfine tannins have a lovely linear line to them.

I have seen wines like this before. Patience will see them undergo a metamorphosis from a thing of beauty to one of sophistication with an additional level of intrigue as the truffles, forest, subtle generosity of age builds.

Note to self: Review tasting budget!

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Check out all of the wines by Poggio di Sotto

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

About Poggio di Sotto

Established in 1989, Poggio di Sotto is known in Montalcino for its unique ecological niche of old Sangiovese vineyards (more than 50 years old). Together with the University of Florence 120 unique biotypes of Sangiovese were discovered. This biodiversity is the cornerstone of the unique brightness and complexity that is found in Poggio di Sotto wines and the leader of its distinctive style. Since its foundation, the estate has become famous for the high quality of the Sangiovese that it cultivates and has quickly achieved cult status.

The estate is in Castelnuovo dell’Abate in the southern part of the region. Although the climate here is warmer than other communes within Montalcino, the hot sea breezes from the Mediterranean are blocked by Monte Amiata and the Ombrone river generates cooling breezes at night.

Biodynamic viticulture, high vine density, extremely low yields and extended cask ageing combine to produce what many refer to as ‘the Burgundy of Brunello’. Piero had an uncompromising commitment to Sangiovese in purezza and enthusiastically supported the creation of sub zones for Montalcino, saying “I would love for Castelnuovo dell’Abate to become an official sub-appellation so consumers can know that this Brunello is made in one of the sunniest parts of Montalcino where Sangiovese matures perfectly”.

The wines are characteristically light in colour, with complex aromas of red berry fruit, earth, leather and tobacco. Firm acidity and silky yet substantial tannins give the wine a long-lasting flavour.

In 2011, with no descendants, Piero sold his beloved estate to Claudio Tipa of nearby Colle Massari. Claudio didnt change a thing and the wines continue to be amongst Italy’s, and the world’s, finest.

The wines are, however, extremely limited and we recommend looking out for the new releases on our Italy Direct ex ship offers.


 

It took a while for collectors to feel comfortable with the new releases after Piero Palmucci sold the iconic Poggio di Sotto property to Claudio Tipa, owner of ColleMassari and Grattamacco, in 2011. You could count me in the skeptical camp for years, while being told that very little would be changed in the vineyards and winery, yet tasting new releases without being overly impressed. However, I can now firmly say, having recently tasted the 2010 and 2013 Brunello Riservas, and now the 2015 Brunello, that Poggio di Sotto is officially back. We really shouldn’t be surprised, as Palmucci put his heart and soul into identifying this esteemed terroir in Castelnuovo dell’Abate, and then planting the perfect clones of Sangiovese to take full advantage of it. This continues to be one of the most Burgundian of all Brunellos, and worthy of it’s lofty price.

Vinous

In the Vineyard

Made from vineyards located at 200, 300 and 450 metres above sea level with different exposures. The area is close to Castelnuovo dell’Abate, in the valley of the Orcia river. Grapes are hand picked after a careful selection. The yield is 3 – 3,5 tons per hectare this is very low. Yields are normally around 5T+ for exceptional Brunello.

In the Winery

This Brunello di Montalcino is made with 100% Sangiovese Grosso and the fermentation is spontaneous and made in 70 hl oak casks with prolonged maceration and pumping over.

After the malolactic fermentation, the wine ages for 40 months in 30 hl oak casks plus an additional 12 months in bottle.

Below you see the large barrels, botti, in the winery. A quince resting on the door of a botti. Vintage is quince season! For the eagle eye a Bucher Vaslin Delt Oscillys destemmer. This is the benchmark destemmer for destemming bunches and keeping berries whole. This allows the winemaker to perform incredibly gentle whole berry ferments with infinite control of tannin extraction. If you want to make Burgundian style Brunello this is essential.

The 2015 Vintage

Well, well, well! Every year winemakers (… or their marketing team) around the world tell us it’s the vintage of the decade, maybe even the vintage of the century! Every vintage I make wine I call it the vintage of the year determined to take the P.1.S.S. out of all the marketers!

It’s happened again with the 2015 wines of Brunello. James Suckling Top Italian wine for last your was a Brunello, in fact, it was his top wine for the WORLD!  Siro Pacenti Brunello di Montalcino Vecchie Vigne 2015. His top 100 wines were dominated by 35 Brunelli! Virtually all were 2015’s with the exception of a couple of Riservas from 2013.

The Rosso di Montalcinos we saw from 2015 certainly support the vintage being a pretty tasty one.

The message is clear BACK THE TRUCK UP!


James Suckling Thoughts on the 2015 Vintage in Brunello

The 2015 vintage is a historical year for Brunello di Montalcino that nobody should miss. The wines show impressive precision of vivid fruit, fine tannins and freshness in acidity despite their ripeness and richness which makes them some of the most exciting in years.

Winemakers in Montalcino were never better prepared to produce outstanding wines in a year like 2015 with their exactness in their vineyards and cellars from fine-tuned canopy management and crop thinning to optical sorting and soft fermentations. So many wine producers in Montalcino made excellent wines in 2015.

‘Depth of fruit and endless length’

My son Jack and I have tasted 187 2015 Brunellos so far this year and the quality is terrific. We rated about half 95 points or more – classic quality. The wines will be officially available in the market beginning in January 2020. But we wanted to give you a preview of the best Brunellos from the vintage, with some already available on a pre-arrival basis from wine merchants.

‘Balance and harmony’

“The words for the 2015 vintage are density, tannins and freshness,” says Roberto Guerrini, whose family owns Eredi Fuligni. He made the wine of his lifetime in 2015. We rated it 100 points. “The wines are rich, yet they are fresh at the same time. It is a great year.”

Where in the World is Poggio di Sotto?

Poggio di Sotto is Montalcino, Tuscany. There main vineyards are on the exceptional terroirs of Montosoli and Canalichhio Crus. The winery has a number of individual sub-plots in each Cru.

Click to open large map with producer index
96 Points

Luminous red. Delicately smoky and ripe on the nose, with deep raspberry and red cherry aromas complicated by notes of sandalwood, licorice, graphite and sweet pipe tobacco. Full and rich but also very bright, with red and dark berry flavors given life by juicy, harmonious acidity and very nicely framed by supple tannins. Closes long, fresh, and expansive, deeper and less sweet than the estate’s 2018 Rosso di Montalcino also released this year. Utterly delicious and already accessible, this boasts noteworthy elegance and freshness for such a big ripe wine.

Ian d'Agata

96 Points

Poggio di Sotto doesn't miss a beat with this very special release. This is a glorious expression of the vintage, and the wine has absorbed the golden sunlight of Tuscany, delivering beautifully ripe, round and subtle fruit layers. The 2015 Brunello di Montalcino shows concentration, but not too much, and richness, but not too much. You get the power and the opulence of the vintage presented with the elegance and grace that is the house style at this venerated estate. Poggio di Sotto is one of the benchmarks of Montalcino, and the winery team continues the tradition with this 22,000-bottle release. There's a lot of red fruit energy deep inside that should stir this wine on course as it ages over the next two decades.

Monica Larner

95 Points

The 2015 Poggio di Sotto Brunello di Montalcino struts its Castelnuovo dell'Abate origins with pride, taking all of the best aspects of this sunny vintage and adding a savoriness that balances everything out so well. The bouquet is a stunning mix of savory cherry sauce, sage, seared meat, cinnamon, moist earth, and a hint of animal musk. On the palate, its textures are like the purest silk being slowly drawn across the senses in a seamless expression of dark red fruits, sweet spice and inner florals. Nothing is out of place here, showing incredible balance and poise, while remaining tightly wound up in it’s youthful state. The finish seems to go on and on, displaying pretty red fruits and floral tones over a core of salty minerals and rock-solid tannin. You could drink this now, but you’d be missing out, because beneath all of its suave character and textural richness, it is a beast of a wine just waiting to come out.

Eric Guido

94 Points

There’s a real Burgundian feel here to the sour cherries, five spice, citrus, nutmeg and fresh oregnano. The tannins have a beautiful, porcelain-like feel; the acidity cuts a wide and long shape. Delicate, floral and refined. All about grace and elegance. Drink from 2021.

James Suckling

Where in the world does the magic happen?

Poggio di Sotto, Montalcino, Province of Siena, Italy

Montalcino
Tuscany
Italy