Brunello di Montalcino Il Poggione

Il Poggione is known for making “some of the smoothest and most texturally enriched wines in the appellation” as stated in Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. Intense, powerful and full-bodied, the wines made here are classic Brunello in style and can age wonderfully. They are also amongst the most fairly-priced Brunellos on the market.

Il Poggione’s story

Il Poggione was one of the first wineries to market Brunello di Montalcino wine, and one of the founding members of the Brunello di Montalcino Consortium.

Back to the 1800s, Lavinio Franceschi, land owner from Florence, decided to visit the area after hearing the stories from a shepherd, who brought his herds around Montalcino during the winter. He fell so much in love with the landscape and the people who lived in that area that he decided to buy land and establish a farm.

Generation after generation, many resources were spent on research for quality, clonal selections, winemaking and aging techniques. In 2004, a modern winery was also built where the estate’s œnological tradition meets the most avant-garde technologies.
Lavinio Franceschi’s work is still a fundamental point of reference for his successors, Leopoldo and Livia, who continue to develop the business with that same dedication and unrelenting passion, combining the ancient skills of winemaking crafts and tradition with the latest, most innovative techniques.

Vineyard & Winemaking

Tenuta Il Poggione covers an area of 530 hectares (1300 acres), of which 140 hectares (336 acres) are planted with vines and 50 hectares (120 acres) with olive trees; the rest are dedicated to grain fields, forest and livestock. The vineyards are at an altitude between 150 and 450 metres (490 – 1475 feet) above sea level. In the light of a sustainable agriculture, the winery has always planted different crops along the vineyards and limited the use of chemicals. Most recently, it has installed solar panels on the roof of its cellar, with the purpose to reduce the carbon footprint of its wines. The vineyard work is mainly manual, including the harvest.

After a careful fermentation at controlled temperature, Tenuta Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino is aged for 36 months in French oak barrels followed by a long bottle ageing.

2017 – The Growing Season

2017 was marked by extreme heat and drought conditions which made the ripening season very challenging. Producers had to make some difficult decisions. Il Poggione kicked off the harvest on 1 September meaning they had to sacrifice full phenolic ripeness. They compensated by getting rid of unripe seeds from the fermentation vats and managed to preserve the freshness in the wine. Secure your allocation now.

2017 - The scores

The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino opens to a saturated and shiny dark ruby color. This edition is loaded with black and purple fruits, such as blackberry preserves and plum. Those more robust tones are followed by spice, tar and campfire ash. The tannins are young (but not stemmy or bitter), and you'd be best served by letting this wine age and relax with more cellar aging. Il Poggione always makes some of the smoothest and most texturally enriched wines in the appellation, and this vintage is no exception. - 94+ points Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

Sweet, ripe cherry, blackberry and plum fruit flavors are framed by mineral, tobacco and thyme accents in this vibrant, balanced red. Make no mistake, there are ample tannins too, yet this still finds a nice equilibrium on the lingering finish. Best from 2024 through 2040. – 93 points Wine Spectator

Masses of ashen earth, smoke, dusty cherry and roses with nuances of clove lift up from the 2017 Brunello di Montalcino. This is silky and pliant upon entry, presenting a rich display of intense red and hints of black fruits laced with chalky minerals that drenches the palate. Penetrating acidity and grippy tannins create a burst of cheek-puckering tension, clenching down hard with youthful poise, as notes of licorice and hard red candies linger through the structured, medium-length finale. There are some moments where the 2017 reminds you that it comes from an incredibly hot and dry vintage, yet overall, it’s a huge success for the year. That said, it needs time to unwind from its youthful state. Production was down 15–20% at Il Poggione in 2017 due to severe selection of bunches, and all of the fruit that would have been reserved for the Riserva Vigna Paganelli was added to the Brunello instead. – 93 points Vinous

Blackberry, blueberry, stone and floral aromas. Hints of cedar, too. Full-bodied and chewy with polish and focus. Dried berries and hints of meat. This shows the ripeness of the grapes. Chewy at the end. Needs time to soften. Better after 2023. - 91 points James Suckling