By James Suckling

92 points | $90 | 500 cases imported | Red"

Rich

By James Suckling

92 points | $90 | 500 cases imported | Red"

Rich

By Antonio Galloni

Il Poggione produced two superb Brunellos in 2001. Their 2001 Brunello was outstanding and the 2001 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is even better. It is made in a rich, attention-grabbing style. Constantly changing in the glass, it offers an exciting array of dark cherries, violets, tar, tobacco, new leather, earthiness and smoke. This powerful Brunello possesses awesome length and superb harmony. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2026.

Notes of truffles and wild mushrooms along with the currant and cherry fruit, and a sizeable, weighty palate which still has a few tannins to round off. Drink: 2006-2018.

Blockbuster. Loads of toasted wood, with very ripe fruit. Full-bodied, with very chewy tannins, built up through heavy use of new barrels. Long finish. A thick and chewy red. Best after 2005. 2,500 cases made. J.S.

By Antonio Galloni

The 1997 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is a powerful yet sleek wine. Pretty aromas of smoke and earthiness lead to a ripe, vibrant expression of fruit. The wine shows tremendous depth and concentration, not to mention superb overall balance. Spring hail caused some damage in the vineyards and naturally limited yields. August saw some rain, but then September was warmer than normal. The 1997 has a lot of style, but Bindocci says 1999 is a better vintage. The 1997 was the first vintage of the Riserva to be aged in smaller 33 and 52 hectoliter French oak barrels made by Italian cooper Gamba. By this time Piero Talentis health issues had begun taking a toll and he was present only sporadically."

711600,Il Poggione,Brunello Riserva,1995,Wine Advocate,Antonio Galloni,94,2008:04:08 00:00:00,NULL,"Il Poggiones 1995 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is an awesome, vibrant wine loaded with dark cherries, smoke and earthiness. Still quite fresh and structured, it is clearly a wine that requires patience. The summer was warm that year but the vineyards were held in check by the well-ventilated nature of the local micro-climate. There was some rain in August, which then lowered temperatures for the rest of the growing season. The harvest took place later than normal. The 1995 was the first to be made with the cappello sommerso, or submerged cap, method that ironically has been used to make traditionally-styled Barolos and Barbarescos for several decades. 1995 was also the first vintage in which the Riserva was made exclusively from fruit sourced from the Paganelli vineyard, as it is today."

711600,Il Poggione,Brunello Riserva,1999,Wine Advocate,Antonio Galloni,95,2008:04:08 00:00:00,NULL,"The 1999 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is still an infant. Fresh, perfumed violets, dark cherries, minerals, earthiness, mocha and spices flow from the glass as this full-bodied, intense wine gradually reveals its potential. The wine shows incredible detail for its size and despite being very closed down, it richness and depth are amply evident. The vintage saw cool weather all the way into the summer, with very little rain. Oenologist Piero Talenti, the estates guiding light, passed away in 1999 after having spent more than 50 years at the property."

711600,Il Poggione,Brunello Riserva,1982,Wine Advocate,Antonio Galloni,95,2008:04:08 00:00:00,NULL,"The advent of modern-day winemaking technology is immediately evident in the stunning 1982 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, arguably Il Poggiones first truly classic wine. The color is clean, the aromas well-articulated and the wine focused, much like the Barolos of the same vintage. On this day the wine is at a glorious peak of expression. It reveals lovely clarity in its red cherries, tobacco, menthol and scorched earth. A model of restrained elegance, it possesses outstanding depth and long, ethereal finish.

Well-stored bottles will probably keep for another decade but I cant imagine this Brunello will ever be better than it is today. The 1982 Riserva is a great effort from Il Poggione."

9856460,Il Poggione,Brunello di Montalcino,1967,Wine Advocate,Antonio Galloni,91,2008:04:08 00:00:00,NULL,"Il Poggiones 1967 Brunello di Montalcino is fully mature. It reveals superb balance in a beautiful expression of dark cherries, leather, spices and beef bouillon, with soft, resolved tannins and lovely balance. The wine was probably at peak a few years ago, but it is still wonderful to catch it in such great shape. The 1967 was made from the estates original and oldest vineyards. It was aged in casks made of mixed woods, as was the custom at the time."

9856460,Il Poggione,Brunello di Montalcino,1973,Wine Advocate,Antonio Galloni,92,2008:04:08 00:00:00,NULL,"Presents a darker color along with fresher aromas and flavors. It is an intense, full-bodied Brunello packed with dark fruit, menthol, smoke and earthiness. With air it becomes sweeter and more generous on the palate as cocoa and spice flavors develop in the glass. This too offers superb length and surprising freshness on the finish. The 1973 is the first vintage to incorporate younger vineyards planted in 1964."

9856460,Il Poggione,Brunello di Montalcino,1988,Wine Advocate,Antonio Galloni,94,2008:04:08 00:00:00,NULL,"The estates 1988 Brunello di Montalcino is the first wine in this tasting that could be described as young. It is a dramatic, sweeping Brunello with layers of flowers, spices and ripe fruit that emerge as the wine opens in the glass, showing outstanding persistence and tons of style. 1988 saw a rainy spring. The summer was hot, but not excessively so, and the balanced growing season appears to have yielded a similarly well-balanced, poised wine. With air, the 1988 is approachable today, but it is also capable of at least a further decade of aging."

9856460,Il Poggione,Brunello di Montalcino,1990,Wine Advocate,Antonio Galloni,94,2008:04:08 00:00:00,NULL,"The 1990 Brunello di Montalcino is another deeply-colored, massive wine. It is bigger and more powerful than the 1988 even if it doesnt have that wines elegance. Nevertheless, it remains a compelling wine loaded with the essence of dark fruit, spices, menthol and earthiness. Sweet and long, with finessed, well-integrated tannins, it clearly has the stuffing to drink well for another decade. The 1990 was the first vintage to be partially aged in medium-size French oak casks, whereas in the past the estate had used Slavonian oak."

9856460,Il Poggione,Brunello di Montalcino,1975,Wine Advocate,Antonio Galloni,94,2008:04:08 00:00:00,NULL,"Simply put, Il Poggiones 1975 Brunello di Montalcino is a blockbuster. 1975 was an extremely hot vintage. During this era alcohol levels were around 13.5% but in 1975 Il Poggione found itself with wines in excess of 16% so the estate blended in more wine than normal from its less well-exposed sites in order to bring down the alcohol in the final blend. Still, the 1975 Brunello comes in at a hefty 15%, which was practically unheard of at the time. This powerful, brawny wine is loaded with sweet ripe fruit, menthol and spices, yet amazingly it manages to preserve a degree of freshness as well. I am simply stunned by how gracefully this wine has aged. It is a drop dead gorgeous Brunello!"

9856460,Il Poggione,Brunello di Montalcino,2001,Wine Advocate,Antonio Galloni,95,2008:04:08 00:00:00,NULL,"Il Poggiones 2001 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is likely to go down as one of the estates modern day classics. Like the 1999, it too is made in a full-bodied style, but it offers greater elegance and finesse than its older sibling. There is superb purity to this wine, not to mention an eternal finish framed by silky, ripe tannins. A minimum of a few years of cellaring is called for to allow the French oak to integrate. The vintage saw a rainy winter followed by a freakish April frost which reduced yields in several vineyards."

711043,Il Poggione,Brunello di Montalcino,2003,Wine Advocate,Antonio Galloni,91,2008:04:30 00:00:00,NULL,"I found the 2003 Brunello di Montalcino a difficult wine to understand. I imagine the warmth of the vintage is a significant factor, but the 2003 is a decidedly modern, lush Brunello from Il Poggione. As this full-bodied Brunello opens in the glass, notes of dark fruit, leather, spices, chocolate and tobacco emerge, supported by the firm tannins that are the hallmark of this vintage. There is notable clarity here, but fans of the estate should expect an atypically ripe style in this vintage."

9856460,Il Poggione,Brunello di Montalcino,2003,Wine Advocate,Antonio Galloni,91,2008:04:30 00:00:00,NULL,"I found the 2003 Brunello di Montalcino a difficult wine to understand. I imagine the warmth of the vintage is a significant factor, but the 2003 is a decidedly modern, lush Brunello from Il Poggione. As this full-bodied Brunello opens in the glass, notes of dark fruit, leather, spices, chocolate and tobacco emerge, supported by the firm tannins that are the hallmark of this vintage. There is notable clarity here, but fans of the estate should expect an atypically ripe style in this vintage."

711043,Il Poggione,Brunello di Montalcino,2003,TheWineBloggers.com,NULL,90,2008:05:28 00:00:00,NULL,"Did a side by side with this wine and the younger little sister; Rosso Di Montalcino. Hands down the Brunello was the winner and I did not even like the Rosso for the money. The nose has lots of dark berries with flowers. Has a hint of eucalyptus. Nice balance of chocolate rounds of a nice dark deep purple color. The tannins are beautiful in structure, just right and matches this real old world wine. I think this wine was a touch young and needs a couple of years but it still opened up nicely after about 30 minutes but I recommend decanting for about 2 hours. Nice dark fruit on the palette and the transition to the finish had some hang time on it. The finish was nicely balanced. This is a should try wine. Love the old world on this."

9856460,Il Poggione,Brunello di Montalcino,2003,TheWineBloggers.com,NULL,90,2008:05:28 00:00:00,NULL,"Did a side by side with this wine and the younger little sister; Rosso Di Montalcino. Hands down the Brunello was the winner and I did not even like the Rosso for the money. The nose has lots of dark berries with flowers. Has a hint of eucalyptus. Nice balance of chocolate rounds of a nice dark deep purple color. The tannins are beautiful in structure, just right and matches this real old world wine. I think this wine was a touch young and needs a couple of years but it still opened up nicely after about 30 minutes but I recommend decanting for about 2 hours. Nice dark fruit on the palette and the transition to the finish had some hang time on it. The finish was nicely balanced. This is a should try wine. Love the old world on this."

711043,Il Poggione,Brunello di Montalcino,2003,Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar,Ian D'Agata,89+,2008:07:31 00:00:00,NULL,"Deep red. Red currant, fresh raspberry, roasted coffee and smoke on the nose. At once sweet and firm-edged, with spicy red berry and leather flavors complicated by licorice and gingerbread and framed by juicy acidity. Finishes with a solid tannic spine and very good clarity of flavor -- plenty ripe but in need of some patience."

9856460,Il Poggione,Brunello di Montalcino,2003,Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar,Ian D'Agata,89+,2008:07:31 00:00:00,NULL,"Deep red. Red currant, fresh raspberry, roasted coffee and smoke on the nose. At once sweet and firm-edged, with spicy red berry and leather flavors complicated by licorice and gingerbread and framed by juicy acidity. Finishes with a solid tannic spine and very good clarity of flavor -- plenty ripe but in need of some patience."

711043,Il Poggione,Brunello di Montalcino,2004,Wine Spectator's Advance,James Suckling,91,2009:03:01 00:00:00,NULL,"

Has blackberry and coffee bean, with a hint of cream on the nose. Full-bodied and tight, with slightly austere and chewy tannins, but there is pretty, ripe fruit underneath it all. Best after 2010. 16,665 cases made. JS

Loaded with pepper, hard spice and leather, but there's also plenty of bursting red fruit to this traditional Brunello. With every minute it's open the wine evolves: At first it's sweet and forward, but with time it turns earthy and leathery, and ultimately gets very tight and brooding.

General Observations:

"Il Poggione's '97 Brunello Riserva is one of the most profound red wines I've ever tasted. It has uncommon depth and complexity

A pure expression of brunello, from the warm part of the zone just south of Montalcino, this traditional riserva from Il Poggione will age for decades. Bold and savory, this carries the place where it was grown right into the bottle. It evokes flavors of red currant against tannins hard as broken rock; the aromas are as dark as licorice, foresty and earthy as mushrooms, delicate as wildflowers. The texture is luscious, even as the wine remains youthfully tight. Exactly brunello in all its lively complexity and grip, this is a great vintage from Il Poggione.

Best Bruenllo di Montalcino100 Wineries of the Year

Medium red. Tight aromas of currant, coffee and licorice, complicated by a hint of exotic fruit. Rich, sweet, concentrated and pliant, with a suggestion of apricot and strong spiciness. A broad, structured, densely packed Brunello that finishes ripely tannic and very long.

By Antonio Galloni

The 1985 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is a fat, powerful wine loaded with opulent, sweet fruit. While the 1985 doesnt have the complexity or finesse of the 1982 it does offer terrific drinking in a full-bodied, fruit-driven style. Any remaining bottles are best enjoyed over the near-term, as the 1985 doesnt appear to be built for the very long haul. The 1985 vintage saw a wet spring but a hot summer. It is amazing to observe that 23 years later the wines generous, giving personality is essentially unchanged.