Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Made with certified organic fruit, the Col d'Orcia 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Poggio al Vento is open-knit and big both in intensity and mouthfeel. This full-bodied Riserva graces us with budding tertiary notes of tobacco and cured leather, but the ripe and fundamentally very rich fruit of this vintage remains firm at its core. You also get cola, licorice and grilled rosemary. This vineyard site sees ancient soils with an important component of well-draining sand, and this helps to concentrate flavors. The wine's fruit weight is large-scale for sure, and it's more than enough to soften the 15% alcohol in this 25,000-bottle release. A food pairing will require a wintery scene, a roaring fireplace and an important cut of beef.
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Vinous
The 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Poggio al Vento Riserva wafts up with gorgeous dusty rose, violet tones, worn leather and dried black cherries. It balances the sun-kissed nature of the vintage with zesty acidity and a fine tannic grip, as ripe red berry fruits saturate the palate. The finish is incredibly long and potent yet harmonious, with an inflection of sage and cedary spice. The 2015 is already showing beautifully in line with the vintage, with potential for another decade or more.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Sunny and opulent, the 2015 Brunello Di Montalcino Riserva Poggio Al Vento is juicy with cherry liqueur, sweet herbs, baking spices, and balsamic. Full and round through the midpalate, with black cherry, blackberry, scorched earth, and tea leaf, it is hearty, structured, and broad. It is also well representative of the 2015 vintage, warranting ample time in the cellar. Best after 2024.
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James Suckling
Lots of plum, toffee, floral and cherry aromas that follow through to a full body with ripe, round tannins that follow through to a long, gorgeous finish. From organically grown grapes. Lovely now, but better in a year or two.
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Wine Spectator
A powerful version, this red delivers concentrated plum, black cherry, iron and earth flavors allied to a base of muscular tannins. The balance tips to the astringent side, but it's not overbearing, with ripe fruit returning on the finish. Needs time and food. Best from 2026.
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Wine Enthusiast
The initially shy nose eventually reveals camphor, new leather, underbrush and dark spice. Big and firmly structured, the concentrated, one-dimensional palate recalls dried cherry, stewed prune and licorice set against assertive, close-grained tannins and the heat of evident alcohol. Despite the tannins, drink sooner rather than later to capture the remaining fruit and freshness.
As one of the original estates of Montalcino and now the largest certified organic estate in Tuscany, Col d’Orcia is a leader in Brunello di Montalcino, helping to define and promote one of Italy’s most prestigious wine regions. Tradition, integrity and sustainability are the pillars of the estate, whose classic style wines are celebrated all over the world.
Situated on the outskirts of the medieval hilltop village of Montalcino in Tuscany’s Siena province, the estate has a rich winemaking history that dates back to the 1700s. In 1973, the estate was purchased by the Cinzano family, who markedly increased the vineyard holdings. They are now the third largest owner of Brunello vineyards in Montalcino. Proudly defined as an ‘organic island,’ Col d’Orcia is committed to maintaining the natural environment in which it operates and has, for many years, employed organic farming practices. The entire estate includes vineyards, gardens, olive groves, tobacco and wheat fields, which are all farmed following exclusively organic agricultural practices. In 2010, the estate underwent the organic farming certification process and is now the largest certified organic wine producing farm in all of Tuscany.
The estate’s name translates to “the hill overlooking the Orcia River,” due to its position in the undulating hills between the Orcia River and Sant’Angelo in Colle. Here, southern orientations provide vines with abundant exposure to sunshine and vineyard soils comprised of limestone and marl facilitate natural irrigation. Located at about 1500 feet above sea level, the estate is favorably positioned against Mount Amiata (5,700 feet) which helps shield the property from floods and hail. The climate is typically Mediterranean, with limited rainfall coming in from the Tyrrhenian coast, 21 miles away.
The estate is currently owned and managed by Count Francesco Marone Cinzano. A world traveler with boundless energy, the Count is a tireless ambassador for his estate as well as the Montalcino region. Under his leadership, plantings have expanded exponentially at Col d’Orcia and the estate has been transformed into an organic farm. Col d'Orcia was named "Environmental Advocate of the Year 2025" by Wine Enthusiast.
Among Italy's elite red grape varieties, Sangiovese has the perfect intersection of bright red fruit and savory earthiness and is responsible for the best red wines of Tuscany. While it is best known as the chief component of Chianti, it is also the main grape in Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and reaches the height of its power and intensity in the complex, long-lived Brunello di Montalcino. Somm Secret—Sangiovese doubles under the alias, Nielluccio, on the French island of Corsica where it produces distinctly floral and refreshing reds and rosés.
Famous for its bold, layered and long-lived red, Brunello di Montalcino, the town of Montalcino is about 70 miles south of Florence, and has a warmer and drier climate than that of its neighbor, Chianti. The Sangiovese grape is king here, as it is in Chianti, but Montalcino has its own clone called Brunello.
The Brunello vineyards of Montalcino blanket the rolling hills surrounding the village and fan out at various elevations, creating the potential for Brunello wines expressing different styles. From the valleys, where deeper deposits of clay are found, come wines typically bolder, more concentrated and rich in opulent black fruit. The hillside vineyards produce wines more concentrated in red fruits and floral aromas; these sites reach up to over 1,600 feet and have shallow soils of rocks and shale.
Brunello di Montalcino by law must be aged a minimum of four years, including two years in barrel before realease and once released, typically needs more time in bottle for its drinking potential to be fully reached. The good news is that Montalcino makes a “baby brother” version. The wines called Rosso di Montalcino are often made from younger vines, aged for about a year before release, offer extraordinary values and are ready to drink young.