Winemaker Notes
Intense ruby red. Rich bouquet, complex and elegant, made up of hints of cherry and small red ripe fruits, perfectly combined with spicy aromas and hints of oak from the long aging in wood. Well structured on the palate, rich and full, with powerful and ripe tannins supported by a pleasant freshness. Excellent, long-lasting, and elegant aftertaste in accordance with the bouquet.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Super classic Brunello from a classic vintage, being released now. The perfume to this is really something, with cherries, flowers, lead pencil and light hints of graphite. Then it moves to raspberries and black cherries with some sandalwood shavings. You just want to smell it. Clear and transparent. Full-bodied with very fine and succinct tannins that fill the mouth and show super tension and form. Extremely long and structured. Beautiful now, but this will age for decades ahead. Drink or hold.
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Wine Spectator
Packed with vibrant cherry, strawberry, rose, mineral and tobacco aromas and flavors, this red is racy and pure, with a superb aftertaste. Defined by its bracing acidity and precise fruit flavors, this still has some tannins to resolve. So youthful and fresh, it feels like this has hardly budged in its evolution. Best from 2027 through 2045.
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Decanter
The epitome of a true Riserva, Col d'Orcia’s just-released 2016 Poggio al Vento has brilliantly endured long ageing in both cask and bottle. It is only just coming into its own, and in fact, it should continue to develop leisurely and captivatingly for many years. As it sheds chestnut, flint and tobacco nuances, a heady bouquet of exotic potpourri and dried Mediterranean herbs emerges. The palate is laden with red summer berries, while long, textured tannins flex their commanding muscles but remain classy. With all the depth and detail that distinguishes 2016, this filled me with nostalgia for that glorious vintage.
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Wine Enthusiast
The nose is primarily savory, with aromas of old leather, dirt and mixed spices, like a general store in the Old West with cherry and licorice candy in bins. The palate is more fruit-forward, with notes of cherries and figs, with currents of coffee and sambuca mingling to create a subtle sense of edginess. Tannins and acid oversee affairs without intruding, like a good party host.
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Jeb Dunnuck
A youthful, saturated bright red, the 2016 Brunello Di Montalcino Riserva Poggio Al Vento has a sunny and introverted personality that draws you into its notes of kirsch, wild sweet herbs, sweet tobacco, leather, and cedar. Full-bodied, it has rich tannins, retains good freshness, and does not feel heavy. Rather light on its feet, it has a clean finish with notes of orange pith and a chalky texture. I would give this another year or two and drink over the following 10 years.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The organic Col d'Orcia 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Poggio al Vento (in a medium-heavy glass bottle) is quite beautiful, truth be told, with a unique sense of direct power, medium-rich texture and evolved fruit. This Riserva takes us back in time to one of the most successful vintages in Montalcino history. The bouquet is distinguished by dried fruit, rose potpourri and roasted chestnut husk. The tannins are resolved, and the wine ends on a softly silky note.
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.