Winemaker Notes
"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."
Wine Advocate
95 points
"Moderately deep ruby. Perfumed aromas of spicy cherry, licorice and ink are tinged with notes of orange zest, pipe tobacco and menthol, the latter a bit dominating at present. Boasts impressive depth and power, with extremely pure, deep and complex flavors of red cherry, spicy plum and grilled meat that show energy and vibrancy on the palate. The very long finish displays seductive floral tones. This put on considerable weight in the glass, but will need at least several years of bottle aging to shake off its menthol accent and gain more volume. A real iron-fist-in-a-velvet-glove, with extremely fine tannins and uncommon grace."
-International Wine Cellar
95 Points
"Loads of blackberry, licorice and toasty oak on the nose. Full-bodied, round and rich, with wonderful fruit, light vanilla character and a long finish. Excellent, with lots of everything."
Wine Spectator
94 Points
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Il Poggione's 2001 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is likely to go down as one of the estate's 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. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2031.
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Wine Spectator
Loads of blackberry, licorice and toasty oak on the nose. Full-bodied, round and rich, with wonderful fruit, light vanilla character and a long finish. Excellent, with lots of everything. Best after 2007. 2,220 cases made.
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.