Winemaker Notes
The taste is persistent and balanced with a long and seductive finish. A firm and well supported tannic structure that is balanced now but still suggests long aging potential.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
One of the most positive surprises of my tastings this year wasn't a 2005 or 2004 Riserva but rather Il Poggione's 2003 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Paganelli, which has developed spectacularly since I first reviewed it last year. This awesome, deep Brunello is endowed with gorgeous dark fruit that emerges from the glass with superb richness and power while retaining a traditional sense of structure. There is more than enough fruit to balance the firm tannins that are typical of this hot year. I was blown away by the combination of opulence and classicism present in the 2003 Riserva. If that sounds appealing, believe me it is. The 2003 Riserva is drinking beautifully today and should continue to offer great pleasure for several decades. The estate's 1975, from a very hot vintage at the time, was in great shape when I last tasted it a few years ago. As an aside, readers interested in older vintages will find plenty of notes on our database. Given the soft market for fine wines and the general disdain for 2003s, I would be shocked if savvy readers aren't able to pick up this wine at a favorable price at some point in the near future. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2032.
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Wine Spectator
Red Rich, decadent aromas of blackberry and dried rose, with hints of prune. Full-bodied, with delicious fruit, very round tannins and a long finish. Layered and beautiful. Best after 2010.
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.