Winemaker Notes
Parallels to the red wines of Burgundy abound in discussions of Poggio di Sotto. The Sangiovese wines released from this special property do always favor elegance and restraint over opulence and power, yet they never lack depth. Normally a paler hue of ruby than other Brunello wines, Poggio di Sotto’s tameness of color belies concentrated aromas and flavors. A profile anchored in bright cherry fruit is framed by highlights of balsamic, baking spice, and candied orange peel. The tannin structure is firm yet ripe and will carry the wine well through decades of cellaring. A classic wine from one of the world’s great wine regions.
Equally at home with flavorful meats from the grill as with refined and layered dishes. Considered a "Vino da Meditazione," Poggio di Sotto Brunello is also enjoyable on its own.
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
The thing that makes Poggio di Sotto stand out from the pack is its substance. Brunello is always a wine with weight and heft, but this one has a density that feels all encompassing—like entering an entirely new universe.
-
James Suckling
Restrained strawberries and cherries, with a touch of lavender and a lot of licorice. Super juicy on the palate with thick, chalky tannins at the moment, yet they are balanced by supple, sweet fruit. Medium- to full-bodied with a very savory aftertaste. Though pleasant, it’s not fully ready to drink now, and there’s a lot of potential for the long haul.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Very much still a baby at the time of my tasting, the Poggio di Sotto 2020 Brunello di Montalcino shares many similarities with the epic 2016 vintage in terms of its pretty perfumes and polished length. However, this elegant wine does not have the same sheer inner power. This bottle ultimately offers a fresh and charming interpretation of Sangiovese. This is a delicate wine with floral aromas, wild rose, crushed stone and white cherry. Aged in large Slavonian oak casks, it requires more time to flesh out. Harvest started the last week of August and finished the first week of October, which represents a conscious decision to start picking earlier than most. The vineyards are planted on schistic galestro soils, and that territorial imprint comes through strongly in all of these wines. I love that refreshing hint of lemon rind or navel orange at the very end.
Rating: 97+ -
Jeb Dunnuck
The 2020 Brunello Di Montalcino is a bright ruby red color and is pretty and fruity on the nose, with notes of wild strawberries, herbes de Provence, orange zest, and saline. The palate is mouthwatering and coiled, with a haunting feel on the snappy finish, which is tangy and mineral-noted at this young stage. It's going to need time. Drink 2028-2048.
-
Decanter
Winemaker Leonardo Berti is among those who compare 2020 to 2018. As such, he aerated gently with pump-overs and kept skin maceration to 35 days to avoid over extraction. Aromas are piercing and precise as this opens with orange and grapefruit rind, flint and freshly ground pepper. There is a gorgeous transparency of redcurrant and raspberry, while bergamot adds inner perfume. Although fuller than 2018, the 2020 is unequivocally elegantly weighted, with almost a delicateness to the structure, yet those fine-grained tannins persist. Appetising and buoyant, it trails off leisurely with lavender and thyme.
-
Vinous
Incredibly floral and mineral, the 2020 Brunello di Montalcino displays a cascade of rose petals, violets, white smoke, underbrush and dried strawberries. This is wickedly fresh and feminine in style, with a vibrant core of acidity and juicy red berry fruits that swirl throughout, complemented by a sweet herbal thrust. It finishes with lovely length and concentration yet is still potent with crunchy tannins and a resonance of savory spice that lingers on and on. This understated yet drop-dead gorgeous Poggio di Sotto Brunello should put on more weight with cellaring, but today, it's already enjoyable on its potential alone.
Rating: 94+ -
Wine Spectator
Expressive and laced with cherry, blackberry, floral and wild herb flavors, this juicy red delivers plenty of energy and a supple feel. There are light tannins on the finish, lending the right amount of support. Shows fine balance and length. Best from 2027 through 2042.
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.