2019 Il Poggione - Brunello di Montalcino Riserva (750ml)

Tenuta Il Poggione traces back to the late nineteenth century, when Florentine landowner Lavinio Franceschi fell for the hills of Montalcino and began planting Sangiovese there. He became one of the first producers to modernize winemaking and clonal selection in the area while still hand-harvesting fruit, and the estate later helped found the Brunello di Montalcino Consortium. Today the property, owned by Leopoldo and Livia Franceschi, spans nearly 1,500 acres with more than 300 planted to vine, and is guided in the cellar by the father-son team of Fabrizio and Alessandro Bindocci.

The Riserva comes exclusively from Vigna Paganelli, a 12-hectare plot planted in 1964 that now serves as the estate's clonal reference for new plantings. It is bottled on its own only in the strongest vintages, with fruit from any secondary selections discarded entirely rather than folded into another wine. After a careful, hand-picked harvest, the wine ferments at controlled temperature, then ages for around four years in large French oak casks before spending another year resting in bottle.

The 2019 opens with exotic spice, flint, and incense, layered with dried rose and black cherry over a base of ashen mineral tones. The palate is silken and racy, driven by zesty acidity and fine, lingering tannins with a touch of orange zest. It suits braised oxtail, grilled venison, or a rich aged cheese.