2011 Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino 750 ml

Worth the Wait: 2011 Brunello From Il Poggione

Once we finish one of our marathon tastings, our work has just begun. We identify our favorites right away, of course, but then the dance begins, and it can be weeks or even months before we come to an arrangement that works for all involved, especially you.

It was almost a year ago that we sat down with almost 50 bottles of 2011 Brunello di Montalcino. The vast majority of the wines we sampled were luscious right out of the gate, and will continue add weight and complexity over the next 5-7 years. A handful were extraordinary, marrying lavish red-fruit plushness with fine dusty-tannin backbone. Those were our targets. The many WineAccess members snatching up these exceptional Brunellos have reaped the rewards of our early successes.

This was the one that almost got away. But today, the fruits of months of negotiations comes to you as a 2011 Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino you won’t soon forget. It’s worth the wait.

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate scored this 2011 Il Poggione a soaring 95 points, the second-highest score for a 2011 Brunello. Antonio Galloni’s Vinous came in just behind at 94 points, but also noted: “In many respects, there is no better Brunello di Montalcino than Il Poggione.” We’re not here to argue.

No wonder the best Brunellos are produced by one of the pioneer families of Brunello. The Franceschis of Il Poggione lovingly tend estate vineyards dating back to the early 1900s. Their primary holdings are situated in Sant’Angelo in Colle, just south of the town of Montalcino, an area known for producing the region’s best Brunellos. Winemakers Fabrizio Bindocci and son Alessandro takes full advantage of Il Poggione’s varying vineyard elevations. Sangiovese grapes planted at around 490 feet elevation enjoy warmer temperatures, which yields more red-berry fruit and softer tannins. Grapes planted above 1,400 feet develop tinier berries with black-fruited complexities and rugged tannins.

Montalcino enjoyed a marvelously warm growing season in 2011. Vines rooted in the medieval hillsides above the town enjoyed above-average winter temperatures with barely a drop of rain or flake of snow. Budbreak and flowering came very early. A cool and cloudy June was the only departure from the norm. But in early August, a blast of dry heat blew in from North Africa. As the call to harvest came later that month, the Sangiovese grapes of Il Poggione’s vineyards had reached near-perfect phenolic maturity, resulting in plumper, juicier wines than years past, making them utterly fantastic upon release.

We had to smile when Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate passed along something we’d hear many times on the wine trail in Tuscany: “Hold the 2010, drink the 2011.” That’s what you’ll hear from the locals around Montalcino, and they know their “drink now” vintages from their “hold” vintages.

The Wine Advocate praised the “ripe fruit aromas and immediate suppleness” of the 2011 Brunellos, and marveled at the “plump and juicy qualities achieved in 2011 (that) makes these Brunellos approachable now and inherently food-friendly.”

The 2011 Il Poggione Brunello has an inky-black core fading into deep brick-red with purple highlights. Bursting with black cherry and black-fruit preserves, sweet tobacco, licorice, and dried rose petal notes. Velvety and plush with tight-fisted black cherry and plum fruits caressing a mouthwatering, seamless wine, alternating fine-grained tannins and graphite mineral backbone. Parker called it a wine of “stature and strength” and “one of my favorite Brunellos” from 2011 before slapping on 95 points. Galloni gave it 94 points for its “notable depth and intensity” and called it “one of the richest, most powerful wines of the year.”

Parker’s 96-point Brunellos from 2011 will set you back $229 (Il Marroneto), $199 (Cerbaiona), $159.99 (La Cerbaiole), or $114.99 (Casanova di Neri). For this 95-pointer from Il Poggione, $85 on release, but just $65 today, only from WineAccess. You make the call, but don’t wait too long to hit the “Buy” button: Just 40 cases are up for grabs.