2010 - Brunello di Montalcino, Il Poggione

Il Poggione’s 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is the single best value in top-flight Brunello di Montalcino. If there was any doubt about that, this tasting makes it clear that Il Poggione belongs right up there along with the best of them. A towering, massively endowed wine, the Poggione is simply marvelous.

The Il Poggione 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is not showing as well as expected. Whereas the challenging 2012 vintage exceeds expectations, the celebrated 2010 edition is not especially expressive. We opened two bottles from the cellar to compare, and although there was variation, with the second bottle outperforming the first, they both felt closed. These notes are based on the second bottle that showed an overall cleaner bouquet with dried fruit, dusty mineral and dry clay. The wine delivers ample textural heft, and the tannins are upright and precise. However, the overall delivery is muted and shallow. You are left wanting more from the wine, and I wonder if it is going through an awkward phase at this moment with the potential to extend and open in the coming years.