Poggio di Sotto, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany, Italy, 2019

Overview The Wine
Piero Palmucci was the body and soul of Poggio di Sotto for many years. The edgy character of the former logistics entrepreneur was also reflected in his wines: closed, classic, and very strong in personality. Since 2011, the beautiful 32-hectare winery in the hot south-west of Montalcino has been owned by Claudio Tipa, a Sicilian. The native Sicilian has been interested in wine and viticulture since early on, until he made the decision to turn his passion into a profession. Tipa already owns with ColleMassari, Grattamacco and Tenuta di Montecucco, some top estates in Tuscany.

The total vineyard area of the Fattoria Poggio di Sotto of ten hectares is dedicated to Brunello, four hectares are planted with about 1,400 olive trees, the rest is forest. The first Brunello di Montalcino dates back to the 1991 harvest, two years after the estate was founded. Within a short time, wines of high elegance and great complexity emerged. The entire estate is cultivated according to organic farming criteria. The steep vineyards with southern exposure in Castelnuovo dell'Abate at the foot of Monte Amiata reach heights between 200 and 400 meters. And the rocky soils are composed of gravel and clay in the lower plots and sandy loam in the higher ones. With three to three and a half tons per hectare, the yields are kept low.

Organic.

Grape / Blend 
100% Sangiovese

Origin
Tuscany, Italy 

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
Poggio di Sotto is known in Montalcino for its unique parcel of old Sangiovese vineyards (more than 50 years old), in which there have been identified 120 Sangiovese biotypes through a study managed by the University of Florence. This biodiversity produces the characteristic brightness and complexity that is found in Poggio di Sotto wines.

Poggio di Sotto's Brunello is sourced by parcels at 200, 300 and 450 meters with various exposures. The soil at Poggio di Sotto is poor and stony, comprising mainly clay and limestone.

98 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Although this wine was very shy initially, the Poggio di Sotto 2019 Brunello di Montalcino eventually hits all the high notes of Sangiovese. This is a wine of enormous inner tension, showing a punchy, lifted personality with aromas of cherry skin and blackberry/ You get brandied cherry, strawberry glazed pie with the gelatin, underbrush, blue flower, forget-me-nots, balsam herb, mint and licorice. A few hours later, the wine had developed into a classic beauty with slender lines, firm structure and a sparkle of brilliant acidity. The oak is integrated to the point of invisibility, the tannins are elegant and fine and the acidity is that proverbial cherry on top. Ultimately, I liked this village bottling more than the 2018 Riserva.

96 Points - Vinous
Dusty roses, worn leather, dried strawberries and arid earth form a classic bouquet as the dynamic 2019 Brunello di Montalcino blossoms in the glass. This is feminine yet deep and textural, with ripe plums and black cherries motivated by brisk acidity. Violet inner florals and licorice hints form toward the close. The 2019 leaves a salty mineral staining to mingle with fine-grained tannins and spice, as it finished with incredible length, yet still so fresh. This is incredibly youthful and inward today, but the potential is off the charts. I expect the 2019 to put on some weight and blossom over the next five years.