2016 Brunello di Montalcino
Buying options
Tasting notes
A classic from the first tilt of the glass, the 2016 Brunello di Montalcino wows the senses with a pleasantly old-school bouquet of leather, earth tones, dried flowers, crushed cherries, sage and clove. This mixes radiant dark red fruits with sweet spices and salty mineral tones to create a display of contrasts, all over a silky textural wave that’s guided by vibrant acidity. Youthfully tense yet spicy with an orange flourish and amazingly fresh, the 2016 finishes with a tart tinge of youthful tension and fine-grained tannins that will require patience to resolve. This is, without a doubt, one of the vintage's top wines. The 2016 is total class. (EG)
Critic scores
Average Score
Walter Speller, jancisrobinson.com
James Suckling
More reviews and scores
Lustrous ruby. Savoury, meaty and brooding. Still quite closed. With aeration stony minerally notes emerge. Bags of sour-cherry and raspberry fruit in perfect balance with the finely chiselled tannins. Mouth-watering, long and focused. (WS)
Located in Sant’Angelo in Colle, the 2016 Brunello was aged for over 30 months in large French oak. The nose is exuberant with confectionary aromatics of kirsch, sweet herbs and lavender. The palate is energetic and fresh, with bright cherry fruit and oolong tea. This is a polished style with focus and clarity that lends itself to enjoyment in drinking these now, though this will not be one that tires easily. Enjoy 2022-2036.
The Il Poggione 2016 Brunello di Montalcino opens to a medium dark appearance with pretty Sangiovese shine and a little ruby sparkle. This vintage shows a slightly untamed or wild side with a dense and heavier fruit profile. The focus here is on blackberry, dried cherry, tobacco and even a touch of smoky tobacco or horse saddle. The wine shows the firm grip and tannic backbone that is a common trait in this vintage, especially with the vineyards on this southern, sunlit side of the appellation. I also get a considerable flash of acidity on the close, almost too much, that certainly needs a few more years to soften. You really need to wait with this one. Production is an ample 200,000 bottles.
About the producer
Il Poggione is one of Montalcino’s largest but most respected estates, with a reputation for producing some of the most reliable, best-value and age-worthy Brunello di Montalcino.