2016 Brunello di Montalcino Poggio Al Granchio
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Tasting notes
Cold soak at 5–6 ° C before alcoholic fermentation. Aged for an unspecified period in 300-litre French oak casks, followed by 24 months in 60-hl Slavonian oak casks, six months in concrete tanks and 18 months in bottle. Mid ruby with broad, orange-tinged rim. Dark and a little earthy/minerally on the nose and just a hint of oak. Similar depth and juiciness as the regular Brunello but this has more serious tannins. Lots of juice and depth and firm, firm tannic grip, but with a fresh and focused finish. (WS)
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Average Score
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
Walter Speller, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
Poggio al Granchio is sourced from high elevations of 400-450 meters in the southeast of the region on galestro soils. The 2016 Poggio al Granchio Brunello di Montalcino is aromatically expressive of perfectly ripe cherry, sweet herbs, dried flowers, and stony earth. There is generous purity of fruit on the palate, with mineral-rich earth, and it had the most balanced and harmonious structure in the lineup on this tasting, with present but fine-grained tannin. I love this wine for its darker mineral edge in counterpoint with crunchy and ripe fruit. It is a super-pleasurable wine right out of the gate and will continue to be so over the next 20 or more years. 2025-2042.
The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Poggio al Granchio is a dark and rich expression of earth and black fruits, laced with crushed stone minerality and hints of sour citrus. There are depths of silky textures here yet also a lifted and cooling feel to the expression, giving way to zesty wild berries, savory spice, mint and inner florals. It’s classically structured and showing only a glimpse of what’s to come after time in the cellar, leaving an impression of poise and purity. The Poggio al Granchio is a gorgeous expression of the vintage, hailing from the Southeast of Montalcino and refined entirely in large Slavonian oak. Tasted twice with consistent results.
Smudgy ruby. Taut and zesty, with more tension than on the straight Brunello. Really tight but everything in place. Needs more time. (JH)