Wednesday Wines – Episode 258 – A Legend is Born: 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Poggio di Sotto
Before I get stuck into the headline wine, it is worth alerting you to another piece that sets the scene nicely. You can read about 2021 Rosso di Montalcino Poggio di Sotto in my Finest Fifty 2024 Report (please download this if you are a member of matthewjukes.com). If you are yet to sign up, here is a snippet –
I cannot think of a more impressive young Rosso di Montalcino. This is not a happy-go-lucky, forward-drinking Rosso designed to keep the wolf from the door while the Brunello slumbers in your cellar. No. This is the wolf! I was flabbergasted at the sheer depth of intensity of the perfume before the wine even hit my lips. It is a resounding and full-volume anthem to the great Sangiovese grape, and yet it seems so much more evocative than hundreds of other examples I have tasted this year. The palate is absurdly well-appointed with layers of sleek black fruit interwoven with spice and chypre. It is a phenomenal red wine in all respects, and the finish, my god, the finish, is seismic in that it sends reverberations around one’s body and soul, let alone one’s olfactory system, which takes a considerable time to stop thumping away in sheer delight. 19++/20 (Drink 2030 – 2045)
With this note in mind, I called in a sample of this historic estate’s recently released ‘Grand Vin’. Before I let you know my thoughts, here are some edited notes from the estate concerning this wine.
Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2019 is the result of a vintage highlighting Sangiovese’s full evolutionary potential and encapsulating the genius loci of Poggio di Sotto. The estate is home to remarkable geological diversity and hosts a unique collection of 182 biotypes of Sangiovese – a unique feature in the Montalcino viticultural landscape. The 2019 vintage was marked by a perfect balance of intense heat and refreshing rains, resulting in the harmonious maturation of the grapes. After a mild winter and a rainy early spring, the summer’s high temperatures were mitigated by well-timed rainfall, ensuring ideal growing conditions. The harvest, which began on the 5th of September and ended on the 4th of October 4th, was carefully managed with parcel-based picking to highlight the qualities of each vineyard. “Given the exemplary growing conditions, we chose to produce the Riserva, a decision made only in vintages capable of bringing out the full expressive potential of Poggio di Sotto,” explained oenologist Leonardo Berti.
For the 2019 vintage, Terra Rossa and Pietranera vineyards were selected. Terra Rossa, situated 220m above sea level, sits on reddish soils rich in pebbles, organic matter, and microelements that lend Sangiovese structure and complexity. Pietranera, named after the estate’s historical toponym, lies near the Orcia River, where the vines thrive in soils with an exceptionally high galestro content, resulting in naturally low yields. The proximity to the river and its cool currents fosters a gradual ripening process, resulting in wines of great finesse and elegance.
Fermentation takes place in wooden and concrete vats, with long macerations and frequent pump-overs. The wine then ages 40 months in 30hl Slavonian oak barrels, enhancing its depth and elegance and imbuing it with incredible ageing potential. The Riserva results from an uncompromising selection, preserving the purest expression of Poggio di Sotto’s terroir. Only after the long maturation period are the barrels carefully tasted to identify those with the most remarkable character, complexity, and refinement – destined to become the Riserva; these undergo extended ageing. Given the extraordinary expressive power of the 2019 vintage, ageing was extended to approximately 48 months, allowing the Riserva to unfold its layered complexity and consolidate its timeless evolution fully. Only 5500 bottles were produced, representing the pinnacle of the estate’s production.
My thoughts –
Every so often, I know I am in the presence of vinous greatness. I even sensed the weight of expectation when the courier dropped this bottle off at my house. I had no idea what was inside the box, not least because I receive thousands of similarly shaped parcels, but this one felt different. And it was. As the famous label artwork appeared when I teased the bottle from its packaging, my heart started thumping. I waited what felt like an excruciating three days before uncorking the bottle. The cork was a good one – thank goodness. What would happen next? I didn’t know, nor could I predict, but I knew I was in for an astonishing ride. If you skipped over the note for the 2021 Rosso above, please go back and read it. It sets the scene. If you read it, why not reread it? I think it bears repetition. When this estate hits the target, and it does so with alarming regularity, it obliterates it. Poggio di Sotto did just this with the 2021 Rosso. It pushed me, my palate and my understanding of the ability of Rosso di Montalcino to amaze to the limit. In doing so, it also provided me with extraordinary pleasure. When I approached the glass of this game-changing 2019 Riserva, I wondered how on earth it could build on the majesty of its diminutive family member. Well, it did, and it managed to do this with implacable calm and without making the Rosso look anything other than magnificent. This is because these two wines are derived from the same estate but are not made to do the same job. The Rosso, and I have already stated the 2021 is the finest of my life, is a special occasion wine – it costs around £60 per bottle. When it reaches its peak in a couple of years, it will stun all-comers, of that I have no doubt. My featured wine is not only a special occasion wine but possibly a once-in-a-lifetime-style creation. It sits at the very top end of most people’s expenditure, even if you are an obsessive wine fan. However, this is where price, value, experience and the arts seem very complicated and wholly personal. I do not doubt that this is one of the most accurate ways to spend this amount of money on a bottle of wine. It is around half the average price of an Oasis ticket. With only a couple of thousand bottles made, I would do everything possible to convince an Oasis-goer to swap their ticket for two bottles of this wine, even though I know this exchange is not feasible nor a realistic example! Regardless, I will leave the cost behind because you will not think about this wine’s price tag when you take a sip. Where the Rosso is conversational, welcoming, generous and charming, this mighty Riserva is elemental, voluminous, infinitely detailed and soaringly impactful. It is also unbelievably delicious. It is balanced, too, and while it will no doubt live long, it is only a couple of years away from its drinking plateau. This wine is not a solo instrument played by a virtuoso but a potent choir of vines performing among the most accomplished orchestra of vineyards, conducted by the finest winemaker in Tuscany. Everything has come together in the glass perfectly, and there is not a molecule out of place. It is phenomenal. It is the greatest Brunello of my 38 years in the wine business, and I feel my Sangiovese understanding is finally complete. However, I will continue to taste wines from this and other Tuscan estates because my fascination with Poggio di Sotto, its region, its neighbours and its grapes will endure. I know I have been fortunate to taste sheer perfection, at least to my mind, and I will never forget it.