The 2009 Rosso di Montalcino is a lush, fruity wine with good body and an attractive personality. The Rosso is aged predominantly in 100-hectoliter barrels, although 30% of the wine is aged in French oak tonneaux. Over the last few years the estate has moved towards a simpler style of Rosso, which is a shame as the older Rossi were wines of real pedigree and class. This is simply a tasty, well-made wine, but not more. Count me among the estate’s fans who miss the more serious style of Rosso that was common here until just a few years ago. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2014. Il Poggione is Montalcino’s fourth largest estate, with an eye-popping 125 hectares of Brunello designated vineyards, behind Banfi, Castelgiocondo and Col d’Orcia. My annual tasting spanned every wine in barrel from 2006-2010. I continue to be deeply impressed by the average level of quality father and son team Fabrizio and Alessandro Bindocci coax from these sites. Frankly, it is hard to go wrong with any of the Brunelli Il Poggione has put into bottle over the last few years. The straight Brunello remains one of the most reasonably priced, cellar-worthy wines in the world. The 2006s are rich, bombastic wines that will require patience to drop their baby fat. The Brunelli are fermented with a submerged cap and pumpovers, an approach that is unusual in Montalcino but common in Piedmont. My visit ended with a taste of the 1955 Brunello, which is still in great shape, even after all these years. Importer: Terlato Wines International, Lake Bluff, IL; tel. (847) 604 8900

A rich, chewy style, in a rustic sense, sporting plum, licorice and tobacco notes. Turns dry on the finish. Best from 2012 through 2015. 5,000 cases imported.??–BS??Region: Italy / Rosso di Montalcino Select to Add