Introduction: Tenuta Il Poggione is one of Brunello di Montalcino's foundational estates — one of the original three producers to market the wine commercially, and a founding member of the Brunello Consortium. Established in the late 1800s when Florentine landowner Lavinio Franceschi fell in love with the hills south of Montalcino and acquired the land at Sant'Angelo in Colle, the property remains in its fifth generation under siblings Leopoldo and Livia Franceschi. Winemaking is led by Alessandro Bindocci, son of longtime winemaker Fabrizio, whose family has shaped the estate's style across two generations — a classically structured, large-production Brunello built on old vines from the southwestern corner of the appellation. The 2019 was named Vinous Top 100 No. 80 of 2024.

Terroir: Il Poggione's vineyards are centered in Sant'Angelo in Colle in the southwestern sub-zone of Montalcino — an area that Decanter notes "suffers in warmer vintages" but "performed very well" in the moderate, balanced 2019 growing season. The estate's vineyards range from 500 to nearly 1,500 feet above sea level, with the Brunello sourced from the oldest blocks of 25 to 60-year-old vines, including the historic Vigna Paganelli planted in 1964. The southwestern exposure, refreshing maritime breezes from the Tyrrhenian coast, and clay-rich alluvial soils at lower elevations and rockier, shale-based soils higher up give Il Poggione Brunellos their characteristic combination of concentration, warmth, and structured tannin. The 2019 vintage is widely celebrated as one of the finest recent years in Montalcino — a balanced, classically structured growing season with excellent diurnal variation and ideal ripening conditions.

Appearance: Ruby red with good depth and youthful intensity — saturated and vibrant in the glass with no sign of evolution.

Nose: Dark, earthy, and complex — crushed stone and ashen mineral open the bouquet alongside rosemary, cedar, exotic spice, and a concentrated core of raspberry preserves and black cherry. Violet inner florals, leather, graphite, and tobacco weave through as the wine opens, along with dried fruit and autumnal forest floor notes. The nose is structured and layered rather than immediately expressive — this is a wine that rewards patience in the glass.

Palate: Full-bodied and silky, with a texture that builds steadily rather than announcing itself immediately — wild berries, black cherry, plum, orange hints, and sweet herbal notes flow across the palate with real purity and restraint. The chalky, velvety tannins are firm and present but polished, underlined by a zesty, almost briny acidity that is the hallmark of Il Poggione's southwestern Montalcino terroir. At 15% ABV the alcohol is notable but carried well by the wine's generous fruit weight. The balance between concentration and freshness defines this 2019 — a vintage Decanter aptly characterizes as landing "somewhere between 2016, 2013 and 2010."

Finish: Tremendously long — crunchy tannins, violet florals, and a sustained coat of minerality fade slowly through a clean, structured close. The finish is the wine's most extraordinary quality, delivering genuine length and complexity that continues evolving well after the last sip.

Food Pairings:
🥩 Meat: Bistecca alla Fiorentina, slow-braised wild boar with olives, or roasted rack of lamb with rosemary and juniper
🥦 Vegetarian: Truffle and porcini tagliatelle, ribollita with aged Pecorino, or roasted eggplant with herbs and balsamic
🧀 Charcuterie Board: Aged Pecorino di Pienza, Parmigiano Reggiano, Cinta Senese salami, truffle honey, and dried figs

Overall Impression: The 2019 Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino is a classic, structured, and deeply satisfying Brunello from one of the appellation's most reliable anchors — consistent in its elevation of quality across a 200,000-bottle production, and exceptional in the 2019 vintage for the harmony of Sant'Angelo in Colle's particular expression of the year. It is a wine for the patient cellar and the serious table. Decant for at least an hour now; best from 2026 through 2042. Serve at 63–65°F.

Alcohol by Volume (ABV %): 15%
Farming Practices: Sustainable viticulture; solar panels installed on cellar roof; mixed farming model — vineyards, olive groves, livestock, and woodland to promote biodiversity; minimal chemical use; hand-harvested from oldest estate vines (25–60 years)
Producer Name: Tenuta Il Poggione (Franceschi family — Leopoldo and Livia Franceschi; winemaker Alessandro Bindocci)
Old World / New World: Old World
Country of Origin: Italy
Region: Brunello di Montalcino DOCG — Sant'Angelo in Colle, southwestern sub-zone, Montalcino, Tuscany
Grape Varietals: Sangiovese Grosso (Brunello) 100%
Vintage: 2019
Wine Style: Dry Red — Full-bodied, classically structured, and mineral-driven, with a concentrated dark fruit and earthy profile shaped by old-vine southwestern Montalcino terroir and long French oak aging. Built for medium-to-long-term cellaring of 10 or more years.
Red Winemaking Techniques: Hand-harvested from oldest estate vines; 15–20 day submerged-cap fermentation in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts at 25–28°C; malolactic fermentation in stainless steel; long aging in large French oak barrels (30–50 hL); followed by bottle aging before release; approximately 200,000 bottles produced
Pack Size: 750ml
Container Style: Glass bottle
Closure Style: Cork

Press:
98 points, The Tasting Panel:
"A seductive perfume of roses washed in mulberry is mirrored on the first sip. Piquant notes of cinnamon-spiced pomegranate and exotic floral tones of jasmine and tea leaves surround blueberry ganache. This silky and graceful wine's alluring floral-and-berry character is memorable."

96 points, Vinous:
"The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino pulls the taster close to the glass with its dark and earthy blend of crushed ashen stones, giving way to rosemary, cedar, exotic spice, and a core of raspberry preserves. Enveloping and serene, this flows across the palate like pure silk, steadily building in tension as tart wild berries and orange hints give way to a sweet herbal thrust. The 2019 finishes with tremendous length and is classically structured, as crunchy tannins resonate and violet inner florals slowly fade over a tactile coating of minerality. Il Poggione has captured the radiance of the vintage, yet this is just a baby today."

94 points, Wine Advocate:
"The Il Poggione 2019 Brunello di Montalcino shows an evolved bouquet with aromas of dried fruit, forest floor, crushed flower, and autumnal leaf. On a second nose, you get dark licorice, wet slate, cola, and grilled rosemary. The tannins are powdery and dry. I recommend a medium-term drinking window as a result. You do feel the powerful 15% alcohol content in this ample 200,000-bottle release."

94 points, Decanter:
The 2019 is a vintage of balance, somewhere between 2016, 2013, and 2010. Sant'Angelo in Colle, which suffers in warmer vintages, performed very well, and Il Poggione is a great example of the harmony of the area's wines in this vintage. Fruity at first sniff, it becomes more restrained later, with black cherry, violet, leather, graphite vibrancy, and its typical nutty finish. The chalky tannins are extracted but velvety, underlined by an almost zesty acidity."

94 points, Wine Spectator:
"Features ample plum, cherry, iron, tobacco, and underbrush flavors buoyed by a plump texture to match the dense structure, plus vibrant acidity to keep it all focused. Another year of aging should allow the finish to stretch out and this wine to reach its full potential. Best from 2026 through 2042. Tasted twice, with consistent notes."

Alcohol by Volume (ABV %): 15%
Farming Practices: Sustainable
Producer Name: Il Poggione
Old World / New World: Old World
Country of Origin: Italy
Region: Tuscany
Grape Varietals: 100% Sangiovese
Vintage: 2019
Wine Style: Dry, full-bodied red wine
Winemaking Techniques: Traditional fermentation; aged for 36 months in large Slavonian oak barrels
Pack Size: 750 ml bottle
Container Style: Bordeaux-style bottle
Closure Style: Natural cork