Poggio Landi Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2018

Poggio Landi Riserva 2018, the time of Sangiovese

Some Brunellos tell the story of Montalcino through patience as much as through their origin. The Poggio Landi Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2018 is made from Sangiovese and aged 48 months in French oak barrels: a long maturation that gives this organic red wine a special place in a thoughtful tasting.

Montalcino, its hills and its contrasting soils

Poggio Landi is located in Montalcino, in Tuscany, within the DOCG Brunello di Montalcino Riserva appellation. The estate belongs to Alejandro Bulgheroni, an Argentine entrepreneur who developed vineyards and wine projects in several countries before turning to Tuscan reds. Here, the grape is Sangiovese, sourced from vineyards spread across different sectors of Montalcino. Poggio Landi has 33 hectares of this variety, notably in the Montosoli hills, in the San Paolo cru, at La Crociona and at Torrenieri.

The soils are described as mostly clayey, but it would be misleading to imagine a uniform terroir. Montalcino has great geological diversity: the tectonic history of Tuscany and the ancient advances of the sea contributed to the variety of terrains and sediments. Some producers are said to have identified numerous soil types right down to their individual plots. This mosaic helps explain why the precise origin of the grapes matters, even when the wine carries the name of a common appellation. For this Riserva 2018, the available information confirms 48 months of aging in French oak barrels, that is 18 months more than the minimum required for the Riserva category.

Detailed tasting notes — color, aromas and palate sensations — are not specified in the available information, so I prefer not to invent an aromatic profile. We know it is a Sangiovese red, organic and long aged in wood. These elements give reference points about how it is made, but they do not replace a sensory description nor, on their own, guarantee any particular flavor. If you open it, take the time to observe it and let it evolve in the glass, rather than looking for aromas dictated in advance.

At the table, for a meal that takes its time

I would choose it to accompany a generous table: a braised meat, a roast or a mushroom dish, with a few aged cheeses afterward. These are pairing ideas, to be adjusted according to the bottle and the dish, rather than a promise of a precise tasting. For an evening where you like to talk about the place, the grape and the time spent in the cellar, this Brunello Riserva 2018 already offers plenty to talk about. Serve it at a meal where you can give it time to open up and find its place at the table.