Poggio di Sotto Brunello Di Montalcino DOCG 2019

Poggio di Sotto 2019, an unpretentious Brunello

I recommend this Brunello for a reason that has less to do with flash than with its roots: Poggio di Sotto lets a landscape of hillsides, stone, and light speak here. This 2019, made from Sangiovese and aged for a long time in wood, invites you to take your time rather than chase an immediate effect.

Castelnuovo dell'Abate, at the heart of Brunello

The Poggio di Sotto estate is located in Castelnuovo dell'Abate, on the southern slope of the Brunello di Montalcino DOCG appellation. The vines occupy terraced slopes, between 200 and 400 meters above sea level, in a natural amphitheater sheltered by Mount Amiata. Their varied exposures benefit from the breezes of the Orcia Valley. The soil, poor and stony, mixes clay and limestone rock: a terrain not especially generous in vigor, where the roots dig into a distinctly mineral material.

The Sangiovese comes from vines that average 25 years of age. The property was taken over in 2011 by Maria Iris and Claudio Tipa, who have developed their winemaking project in Tuscany around estates such as ColleMassari and Grattamacco. At Poggio di Sotto, the stated approach remains traditional: meticulous selection of the grape clusters, fermentation in wooden vats with indigenous yeasts, then extended maceration with the skins. After malolactic fermentation, the wine spends 30 months in 30-hectoliter oak casks. Organic farming, certified for this wine, accompanies this attention to expressing the place.

The available information describes it as a red wine aged in wood, but gives no more precise color than this indication, nor a genuine tasting sheet detailing the nose and palate. I therefore prefer not to invent for you aromas of cherry, spice, or undergrowth. The description of the estate evokes floral nuances that settle in during aging and a texture that the rest in large casks helps to polish. These are the only precise sensory markers provided; they suggest a pursuit of finesse, without allowing a promise of a more detailed aromatic profile.

At the table, for a meal that takes its time

To open it, I would choose a table where the dish has presence without overpowering the wine: roasted meat, a braised dish, or an aged cheese can offer lovely pairings with a Sangiovese Brunello. Serve it at a meal where you can let the glass evolve calmly, rather than between hurried conversations. If you appreciate wines tied to their landscape and made without embellished tasting notes, this Poggio di Sotto 2019 deserves a place at your table.