Wine Advisor
Il Poggione, Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Paganelli 2016
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
This is the top-shelf wine from Il Poggione, and it's a must-have bottle for those who collect wines from this celebrated estate. From an icon vintage, the 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Paganelli is a beauty. It stands at the intersection of intensity, elegance and power. The fruit is shapely and dense with plenty of blackberry and black cherry, and you also get savory touches of campfire ash, tar, licorice, ferrous earth and balsam herb. Honestly, you get it all, including that distinctive Brunello power and abundance that is not easily achieved with such careful balance. The finish is structured, fresh and long, and with more time in the glass, the leathery or savory aromas become more pronounced (as does the alcohol). Production is 40,000 bottles.
Reviewed by: Eric Guido
A beguiling mix of camphor and minty herbs, along with crushed stone, blows off slowly to reveal dark depths of black raspberry, licorice, autumnal spice and worn leather as the 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Paganelli unfolds in the glass. Its textures are unexpectedly soft and velvety-smooth, coupled with depths of intense red fruits that make an appearance just before a mix of brisk acids and tannins creates a more tactile and youthfully clenching expression toward the finale. This leaves the palate aching under the 2016’s structural heft, yet with plenty of primary concentration to balance, as wild savory herbs and earthy mineral tones linger for up to a minute. The potential here is off the charts, but readers will need to be very patient. The Riserva Vigna Paganelli is a cru selection of old vines that refines for 48 months in large French oak barrels of 33–52 hectoliters.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
The freshness and depth are impressive, with floral, dark-berry and cherry character that follows through to a full body with chewy tannins that are polished and solid. Flavorful at the end. Needs time to soften. Best after 2024.
About the Producer
Tenuta il poggione covers an area of 530 hectares (1300 acres), of which 140 hectares (336 acres) are planted with vines and 50 hectares (120 acres) with olive trees; the rest are dedicated to grain fields, forest and livestock. The estate’s guiding principle is to pay great care to the vines, because the secret of producing great red wines lies in the high-quality vineyard work. In the light of a sustainable agriculture, the winery has always planted different crops along the vineyards and limited the use of chemicals. Most recently, it has installed solar panels on the roof of its cellar, with the purpose to reduce the carbon footprint of its wines. The vineyard work is mainly manual, for the harvest and for the other jobs. Thanks to the practice of the green harvest, the monitoring of the vineyards’ health conditions and the soil’s nutritional needs, it is possible to obtain an excellent wine even in more difficult vintages.
