Wine Advisor
Poggio di Sotto, Brunello di Montalcino 2012
Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Eric Guido
A taster would never know that the 2012 Brunello di Montalcino hailed from a warm vintage, with its bright and airy bouquet that blends mentholated herbs with exotic spice, worn leather and dusty dried strawberries. This coasts across the palate with ease, zesty and fresh, with tart red berries and sour citrus tones that add tension, yet also maintains a marvelous vibrancy. While long and gently structured still, there’s a finesse here that keeps me looking back to the glass for more, as the 2012 leaves the mouth watering with a tart cherry pit twang. Production was down around 30% in 2012, with a strict selection in the vineyards and a much earlier harvest that ended around September 15th. While drinking this today is certainly an option, there are still many years of evolution in store.
Reviewed by: Ian d'Agata
Lovely vivid red color. Explosive aromas of red cherry, peach eau-de-vie, cinnamon, fresh herbs and blood orange. Bright, dense and juicy, with lively red cherry and strawberry flavors supported by a strong mineral underpinning. Finishes long and very clean, with lingering floral echoes. Ever since owner Claudio Tipa expanded his vineyard holdings at Poggio di Sotto, there have been concerns that this wine’s quality may suffer in the process but Brunello lovers need have no worries with this beauty, an early candidate for best wine of the vintage.
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
Poggio di Sotto has solidified its reputation as a top estate in the appellation. Mr. Claudia Tipa, the current owner, made a fantastic acquisition when he purchased this gem not too long ago. The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino does the denomination proud with a very special and unique set of aromatic characteristics. It's hard to wrap your head around the wine's complexity when you first approach the glass. I'm going to throw out a lot of descriptors that resonated with me including wild berry, underbrush, eucalyptus, dried ginger, cola, tobacco and cured meat. I'm a huge fan of those balsam-like nuances. The wine opens to medium consistency with luminous ruby-colored highlights. The mouthfeel is as smooth as silk sheets. I love this wine but am definitely less enamored by the steep price point.
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
Showing a thick, velvety texture and more aggressive tannins, the Poggio di Sotto 2012 Brunello di Montalcino comes from a dry and hot growing season. The vintage saw lower yields as a result. The bouquet is more compact and harder too, with dark berry fruits, earth, medicinal herb and crushed stone. Both the 2012 and the 2011 vintages share similarities. But I thought the 2011 vintage was a little bit more interesting compared to this wine. Poggio di Sotto pulled leaves in 2012 and in the 2017 vintage, and this turned out to be a mistake because both vintages were quite hot and the ripening fruit remained exposed to the strong sunlight. That mistake was not made in 2015.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Fresh and fruity with lemon-peel and cherry aromas and flavors. Medium body, fine and linear tannins and a clean and fresh finish. Very precise. Drink or hold.
Reviewed by: Ian D'Agata
A taster would never know that the 2012 Brunello di Montalcino hailed from a warm vintage, with its bright and airy bouquet that blends mentholated herbs with exotic spice, worn leather and dusty dried strawberries. This coasts across the palate with ease, zesty and fresh, with tart red berries and sour citrus tones that add tension, yet also maintains a marvelous vibrancy. While long and gently structured still, there’s a finesse here that keeps me looking back to the glass for more, as the 2012 leaves the mouth watering with a tart cherry pit twang. Production was down around 30% in 2012, with a strict selection in the vineyards and a much earlier harvest that ended around September 15th. While drinking this today is certainly an option, there are still many years of evolution in store.
About the Producer
Majestic Location of the Winery That is not a secret how much we all love Tuscany for its mesmerizing landscapes and rich red wines. Founded in 1989, near Montalcino, Poggio di Sotto is as a perfect embodiment of what wine tourists all over the world look for in Tuscany: 48 hectares of vineyards on the hills, sea breeze in the air, soils that remember the times when the nearby volcano was exploding. The vineyards are accompanied by olive groves and forest. Poggio Di Sotto: the Temple of Sangiovese For its fair organic practices and continuous loyalty to local winemaking traditions, the winery can be entitled as “”The Temple of Sangiovese””. 100% of grapes grown in Poggio Di Sotto are nothing but the most widespread grape varietal in Tuscany – Sangiovese. Brick red colored Sangiovese is obtained by aging the wine in Slavonian oak casks for 2 years, Dark Garnet – for 4 years, and Dark Garnet Riserva – for 5 years. The interesting fact: Sangiovese is also used for producing Grappa. It is characterized by cherry, tomato, oregano, and coffee aromas. Served at the temperature of 16-18 degrees Celcius, it is best paired with florentine steak and mushroom or truffle risotto. Top Ranked Wines The crown on the top of the brand emblem is not a coincidence. The wines of Poggio Di Sotto have a small range of wines, but all are of the highest and widely acknowledged quality. That helped those wines to receive the highest grades from Wine Spectactor, Wine Advocate, Vinous and many other honored wine assessment organizations.