Brunello di Montalcino 2018 DOC Poggio di Sotto

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
96+/100 punten
Poggio di Sotto hits it out the ballpark once again with an extremely elegant interpretation that shows the incredible depth and nuance Sangiovese can achieve, even in an uneven vintage such as this. The certified organic 2018 Brunello di Montalcino reveals a dark ruby hue and mid-weight concentration. Indeed, the wine is lighter and brighter than most, despite Brunello's mandatory five years of aging before its commercial release. The tannins are silky and melt over the palate. Along the way, the wine offers high notes of red cherry, cassis and blue flower. This 38,000-bottle release carries a very high price tag, but your high expectations will be met.

James Suckling
93/100 punten
Attractive nose of salted plums, sour cherries, dried roses and rosemary stems. Firm yet sleek with a medium to full body and layers of fresh fruit with delicious herb undertones. Drink or hold

The Wine Independent
96/100 punten
The Poggio di Sotto estate lies in the beautiful south-eastern zone of the DOCG in Castelnuovo dell’Abate facing towards Mont Amiata, a sacred mountain to the Etruscans. This 2018 Poggio di Sotto Brunello di Montalcino has a beautifully precise and bright, spicy, red fruit quality on the nose. On the palate it is tightly wrought and a little closed and reserved right now. It is medium-bodied and lighter in concentration than usual but nothing feels heavy, over extracted or forced about this wine. There is a graceful harmony on the palate although the vintage was cooler and more classic. Poggio di Sotto have made a fresh, lively wine that has beautiful balance and flow.

Falstaff
98/100 punten
Brilliant ruby red. An intense and inviting nose, ripe black cherries, raspberries and strawberries, some tobacco notes in the background. On the palate, wonderfully rich, plenty of fresh, appealing fruit, plums and cherries as well as goji berries, finely meshed tannins, juicy and long.

Decanter
95/100 punten
In southern Montalcino, near the town of Castelnuovo dell’Abate, Poggio di Sotto captures the lightness of the vintage with aplomb, and long maturation in 30hl Slavonian oak casks has not compromised its vitality. With pretty and precise aromas of cherry and raspberry it's redolent of summer, yet fragrant wet leaves and woodsy rosehip speak of autumn. The palate is finessed and fluid, moving with grace. Chalky tannins cling discreetly yet persistently. An underlying luscious ripeness is positively moreish.

Vinous
94/100 punten
The 2018 Brunello di Montalcino captivates, opening slowly with an exotic array of sweetspices, cedar shavings, ashen stone, mint and hints of sage. It's luxuriously soft in texture, silky and refined, with depthsof balsamic-tinged cherries accelerated by vibrant acidity and a hint of sour citrus that adds contrast. This finishes with impressive structure for the vintage, still lively yet classically dry, leaving nuances of tart berries offset by a burst of inner sweetness that punctuates quite well. This was a very difficult vintage with a massive amount of rain in Augus that made vineyard work very difficult, but also extremely important. That said, the team at Poggio did a fantastic job finding balance. Do make sure to give the 2019 a good amount of time, as I followe this for three days, through which it only got better and better.