Poggio di Sotto Brunello di Montalcino 2020

Falstaff
99 punten
Bright, flint ruby colour with a shiny core. Inviting and fragrant nose of fresh cherry, subtle hints of geranium, pomegranate, freshly baked white bread, fine savouriness, complex and inviting. Very elegant on the palate with a great sweet centre, polished tannins and a salty undertone, open‑hearted and accessible, drinks excellently, with an aftertaste of candle wax and mint, great.

Monica Larner, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
97+ punten
Very much still a baby at the time of my tasting, the Poggio di Sotto 2020 Brunello di Montalcino shares many similarities with the epic 2016 vintage in terms of its pretty perfumes and polished length. However, this elegant wine does not have the same sheer inner power. This bottle ultimately offers a fresh and charming interpretation of Sangiovese. This is a delicate wine with floral aromas, wild rose, crushed stone and white cherry. Aged in large Slavonian oak casks, it requires more time to flesh out. Harvest started the last week of August and finished the first week of October, which represents a conscious decision to start picking earlier than most. The vineyards are planted on schistic galestro soils, and that territorial imprint comes through strongly in all of these wines. I love that refreshing hint of lemon rind or navel orange at the very end.

James Suckling
97 punten
Restrained strawberries and cherries, with a touch of lavender and a lot of licorice. Super juicy on the palate with thick, chalky tannins at the moment, yet they are balanced by supple, sweet fruit. Medium- to full-bodied with a very savory aftertaste. Though pleasant, it’s not fully ready to drink now, and there’s a lot of potential for the long haul.

The Wine Independent 
97 punten
The bouquet … opens with a core of perfectly ripe and freshly‑picked red berries intertwined with subtle notes of smoke, fresh ground spice, fennel and wet earth. On the palate the tannins are luxuriously smooth yet firm, supported by a bright refreshing acidity that energizes the finish. Youthful and brimming with potential this wine shows impressive poise and intensity hinting at an elegant future.

Michaela Morris, Decanter
96 punten
Winemaker Leonardo Berti is among those who compare 2020 to 2018. As such, he aerated gently with pump‑overs and kept skin maceration to 35 days to avoid over extraction. Aromas are piercing and precise as this opens with orange and grapefruit rind, flint and freshly ground pepper. There is a gorgeous transparency of redcurrant and raspberry, while bergamot adds inner perfume. Although fuller than 2018, the 2020 is unequivocally elegantly weighted, with almost a delicateness to the structure, yet those fine‑grained tannins persist. Appetising and buoyant, it trails off leisurely with lavender and thyme.

Jeb Dunnuck
96 punten
The 2020 Brunello Di Montalcino is a bright ruby red color and is pretty and fruity on the nose, with notes of wild strawberries, herbes de Provence, orange zest and saline. The palate is mouthwatering and coiled, with a haunting feel on the snappy finish, which is tangy and mineral‑noted at this young stage. It’s going to need time. Drink 2028‑2048.

Eric Guido, Vinous
94+ punten
Incredibly floral and mineral, the 2020 Brunello di Montalcino displays a cascade of rose petals, violets, white smoke, underbrush and dried strawberries. This is wickedly fresh and feminine in style, with a vibrant core of acidity and juicy red berry fruits that swirl throughout, complemented by a sweet herbal thrust. It finishes with lovely length and concentration yet is still potent with crunchy tannins and a resonance of savory spice that lingers on and on. This understated yet drop-dead gorgeous Poggio di Sotto Brunello should put on more weight with cellaring, but today, it's already enjoyable on its potential alone.