Brunello Riserva 'Vigna Paganelli', Il Poggione, 2020

"The 2020 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Paganelli presents dark wood tones, dusty earth, brown spice and dried black cherries in a brooding display as it smolders up from the glass. Silken textures sweep across the palate, elevated by cooling acidity, as tart red berry fruits slowly saturate. Classically structured and long, it leaves a minty freshness and rosy inner florals. Like most young II Poggione Brunello, it shuts down hard."

"This bottle has long been a symbol of the power and age-worthiness associated with the Riserva category, even as the definition of that category has been tested by climate change and evolving styles. The Il Poggione 2020 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Paganelli shows subtle adjustments that make it softer and more streamlined, particularly in this fruit-forward vintage. The tannins remain firm and will need time to relax, preserving the wine’s capacity for long aging. Fruit comes exclusively from the 12-hectare Vigna Paganelli vineyard planted in 1964, a historic site that has defined the estate’s top expression for decades. Aged for 48 months in large oak casks, production is 40,000 bottles."