By Poggio dell'Aquila
Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2016

Wine Details
Appellation: Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
Grapes: Sangiovese Grosso 100% (named Brunello in Montalcino area)
Production Area: Montalcino - Siena (Toscana)
Soil: Clay rich in limestone and rocks
Average Altitude: 450 m.a.s.l.
Pruning System: Spur cordon
Planting Density: 4,500 vines/hectare
Yield Per Hectare: 6.50 tons/hectare
Harvest Time: First week of October
Titratable Acidity: 5.40 g/L

Vinification and Aging
Hand harvest grapes are processed separately as a single vineyard and fermented in stainless steel tank under temperature control. The maximum temperature at the near end of fermentation is 86 degrees F. Skin contact lasts 20 days and is managed through daily soft pumping-over and delestage. After racking, wines pass through malolactic fermentation in steel tanks and aged for almost 24 months in oak casks at 750 to 3,000 liters capacity. Blending occurs at the end of aging, a few months before bottling, between spring and summertime. The wine undergoes 8 months of aging in the bottle at 64.4 degrees F before release.

Tasting Notes
Brilliant ruby red color with bright garnet reflections; complex, fresh, and deeply fruity aromas: cherry, black, and blueberry are perceived together with some spice (licorice and vanilla) and elegant, attractive ethereal notes (leather and sweet tobacco). Strong but velvet tannins with a mineral finish, a good acidity, and a full, balanced body give to this wine drinkability and long aging perspective as well.

Serving Suggestions
Wine Service Temperature: Around 64.4 degrees F in wide Bordeaux glass
Food Pairing: All based on roast beef and venison recipes. Aged pecorino cheese, Tuscan salami, and ham. Fantastic as a meditation wine.
[Information provided by Votto Vines]

POGGIO DELL’AQUILA BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2016
Wednesday, July 14, 2021
Country: Italy
Region: Tuscany
Vintage: 2016
Score: 95
A very polished nose with sandalwood, cocoa butter, spiced plums and toffee. It’s full-bodied with polished oak tannins. Ripe and very well made. Slightly burnt coffee aromas on the finish. Better after a few years. [...] Drink after 2025.

Poggio dell'Aquila 2016 Brunello di Montalcino
Rating: 90
Variety: Sangiovese
Appellation: Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy
Winery: Poggio dell'Aquila
Alcohol: 14.00%
Bottle Size: 750.00 ml
Category: Red
Importer: Votto Vines Importing
Date Published: 5/1/2021
Reviewed By: Kerin O'Keefe
[...] this has aromas of black-skinned berry, underbrush and leather. The juicy palate offers black cherry, star anise and tobacco alongside polished tannins and firm acidity. Drink 2023–2031. 

Poggio dell'Aquila 2016 Brunello di Montalcino
Producer: Poggio dell'Aquila
Release Price: $70
Place of Origin: Italy, Montalcino, Tuscany
Color: Red
Grape/Blend: Sangiovese
Importer/Producer: consorziobrunellodimontalcino.it
Rating: 89
Drinking Window: 2023 - 2030
From: 2016 Brunello di Montalcino: Radiance Personified (Nov 2020)
Reviewed By: Eric Guido on November 2020
The 2016 Poggio dell'Aquila Brunello di Montalcino lifts up from the glass with a display of savory herbs and menthol, giving way to bright cherry dusted in confectioners’ sugar. It’s silky and pliant with a mix of both red/black fruits, complemented by salty minerals and rich exotic spices. There’s a note of roasted almond and marzipan here that seems somewhat out of place; yet it adds a sense of umami, as a fine coating of tannin leaves a classically dry expression.