Villa Poggio Salvi Brunello di Montalcino 2012

The first impression one receives of Poggio Salvi’s highly acclaimed 2012 Brunello di Montalcino is the wine’s intense, nearly opaque ruby red color. Yet, as eye-appealing as this wine appears, it offers much more than visual appeal. Scents of wild red berries, baking spices, lavender and new leather begin to waft from the glass soon after opening. Although initially reticent like all young Brunellos, the 2012 Poggio Salvi blossoms with aeration, slowly unfolding with each sip. Flavorful but elegant, black cherry, plum, and star anise flavors emerge on the palate, where they mingle with touches of nutmeg, balsamic notes, and fine grained tannins to attest to why Brunello di Montalcino is one of Italy’s most sought after wines and why Poggio Salvi reigns as one of the appellation’s finest practitioners. The 2012 Poggio Salvi Brunello di Montalcino drinks surprisingly well now at a tender age, but make no mistake: this wine will improve in bottle for years to come. Drink from 2018-2025. For optimal enjoyment, we suggest decanting hours before serving at cool room temperature (60° F). Enjoy!

A wine as elegant and complex as Villa Poggio Salvi’s 2012 Brunello di Montalcino deserves the finest gastronomic accompaniments because when all is said and done: What is great wine without equally enticing food? So, why not serve Poggio Salvi’s 2012 Brunello di Montalcino with a thick, tender veal chop, smothered in a succulent brown sauce, or consider preparing a whole aged beef tenderloin topped with truffle butter and served with garlic mashed potatoes? Braised lamb shanks, stuffed quail, and venison tenderloin offer other top-notch pairings with Poggio Salvi’s outstanding Brunello. In fact, we can hardly think of a meat, seasoned cheese or grilled vegetable that wouldn’t taste better in the company of this wine. Buon Appetito!

Villa Poggio Salvi is one of the rising stars in Montalcino. Having been resurrected by Pierluigi Tagliabue, who purchased the estate in 1979, Poggio Salvi’s polished, traditional Brunello di Montalcino continuously wows consumers and critics alike. With each successive vintage this estate pushes the envelope on quality, which accounts for the incredible press this wine receives, including 93 points from Wine Spectator for the 2012 Villa Poggio Brunello di Montalcino, this month’s feature.

Poggio Salvi, meaning “healthy poggio” owes its name to its favorable situation on the southern side of Montalcino, an area that overlooks the Tyrrhenian Sea and captures long hours of glorious Tuscan sun. Clean sea breezes and pristine, perfumed air from the dense oak forests that surround the estate add to Poggio Salvi’s appeal and have made the region around the property a haven since ancient times for people looking to escape the heat and mosquitoes of Tuscany’s nearby Maremma.

Although Villa Poggio Salvi produces traditional Brunello di Montalcino, they use modern equipment along with old-fashioned handcrafted care, including a traditional 30 month hiatus in large Slavonian oak barrels, to fashion their exceptional 100% Sangiovese Grosso Brunello di Montalcino.

Historical records indicate that the beautiful land that Poggio Salvi occupies has been famous for its wines since the 16th century. Today, Villa Poggio Salvi encompasses 21 hectares (52 acres) of vineyards in Montalcino, all planted with clones of Sangiovese Grosso on the region’s famed Galestro soil between 900 and 1,700 feet above the nearby Tyrrhenian Sea. Under the guidance of Pierluigi Tagliabue and his grandson, winemaker Luca Belingardi, Poggio Salvi crafts elegant, flavorful Brunello di Montalcino that is capable of improving in bottle for ten or more years.