Villa Poggio Salvi Brunello di Montalcino 2016

The first impression one receives of Poggio Salvi’s highly acclaimed 2016 Brunello di Montalcino (97 Points – International Wine Report; 95 Points – James Suckling) is the wine’s intense, nearly opaque ruby red color, but the best is yet to come. The scion of a great vintage in Brunello di Montalcino, the 2016 Poggio Salvi is a full-bodied, complex Brunello and potentially the finest wine from this property to date. Although initially reticent, which is typical of young Brunello, the 2016 Poggio Salvi requires aeration and will unfold slowly with each sip. Scents of black cherries, wild red berries, roses, and violets emerge from this sleeping beauty. In the mouth, this wine is flavorful and assertive with fine grained tannins holding the wine’s dried cherry, chocolate, nutmeg, tobacco and pleasant earthy flavors as one. There is a lot going on in this wine, but it would be wise to exercise patience as the majestic 2016 vintage yielded powerful, deep down Brunello di Montalcinos that will benefit greatly from additional bottle age, and Poggio Salvi’s offering is no exception. Consequently, for near term consumption, we strongly suggest decanting this exceptional Brunello at least several hours before serving at cool room temperature (58°-62° F). Anticipated maturity: 2022-2031. Enjoy!

A wine as complex and full-bodied as Villa Poggio Salvi’s 2016 Brunello di Montalcino deserves to be brought to table to accompany the finest gastronomic accompaniments one can muster, or be allowed to rest in the cellar for several more years to become a meal in itself. In any event, what is great wine without a meal to match? Plainly, pasta with an acidic red sauce or mundane mid-week leftovers would not be ideal companions to this wine. Rather, to highlight both the food and the wine, consider serving Poggio Salvi’s 2016 Brunello di Montalcino with a thick, tender veal chop, smothered in a succulent brown sauce, or prepare a whole aged beef tenderloin topped with truffle butter and serve it with garlic mashed potatoes. Braised lamb shanks, stuffed quail, and venison tenderloin offer other top notch pairings with Poggio Salvi’s outstanding 2016 Brunello. In fact, we can’t think of a fine cut of meat, seasoned cheese, or grilled vegetable that wouldn’t taste better in the company of this wine. Buon Appetito!

Villa Poggio Salvi is a rising star 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 97 points from International Wine Report for the 2016 vintage, this month’s feature, and many other 90+ ratings. Although Villa Poggio Salvi produces traditional Brunello di Montalcino, they use modern equipment along with old-fashioned handcrafted care, including affording their exceptional 100% Sangiovese Grosso Brunello di Montalcino a traditional 30-month hiatus in large Slavonian oak barrels.

Poggio Salvi enjoys a favorable location 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.

Historical records indicate that the beautiful land that Poggio Salvi occupies has been famous for 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 for ten or more years in bottle.