Poggio al Vento Brunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCG

As one of the original estates of Montalcino and now the largest certified organic vineyard in Tuscany, Col d’Orcia is a leader in Brunello di Montalcino helping to define and promote one of Italy’s most prestigious wines. Tradition, integrity, and sustainability are the pillars of the estate, whose classic style wines are marked by balance and elegance. Planted in 1974, the single vineyard Poggio al Vento - meaning “windy hill”- lies 350m a.s.l. Demarcated for its exceptional quality, this wine is produced only in the best vintages and is the icon of the estate. The first vintage in 1982 was aged in large barrels and it soon became apparent that only a slow, long maturation could do justice to the powerful tannins of the wine, drawn from the sandy, limestone-rich soils of this vineyard.

The estate’s name translates to “the hill overlooking the Orcia River,” due to its position in between the undulating hills of the Orcia River and Sant’Angelo in Colle. Here, vineyards are comprised of limestone and marl soils. The mild winter during the 2016 vintage caused an early sprouting of the vines, but spring rains brought the season back to normal. From the second half of June, and for the whole month of July, the temperatures gradually rose, creating optimal conditions. August had notable thermal excursions temperature variance and an absence of rain, generating the best conditions for perfect maturation of the grapes.

Manual harvest with rigorous selection of the best grapes in the vineyard and cellar. Grapes from different parts of the vineyard were kept separate in order to select the best batches after fermentation. Fermentation occured in steel tanks at controlled temperatures, with a long, 25-day maceration period, ensuring optimal polyphenolic extraction. Malolactic fermentation in concrete. Aged three years in 25 and 75hl Slavonian and Allier oak barrels, followed by approximately three years refinement in bottle before release.

Intense ruby red. Rich bouquet, complex and elegant, made up of hints of cherry and small red ripe fruits, perfectly combined with spicy aromas and hints of oak from the long aging in wood. Well structured on the palate, rich and full, with powerful and ripe tannins supported by a pleasant freshness. Excellent, long-lasting, and elegant aftertaste in accordance with the bouquet.