Poggio Antico Brunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCG 2018

Poggio Antico is one of Montalcino's most celebrated and consistently excellent estates — a property on the southwestern slopes of the Montalcino hill whose vineyards, at over 500 meters elevation, produce Brunello of exceptional elegance, freshness, and aromatic complexity. The estate has been producing wine since the 1970s and has built a devoted following among Brunello enthusiasts who prize its wines for their combination of power and finesse — a style that reflects the cooler, higher-altitude character of the southwestern zone while delivering the concentration and depth that define great Brunello. The Riserva is the estate's most prestigious expression — produced only in the finest vintages from the oldest and most expressive vineyard blocks, and aged for an additional year beyond the standard Brunello requirements.

The 2018 Poggio Antico Brunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCG is a 100% Sangiovese Grosso from the estate's finest vineyard blocks, aged for over three years in large Slavonian oak casks before extended bottle aging. The 2018 vintage in Montalcino was excellent, producing wines of exceptional balance and aromatic complexity. Deep garnet with a translucent clarity, the nose is hauntingly beautiful: dried cherry, wild rose, and iron layered with tobacco, leather, dried herbs, and a deep, stony mineral undercurrent that is the signature of great Poggio Antico. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied and commanding, with firm, fine-grained tannins, electric acidity, and a finish of extraordinary length and mineral purity.

The Poggio Antico Brunello Riserva 2018 is a collector's wine of the highest order — magnificent alongside roasted lamb, aged Pecorino, or white truffle preparations, and built to evolve and reward patience in the cellar for two decades or more.