Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino 2014

Il Poggione has one of the appellation's most enviable track records for quality and cellar longevity. The 2014 Brunello di Montalcino is a different beast. This wine prizes elegance, finesse and a compact mouthfeel. I would suggest a slightly shorter drinking window of approximately ten years. No matter how you cut it, the wine is absolutely beautiful and indeed ranks high on a list of favorite wines from the vintage. The bouquet is chiseled and tight with wild blueberry, plum, red rose and a touch of cherry confit. No doubt the mouthfeel is thinner in this vintage, but the wine has plenty more going on to keep your attention. I'm liking it. I went back to the bottle a few days after it had been opened and the wine was still going strong. Some 110,000 bottles were made.

This is smooth and caressing, wrapped around cherry, plum, loam, tobacco and cumin flavors. Hefty tannins line the finish, but all the elements are in the right proportion. Features a fine, complex finish. Best from 2021 through 2035. 9,000 cases made, 1,750 cases imported.

Aromas of underbrush, truffle, dark-skinned berry and tobacco lead the nose of this elegantly structured red. The taut, vibrant palate offers Marasca cherry, cranberry, orange zest and licorice framed by racy acidity and fine-grained tannins. Drink 2020-2026.