Vinopolis Newsletter 10-25-24

 

 

If you’re unfamiliar with the wines of Il Poggione, let’s catch you up quickly.  They are a classic Brunello producer working with very traditional methods in the subzone of Sant’Angelo in Colle, a region that tends to produce wines with big, bold personality.  The resulting wines are both crowd pleasing (rich fruit, up front aromatics) and intellectually stimulating (age-worthy, not obstructed by new oak) in a way that is nearly unique in Brunello, outside of names that trade for significantly more money per bottle.
 
That combo, and that pricing, is what makes Il Poggione a contradiction in the best way—a traditional Brunello that’s often approachable young.  An ageworthy wine that doesn’t have to be aged — a wine that’s top tier collectible and respected while remaining in the realm of affordability…  that’s a lot to say about a single wine, but it’s the truth!
 
Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany, Italy 2018 750ml $69 special, 24 bottles available
Eric Guido- Vinous 96 Points “Impressing from the first tilt of the glass, the 2018 Brunello di Montalcino makes itself known, with a heady burst of exotic spice and crushed ashen stone giving way to dried black cherries and grilled herbs. This combines the energy of the vintage with the dark balsamic-tinged fruits of Montalcino’s southern reaches, as zesty acidity maintains balance throughout, and flinty minerals saturate toward the close. It finishes long, savory and structured, yet its tannins are more rounded than anticipated, creating both a classic feel, but also leaving a mouthwatering sensation that tricks the taster back to the glass for more. Easily one of the top wines of the vintage, the 2018 is not to be missed.”
 
…also available from Il Poggione:
 
Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany, Italy 2017 750ml $74.50 special, 9 bottles available
Wine Enthusiast 94 Points “Underbrush, camphor and new leather aromas get together with grilled herbs. Full-bodied and structured, it also shows restraint, featuring dried black cherry, licorice and tobacco alongside firm, fine-grained tannins.”
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 94 Points “The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino opens to a saturated and shiny dark ruby color. This edition is loaded with black and purple fruits, such as blackberry preserves and plum. Those more robust tones are followed by spice, tar and campfire ash. The tannins are young (but not stemmy or bitter), and you’d be best served by letting this wine age and relax with more cellar aging. Il Poggione always makes some of the smoothest and most texturally enriched wines in the appellation, and this vintage is no exception.”
 
Il Poggione Rosso Toscana IGT, Tuscany, Italy 2020 750ml $16 special, 9 bottles available
Winery Note “A younger, more fruity wine, it is produced from Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet grapes. The winemaking and the combination of these three varieties, make this wine soft and ideal for the everyday enjoyment.”

Lowest Price in the USA

 

New Arrivals

 

California

 
This customer favorite is back… but for how long? Bringing a light touch to California Chardonnay, this wine is smooth and tangy, with great acidity and a lovely pop of minerality on the finish. As good as their 2022 release was, this wine is sure to be another crowd pleaser!

Flowers Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast, USA 2023 750ml $34.50 special, 36 bottles available
Wine Spectator 93 Points “This distinctive white features a lively, mouthwatering and energetic mix of pomelo, yuzu and lemon sherbet flavors, with hints of sweetgrass, apple blossoms and lime zest. There’s also an appealing grip on the finish.”
 

Italy
 

 
“[It’s] easy to produce concentrated wines in such a hot climate…but it’s much harder to achieve elegance and finesse.” –Fabio Chiarlotto, owner and winemaker of Montepeloso
 
Fabio Chiarlotto is not a household name yet, but for lovers of Tuscan red blends, his wines are a must-try. For 25 years now Fabio, a historian turned winemaker, has focused on tapping into the true potential of his vineyards in Suvereto, near Bolgheri on the Tuscan coast. He’s replanted vines, grafted new ones, kept harvests small, and focused on preserving freshness and balance in a very hot climate.
 
Due to the winery’s proximity to Bolgheri, you might expect Montepeloso to craft a mean Cabernet Sauvignon… well, they do! Their savory 100% cabernet ‘Gabbro’ bottling is the perfect accompaniment for Bistecca alla Florentina, while their ‘a Quo’ and ‘Eneo’ are beautifully fresh and lifted Super Tuscan blends  blends for your favorite Bolognese or Ragout. Nardo, their most acclaimed wine features a blend of Montepulciano, Sangiovese, and Marsellan that is unlike anything else on the market!
 
Montepeloso A Quo Toscana IGT, Tuscany, Italy 2022 750ml $23.50 special, 36 bottles available
James Suckling 93 Points “A bright blend of 45% sangiovese, 20% malvasia nera, 20% cabernet sauvignon and 15% of other varieties that gives a complexity of fruit and spices such as cloves and nutmeg. Medium body, tight and crunchy. Drink and enjoy.”
 
Montepeloso Eneo Toscana IGT, Tuscany, Italy 2021 750ml $49 special, 24 bottles available
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 95 Points “The 2021 Eneo is superb. Bright and effusive, with tons of explosive energy, the 2021 is shaping up to be a gem. Crushed flowers, blood orange, cinnamon, cedar and spice are all finely delineated in an Eneo that exudes balance. Clean mineral notes extend the finish effortlessly. I very much admire the vibrancy here, something that is hard to achieve in this district of Suvereto.”
 
Montepeloso Gabbro Toscana IGT, Tuscany, Italy 2020 750ml $89 special, 4 bottles available
James Suckling 95 Points “A rich and juicy red with plum and chocolate character. Some fresh sage, too. It’s full and layered, but remains bright and vivid. Hints of herbs and dark fruit at the end, as well as soil. Drinkable now, but even better in three or four years.”
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 94 Points “The 2020 Gabbro (made with 100% Cabernet Sauvignon) is ripe, rich and supple. This wine pushes the boundaries in all directions (including a powerful 15% alcohol content). There is a hint of dried herb or rosemary essence behind black fruit and baked plum, but the wine’s texture is what ultimately sets this hot vintage apart. Production is limited to 2,500 bottles.”
 
Montepeloso Nardo Toscana IGT, Tuscany, Italy 2021 750ml $89 special, 11 bottles available
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 97 Points “The 2021 Nardo is elegant, finessed and classy to the core. White pepper, chalk, mint, blood orange, dried flowers and cedar give the 2021 striking aromatic presence and energy. I don’t remember a Nardo with much translucent energy. Readers will want to cellar this for at least a few years.”

 
We scoured our shelves to find you this lovely assortment of lesser known varietals that we feel more people should be drinking! Some of them, like Petite Sirah (which is nothing like Syrah), you’ve probably heard of before, but when was the last time you settled into the evening with nice, crisp glass of Catarratto, lithe Negrette, or herbal and earthy Teroldego?
 
Caruso E Minini Catarratto Bio 2020 750ml $18 special, 12 bottles available
No reviews available for the 2020 vintage. 2019 review provided for reference.
Wine Enthusiast 90 Points “Made entirely with organically framed Catarratto grapes, this zesty white opens with aromas of Spanish broom, chamomile and white stone fruit. The savory, linear palate offers juicy Meyer lemon, honeydew and Bartlett pear alongside bright acidity. It closes on an almond note. -Kerin O’Keefe.”
 
Foradori Teroldego 2022 750ml $29 special, 20 bottles available
James Suckling 95 Points “Exquisite mix of dark fruit and earthy notes wrapped up with violets. Great fruit concentration and tension on the palate, with an extra dimension of blood orange fruit, a medium body and tight tannins that are polished on the finish. It shows sucrosity and is very crunchy. Drink or hold.”
 
Foradori ‘Lezer’ Teroldego 2023 750ml $29 special, 13 bottles available
James Suckling 92 Points “Fresh and crunchy, with red berries, pomegranate, dried orange peel and hibiscus. Medium-bodied and dry, with crushed stone minerality. Slightly chalky in the finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink now.”
 
Gravner Ribolla Gialla Venezia-Giulia 2015 750ml $119 special, 6 bottles available
James Suckling 96 Points “Gorgeous aromas of persimmons and spices as nutmeg, cinnamon, orange peel, and hints of caramel. Honey and apricot. Full-bodied, dry and layered with dried fruits such as apricots and pears. Botrytis spice. Fine silky phenolic texture and a flavorful finish. Layered and fascinating. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees centigrade. Drink or hold.”
Winery Note “Exclusively composed of the local Ribolla grape; fermented in Georgian amphorae buried underground; long maceration with wild yeasts and no temperature control; after fermentation, the wine rests again in amphorae for five more months and then is aged in large oak barrels for an additional six years; bottled without fining or filtering. This is a deeply personal creation of Joško Gravner that captures the essence of Ribolla in a way no other versions do—notes of white truffles and quince paste frame a strikingly mineral-led aromatic profile, with a kinetic sense of acidity and chiseled energy on the palate; gorgeous right now it will undoubtedly reveal its secrets gradually over the years to come.”
 
Mourat Grenouillere Negrette Rouge 2020 750ml $21.90 special, 7 bottles available
Not yet reviewed; 2019 vintage review provided for reference:
Decanter 92 Points “Domaine Mourat, now run by Jéremie Mourat, is the largest domaine in the Fiefs Vendéens, with around 120 hectares under vine. It is based at Mareuil-sur-Lay, some 30 miles east of Les Sables d’Olonne. It is interesting that Négrette is found here in the Vendée when it is probably better known as the grape variety of Fronton close to Toulouse. The vines are 80 years old and planted on alluvial soils. Grenouillere is aged for 12 months is large wooden vats (3,500 litres). This softly fruited 2019 has fig and prune notes with a slightly rustic character, but has a fine balance of fruit and acidity. Can be enjoyed with or without food. Drink 2021-2025.”
 
Ridge Lytton Estate Petite Sirah 2020 750ml $45 special, 4 bottles available
Owen Bargreen 94 Points “The 2020 ‘Lytton Estate’ Petite Sirah is a fantastic wine made in a tough vintage. The wine is loaded with concentrated huckleberry, black tea, blackberry cobbler and Turkish coffee flavors the combine with a fantastic mineral backbone and firm tannins. A slumbering giant right now, this needs a few more years of bottle aging to be fully awoken but the potential is there.  Drink 2025-2035.”
 
Vietti Timorasso Derthona Colli Tortonesi 2022 750ml $39 special, 12 bottles available
Wine Enthusiast 91 Points “This classic Timorasso showcases a distinctive herbal edge, with layers of aromas and flavors. The nose offers crisp green apple and lemon pith, hinting at the wine’s vibrant character. On the palate, the green-apple notes become more pronounced, with a tart quality that adds to the freshness. The lemon pith brings a bitter, zesty dimension, complementing the wine’s herbal undertones, which evoke sensations of freshly crushed thyme and sage. These flavors intertwine seamlessly, creating a complex and textured experience that highlights the unique attributes of the Timorasso grape. Drink now–2035.”