Montalcino, May 2026 – Poggio di Sotto Brunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCG is conceived as the highest expression of those vintages in which Sangiovese reaches a perfect balance between ripeness and tension, giving shape to the stylistic pinnacle of Poggio di Sotto (link).
At the end of the Brunello ageing period, if one lot stands out with particular clarity for depth, expressive precision and its ability to endure over time, the Riserva takes form. It is therefore the result of a selection process defined gradually, not on analytical grounds but through an emotional and interpretative reading of the wine, until a single cask is recognised as the most representative expression of the vintage, capable of preserving its identity over the long term.
Poggio di Sotto is situated in Castelnuovo dell’Abate, on the southern slopes of Montalcino. The estate is an entirely Sangiovese-focused project, built on close observation and parcel-by-parcel viticulture. Vineyards extend from 190 to 440 metres above sea level, in a landscape shaped by significant diurnal temperature variation, the sheltering presence of Monte Amiata, and a complex geological mosaic of galestro, marl, clay and mineral conglomerates — a patchwork that generates a remarkable range of micro-expressions. This complexity is matched by an extraordinary genetic diversity: 182 Sangiovese biotypes coexist across the estate’s vineyards, forming the foundation of an ongoing programme of massal selection.
The Riserva: a progressive selection
Within this framework, the Riserva is produced only in the strongest vintages, through a process that begins with the separate vinification of individual parcels and continues throughout ageing, with each lot monitored individually.
This is not a predetermined decision, but rather a progressive selection defined through continuous blind tastings conducted by the estate’s winemaking team. It is during this stage that a single lot eventually distinguishes itself for its consistency, depth and balance. At the conclusion of the ageing period required for Brunello, only the barrel that holds these qualities continues its maturation in wood to become Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, in extremely limited quantity.
The 2020 vintage
The absence of winter frosts, a dry spring and well-distributed rainfall – including beneficial precipitation between June and August – supported vine development without excessive hydric stress. The summer heat waves, brief and moderate in intensity, helped preserve aromatic integrity and freshness, resulting in wines of ripe fruit, defined structure and notable balance.
As Leonardo Berti, the estate’s winemaker, explains: “The selected cask was the one that most fully expressed the essence of Poggio di Sotto’s style: a wine of great elegance, capable of combining depth and fragrance, with supple tannins and a long finish that already hints at remarkable ageing potential.”
Vinification and wine profile
Fermentation takes place in truncated cone-shaped oak vats, with long macerations and gentle pump-overs, while ageing is carried out in large 30-hectolitre Slavonian oak casks. For the 2020 vintage (link), the wine matured in wood for 36 months and was bottled in March 2024.
On the palate, Poggio di Sotto Riserva 2020 is defined by finesse and balance: fruit-driven notes intertwine with spicy nuances in an ethereal, layered profile. The palate is austere yet dynamic, supported by freshness and supple tannins, with a long finish suggesting significant ageing potential.
Poggio di Sotto
Founded in 1989 and part of ColleMassari Wine Estates since 2011, Poggio di Sotto has developed a a style of its own – grounded in agronomic rigour, vineyard selection and unwavering dedication to Sangiovese.
The Riserva is the culmination of this approach: a wine that emerges only when a vintage succeeds in expressing, fully and on its own terms, its essential balance.
Poggio di Sotto
Poggio di Sotto was established in 1989 in Castelnuovo dell’Abate, one of the most suitable areas for the production of Brunello di Montalcino. The estate stretches for 48 hectares, of which only 20 are dedicated to vineyards planted on soils that vary as altitudes increase.
The vines are under organic management between 190 and 440 meters on steep ridges at the foot of Mount Amiata, the towering extinct volcano that dominates the horizon and acts as a shield against the unstable weather coming from the sea.
A unanimous choice has been made: only Sangiovese, in its over 182 biotypes that freely grow among the rows. Today, this extraordinary ecological nook represents the most distinct trait of Poggio di Sotto: a botanical archive containing the centuries-old adaptation of Sangiovese, which holds its own sense of wonder. An exemplary estate that dedicates sheer effort to vineyard selection in order to grasp the quintessence of Tuscany. A winery that has chosen perfection as the only horizon for quality and has given birth to timeless and iconic Brunello di Montalcino labels that are among the most acclaimed by international critics.
