Poggio Antico Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Altero 2016
- Vintage
- 2016
- Country
- Italy
- Region
- Tuscany
- Size
- 750ml
- Grapes
- Sangiovese
- Rating
- WA96, WE95, Ws93
If you have visited the site that gives birth to this wine, it's impossible to forget the view. This is one of the only (maybe the only) vineyard in Montalcino from which you can see the twinkle of light that reflects off the Tyrrhenian Sea in the far distance. That altitude, exposure and open panorama shapes the very elegant Poggio Antico 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Altero. Specifically, the fruit comes from Il Vignone, located in the I Poggi area, at 500 meters in altitude (very high for Montalcino). Il Vignone measures just under five hectares and sees loose, well-draining soils. The wine reveals dark fruit intensity and concentration with black cherry, plum and tilled earth. There's a tangy hint of tilled earth or dried lilac as well. The character of this wine is more robust for sure, but that elegance that we saw in the classic Brunello is also present here. - WA96
Rose, citrus, wild herb and new leather aromas come to the forefront. Enveloping and loaded with finesse, the linear, full-bodied palate delivers juicy cherry, orange zest, licorice and a hint of graphite alongside taut, close-grained tannins that leave a firm finish. It's balanced, with vibrant acidity. Youthfully austere. 2026–2041. - WE95
This Brunello offers ample cherry and raspberry fruit, along with underbrush and earth flavors, backed by robust tannins. Shows a rich texture midpalate, along with a strong grip on the finish. Best from 2025 through 2042.- WS93
Paola Gloder has one of Montalcino's most elevated estates, with vineyards averaging 1476 feet above sea level, southwest of the famed medieval citadel. Both the unique location and altitude privilege the wines of Poggio Antico. The lower hillside terroir south of Montalcino is conducive to powerful and opulent Brunellos. This, combined with the estate's vineyard elevations -- which enjoy favorable overnight drops in temperature -- bring increased finesse and intense bouquet.
The young and tireless owner has been firmly at the helm of Poggio Antico almost since its inception, when her father purchased 50 clayey, calcareous acres of Brunello di Montalcino vineyards, in 1984. Paola's husband, Alberto Montefiori, joined her in this task in 1998. In their forceful hands, the estate has seen a phenomenal growth, going from 50 to the present 80 acres under vine, developing two parallel Brunello worlds _ the more traditional, larger-barrel Brunello, aged longer in Slavonian oak and the modern, finesse-driven Altero, aged in tonneaux of French oak , securing a stellar position in the global market and extending and upgrading the facility to ultrahigh-tech standards.