Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino Riserva "Vigna Paganelli" 2019 DOCG
(Tuscany, Italy) - [VM 98] [DM 97] [WS 96, #52 of '25] [WA 95] [JS 94] [JD 94]

Click here to see all Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines of 2025 we have in stock—while still available!

About This Wine:
Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Paganelli is produced only in the best vintages and in limited quantity.

This wine comes exclusively from "I Paganelli" vineyard, the oldest one in the estate, planted in 1964. Its vines, used as a clonal reference when planting new vineyards, produce high quality grapes which are picked by the individual selection of the best and ripest bunches.

After the manual harvest, the must ferments for about 20 days in contact with the skins. Subsequently the wine spends 48 months in large French oak casks and it is then aged in the bottle.

Tasting Notes:
Intense ruby red, elegant nose with notes of red fruit, leather and spices; persistent, balanced flavour, with a long and seductive finish.

Food Pairings:
Red meats, game, accompanied by mushrooms or truffles, mature cheeses.

98 Points - Vinous Media:
"Brooding and balsamic, the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Paganelli is a dark stallion of a wine with a bouquet to meditate to, wafting up exotic spices, flint, incense, dried roses, black cherries and hints of ashen stone. It's racy yet complex and sensual, with silken textures and masses of mineral-inflected red berry fruits, all guided by a core of zesty acidity as a tinge of sour citrus adds tension throughout. Pleasantly chewy yet still mouthwatering, the 2019 leaves a web of fine tannins, along with a hint of orange zest and cloves to linger on and on and on. This is drop-dead gorgeous. (Drink between 2028-2042)." - Eric Guido (Nov 2024)

97 Points - Decanter Magazine:
"The estate’s prize plot, Vigna Paganelli was planted in 1964. Fabrizio Bindocci says that while it performs well even in the most challenging vintages, it is only bottled separately in the best years. The rejected fruit of three successive selections is completely discarded, rather than used for another wine. Gorgeously perfumed but properly restrained, the 2019 doles out nutmeg, cinnamon, black tea and incense on a persistent backdrop of dried cherry and black plum. Dense and sizeable but deftly balanced in its proportions, it remains effortlessly afloat as it expands assuredly across the palate. Soft, grainy tannins leave the mouth cleansed, yet this needs time, gratifyingly, for all its intricacies to be revealed." - Michaela Morris (Nov 2024)

96 Points, #52 Top 100 of 2025 - Wine Spectator:

"A mix of fruity and savory, this red offers a distinctive ray of graphite, along with cherry, strawberry, juniper, tomato leaf, earth and sanguine flavors. There's good grip on the finish, but the tannins are softer and broader, more chalky than piercing. Shows fine balance and length, needing a little more time to knit together. Best from 2028 through 2046. 3,300 cases made, 1,500 cases imported." --BS

95 Points - Wine Advocate:
"The Il Poggione 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Paganelli (with 40,000 bottles produced) sees a prolonged 48 months in oak botti with an additional 12 months in bottle. Fruit comes exclusively from a 12-hectare vineyard that was originally planted in 1964. We haven't seen this Riserva since the 2016 vintage. It starts off with broad richness, and the bouquet fires on all cylinders. It shows tart blackberry and plum with cured tobacco leaf and sweet baking spice. You feel a rich buildup on the palate from what is a naturally concentrated vintage. I have adjusted the drinking window to be a bit shorter compared to past vintages." - Monica Larner (Nov 2024)

94 Points - James Suckling:
"This has a concentrated nose of blackberries, licorice and notes of espresso. The palate is medium- to full-bodied with supple tannins and red-fruit flavors complemented by cedar. Elegant Brunello. Drink or hold." (Dec 2024)

94 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:
"The 2019 Brunello Di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Paganelli is a deep ruby red color and is dark with aromas of black licorice, sappy herbs, toasted cedar, black cherry, plum pit, turned earth, and cocoa. Full-bodied, it has a lovely, refined texture with a bit of gamey richness, ripe tannins, a plush, velvety texture, and a hearty but well-managed finish. It’s going to drink well over the next 12-15 years. (Drink between 2025-2040)." - Audrey Frick (Jan 2025)