2023 Rosso di Montalcino, Il Poggione

Il Poggione sit at Sant'Angelo in Colle, on the warm southern shoulder of Montalcino, and they have been in the same family since 1890. The Bindocci family have run the cellar for four generations — Alessandro took over from his father Fabrizio — which is an unusually long run of continuity even by Tuscan standards.

The Rosso is not a lesser Brunello, whatever the price suggests. It comes off the estate's younger vineyards and spends around a year in French oak before bottling, which is enough to frame the fruit without smothering it. What it gives you is the estate's house style at a fraction of the Brunello outlay.

The 2023 is 100% Sangiovese and it drinks tight and focused rather than plush. Dark cherry and raspberry sit over something more savoury — cracked black pepper, dried herbs, a whiff of turned earth — and there is a faint sanguine, iron note underneath that tells you exactly which grape you are drinking. The tannins are chalky and finely drawn, the acidity is vigorous, and the finish is long and slightly chewy.

At under twenty pounds this is one of the more honest bottles in Tuscany. It is a weeknight wine with real structure, which is a rarer thing than it sounds.

How to Serve

Serve at 16–18°C in a large red wine glass. Young Sangiovese benefits from twenty minutes of air, so decant it or simply open it early. Do not serve it warm — anything above 18°C and the acidity starts to read as sharp.

Where to Drink It

Bocca di Lupo in Soho for regional Italian cooking. Planque in Haggerston if you want the bottle among friends. Dandy on Maltby Street for something looser.

Food Pairings

Pasta with a wild boar ragù is the obvious home. A bistecca, cooked rare and dressed with nothing but salt and good oil, is the better one.