Tenuta Il Poggione

Located in Sant' Angelo in Colle in the commune of Montalcino, Tenuta Il Poggione was established at the end of the 19th century by Lavinio Franceschi and is still owned today by the 5th generation of its founder, siblings Leopoldo and Livia Franceschi.

Tenuta Il Poggione is one of the original three producers of Brunello di Montalcino. The estate covers a surface area of 1,482 acres, of which 309 acres are planted to vine, 173 acres with olive groves and the rest are arable and woodland used for grazing and raising cattle and pigs to promote biodiversity and a natural approach to farming. Many of the vines are grown at more than 1,315 feet above sea level and are among the oldest in the appellation. The estate is also blessed by its proximity to the Tyrrhenian Sea (about 30 minutes distance by car) to the west and the Orcia River Valley and Mt. Amiata in the south.

Led by father-son winemaking team, Fabrizio and Alessandro Bindocci, Il Poggione's guiding principle is to pay meticulous attention to the vineyards with regular monitoring of vineyard conditions along with constant efforts to preserve the typical characteristics yet improve grape quality through research and selection. Harvest is conducted entirely by hand and the wine is made in the traditional method, though modern, state-of-the-art equipment is used. Total control of the vinification process is guaranteed, thanks to the new cellar built in 2004 and the introduction of extremely advanced technology, but as tradition is important, the company keeps the large Allier French oak barrels used for aging its wines five meters below ground.

Tenuta Il Poggione's wines include Brunello di Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, Rosso di Montalcino, Vin Santo, and Grappa.

Owner Leopoldo Franceschi & Winemaker Fabrizio Bindocci

At the end of the 19th century, a Shepard from the Estate Franceschi in Scandicci took his herd to winter in the Maremma region of Tuscany. Every time the Shepard would return to Scandici, he would enthusiastically regale Lavinio Franceschi with tales of the beauty of the area outside of Siena, surrounding the village of Sant’Angelo in Colle near the town of Montalcino. Intrigued, Franceschi made his own journey and subsequently purchased an estate in Sant’Angelo in Colle from Abramo Servadio. In 1958, an heir, the Commendatore Leopoldo Franceschi, hired Piero Talenti, a Romanian agricultural expert, to optimize the quality of the estates production.

In 1963, Franceschi and Talenti created Il Poggione’s first specialized vineyards and shortly after began training Fabrizio Bindocci as assistant winemaker. Bindocci assumed responsibility of all winemaking at the estate upon the death of Talenti, and remains Il Poggione’s winemaker today. Following the death of Leopoldo Franceschi in 1979, his sons Clemente and Roberto took over as owners of the estate. The current owner, also named Leopoldo, took over in 1998 when his uncle, Roberto, died.

Il Poggione owns approximately 250 acres of vineyards in the Brunello di Montalcino zone, with 118 acres producing the Brunello Riserva and Brunello wines. The remaining 132 acres are planted to Sangiovese for Rosso, Cabernet Sauvignon and several white varietals.

The Il Poggione estate lies in the southwest subzone of the appellation where it's vines grow at more than 400 meters above sea level. The cool evening and morning temperatures created by this altitude help the fruit to ripen more slowly and as a result Il Poggione is able to produce profound, complex Brunello with great aging potential.  The western subzone of the appellation is also blessed by its proximity to the sea (about 30 minutes distance by car). The gentle sea breeze from the Thyrrenian sea brings excellent ventilation to its vineyards. As a result of the dryness of the breeze, Il Poggione vineyards are nearly rot- and mildew-free.

Il Poggione dedicates 247 acres to the cultivation of their vines, with more than 70% planted at 250 meters above sea level, the most favorable elevation. All benefit from southern exposure. Embracing the sun throughout the day, the grapes, mostly Sangiovese, produce wines that are more structured and fuller bodied. Il Poggione vines are also among the oldest in the appellation. Because the roots reach so deeply into the subsoil, even during arid or hot vintages, our vines are able to find the water table. The stress caused by their search for water makes the fruit even richer and the wine even more profound and long-lived.

Il Poggione believes in diversified farming. Winemaker Fabrizio Bindocci has not planted vines in every possible growing site. Instead Fabrizio grows olives in certain fields, some fields are used for grazing of Maremma cattle, while others are even left to remain fallow. The winery believes that this is an essential element of the terroir.