Lo Sbrancato (2024)

About this wine

Lo Sbrancato is Tenuta Il Poggione’s rosé from Tuscany, made entirely from Sangiovese, the classic grape behind many of the region’s best known reds. In the glass it shows a cheerful, polished style with aromas that lean into strawberry, raspberry, pomegranate, and violet. The palate stays energetic and juicy, with red cherry and watermelon fruit lifted by citrus and a lightly almond like finish that gives it a distinctly Italian feel. There is a gentle herbal note in the background that keeps all that fruit from feeling simple. This comes from one of Montalcino’s historic estates, which makes the rosé especially charming, since a house famous for powerful Sangiovese reds turns the same grape into something breezy, bright, and very easy to love. It feels unmistakably Tuscan, but in a lighter, pink expression that still carries the grape’s signature snap and character.

About the grape

Sangiovese is the native Tuscan grape at the heart of Montalcino and it has been selected and propagated locally for over a century to produce wines like Brunello and lighter styles, here used as a rosato in pure form. At Il Poggione the grape is grown on the estate vineyards of Montalcino, often on stony decomposed marl and limestone soils and at elevations roughly between 150 and 450 meters, which help preserve acidity and aromatic lift. The winery maintains traditional clones and training methods such as the doppio capovolto on older crus while using younger, estate Sangiovese plantings for fresher, rosato focused wines, so the varietal brings its characteristic floral and cherry profile through deliberate site selection and viticultural practice.

Quick facts

• 🖼️ Its name comes from a real 1888 painting that hangs in Il Poggione’s tasting room, so the wine is literally named after a piece of art.
• 🌄 Lo Sbrancato is a 100% Sangiovese rosé made in Montalcino, a region more famous for powerful Brunello reds, which makes this bright rosé a surprising local specialty.
• ⏳ The winery gives the must just 24 hours of skin contact before a cool, extended fermentation at about 12 °C for around 25 days, a winemaking routine that creates its crunchy, fragrant character.
• 🏛️ Il Poggione is a very historic estate founded in the late 19th century and was one of the original producers to commercialize Brunello and a founding member of the Brunello consorzio, so this playful rosé has serious roots.
• 🍃 Although coming from hilly vines between roughly 150–450 meters elevation, Lo Sbrancato is bottled at a modest ~12% alcohol, keeping its style light, zippy, and easygoing despite Montalcino’s lofty reputation.

Palate profile

Producer

Tenuta Il Poggione, established in the late 19th century by Florentine landowner Lavinio Franceschi, began after he was captivated by the Montalcino region's beauty and community. The estate was among the first to market Brunello di Montalcino in the early 1900s and played a pivotal role as a founding member of the Brunello di Montalcino Consortium. Spanning approximately 530 hectares, it includes 140 hectares of vineyards and 50 hectares of olive groves, with the remainder dedicated to other agricultural uses. The winery emphasizes sustainable practices, such as installing solar panels and maintaining manual vineyard work, to ensure high-quality wine production.