Rosso Toscana IGT (2022)

About this wine

Il Poggione’s 2022 Rosso Toscana IGT comes from the Montalcino area of Tuscany and is made from Sangiovese with Merlot and Cabernet, which gives it a rounder, more immediately charming style than a straight Sangiovese bottling. The nose leads with cherry and plum, then picks up vanilla and baking spice. On the palate, it feels smooth and generous, with bright red fruit keeping everything lively rather than heavy. There is enough structure to remind you it is firmly Tuscan, but the overall feel is supple, fragrant, and very approachable. Il Poggione is one of Montalcino’s historic names, so this bottle is a nice glimpse of that house style in a more relaxed, everyday expression. It stands out for blending the lift of Sangiovese with the darker fruit and softness brought by the other grapes, giving the wine both energy and easy appeal.

About the grape

Sangiovese is the backbone of Il Poggione, grown from local Brunello selections in the estate vineyards around Sant Angelo in Colle where stony marl and limestone soils and elevations from roughly 150 to 450 meters help the variety keep bright acidity and classic structure, and the estate uses traditional vine training and careful massal selection to preserve those local clonal traits. In this Toscana Rosso bottling Sangiovese provides the core aromatic profile and backbone, while younger vines on the property are chosen to give early accessibility rather than long term aging potential. Merlot was introduced to add mid palate roundness and softer tannins, it is cultivated on warmer parcels and managed to ripen fully for a plush texture in the blend. Cabernet Sauvignon contributes additional depth and grip, it is vinified and blended to support structure and longevity, often sourced and trained to ensure thick skinned berries and concentrated phenolics in the final wine.

Quick facts

• 🐑 The Il Poggione name ties back to a 19th-century story of Lavinio Franceschi who bought the land after hearing a shepherd’s rave review, a whimsical origin that gets whispered on bottles from the estate.
• 👪 Proprietà Franceschi printed on the label is a family stamp—Il Poggione has stayed in Franceschi hands for five generations, so this Rosso carries a true family estate pedigree.
• 🍷 Although a Toscana IGT rather than a Brunello, the Rosso 2022 comes from the same historic Montalcino hills where Il Poggione helped launch Brunello to fame, so it’s like a pocket-sized taste of the estate’s long legacy.
• 🌍 Il Poggione is one of the largest single estates in Montalcino with vineyards spanning many plots, so the Rosso Toscana 2022 blends fruit from a mosaic of micro-sites rather than a single vineyard expression.
• ⚡ The Rosso Toscana label from Il Poggione is designed to be an earlier, more approachable Sangiovese showcase—meant for quick enjoyment yet showing the style and structure that hint at the estate’s celebrated Brunellos.

Palate profile

Producer

Il Poggione, established in the late 19th century by Florentine landowner Lavinio Franceschi, is one of the oldest wineries in Montalcino, Italy. After hearing captivating stories from a shepherd about the region, Franceschi purchased land in Sant'Angelo in Colle and founded the estate. The winery 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. Today, the estate spans approximately 530 hectares, with 140 hectares dedicated to vineyards and 50 hectares to olive groves, maintaining a commitment to sustainable agriculture and traditional winemaking techniques.