Fattoria Le Pupille Toscana Poggio Valente 2023 (750ml) *
Product price
$59.99
Description
Southern Maremma sits at Tuscany's coastal edge, where sea air and constant ventilation shape a lighter-footed style of Sangiovese than the region's inland reputation might suggest. This is where Fattoria Le Pupille grows the fruit for Poggio Valente, a single expression of 100% Sangiovese from a site tucked between two hills with the water directly in view. The clay and limestone soils here give the wine its backbone, and the estate has been reworking its cellar approach, shifting more than half the aging into large casks (botti grandi) rather than smaller barrels, chasing a fresher, more transparent read on the grape. The 2023 growing season tested much of Tuscany, but the airflow through this corner of the Maremma kept things in balance.
Young and tightly coiled at the moment, this is a wine still gathering itself. There is generous red fruit underneath, sweet cherry and strawberry, threaded with mint, dried herbs, licorice, pipe tobacco and a touch of mocha. The oak still asserts itself and needs a year or two in the bottle to settle into the fruit, at which point the floral, savory, earthy notes at the edges should come forward. Chewy and structured now, it rewards patience.
Expert Reviews
Made with 100% Sangiovese, the Fattoria Le Pupille 2023 Poggio Valente was bottled in June 2025 and is scheduled for release soon. The 2023 vintage was challenging across much of Tuscany due to persistent spring rain and widespread mildew pressure that severely affected Merlot and other early-ripening grapes, but conditions in southern Maremma were more balanced thanks to the area’s naturally ventilated setting. Poggio Valente benefits from its position between two hills with the sea directly in front, creating constant airflow and a luminous quality to the wines. The Sangiovese is planted on heavier soils rich in clay and limestone, lending structure and depth, and the estate is in the process of refining its élevage by moving away from smaller oak toward larger vessels, with more than 50% of the wine now aged in botti grandi to achieve a crunchier and more transparent expression. The plan for this wine is working out beautifully. (Wine Advocate, February 2026)
Youthful, tightly wound and chewy, the 2023 is nonetheless generously fruited with some pretty cherry and strawberry. The wood imprint is still dominant, so give it time to harmonise and unfurl. (Decanter, February 2026)
The 2023 Poggio Valente is laced with sweet red cherry, mint, pipe tobacco, dried herbs, licorice, mocha and a kiss of French oak. I would give it a year or two in bottle to soften. Floral, savory and earthy notes add the closing shades of nuance. (Vinous, April 2026)