Brunello Di Montalcino Wine

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Brunello di Montalcino D.O.C.G. is one of the most prestigious wines in Italy. D.O.C.G. stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita. These letters are on the pink collar strip on each bottle of Brunello di Montalcino. The D.O.C.G., as a category, was created in 1980 and, out of hundreds of Italian wines, there are just 45 D.O.C.G.s in all of Italy. It is an elite and exclusive category of wine with many rules and regulations, including panel tastings for quality and maximum yields. Brunello can only be made from 100% Sangiovese, known in Montalcino as Brunello, grown on authorised vineyards. There are minimum and maximum altitudes for vine cultivation and there has actually been a freeze on authorisations since 1995. The maximum yield per hectare is 7.000 kg of grapes (the conversion to wine is 68%). The wine must spend 2 years in wood and cannot be released until the fifth January after harvest – so 2004 is on sale in 2009, 2005 in 2010 and so on and so forth. One of the DOCG regulations expressly forbids climate intervention, so any kind of manipulation of nature is forbidden. So no irrigation or smudge-pots and great variation from vintage to vintage. The heatwave of 2003 or the wet 2002 is expressed in Brunellos from these vintages. These troughs and peaks make it hair-raising for producers who can see a year’s work disappear in 10 minutes of hail, but make Brunello a fascinating wine for consumers. In an ideal scenario the difference in vintage quality should determine potential cellar aging – a petit vendage as they French so generously call them – should be consumed soon after release whereas the great vintages should be cellared for 5+ years or much more. Currently there are over 200 producers of Brunello, all essentially following the same “recipe”. What differentiates producers is essentially a mix of two variables; terroir and wood. An estate’s attitude to wood aging is usually a key to their whole wine philosophy. Terroir Montalcino has quite different subzones and an incredible variety of soil types, altitude and so on. Where an estate is – or where an estates’ vineyards are (not always the same thing) – can result in distinct markers. For example the south-west facing low altitude estates have soil that contains marine fossils and was once sea. This can come out in a salty tang or, at worse, as a brackish “salmastro” taste in the wines. The north-west estates tend to have greener tastes due to a slower maturatation due to their position. And so on and so forth. Wood : size, provenance, time in Brunello must spend two years in wood but the original DOCG regulations were for 4 years. The towns’ production is now split between modern “international” Brunello which relies on barriques, 225 liter French oak barrels, and the “traditional” producers who prefer to use the large “botti.” These barrels are made from Slavonian oak and are so large that they can be cleaned by hand i.e. someone actually goes in to scrape them out, and can be re-used for many years. The wood:wine ratio is clearly very different so barrique aged Brunellos tend to spend the minimum 2 years in wood whereas the traditional Brunellos can spend three or even the original four years in wood. The tertiary aromas from the different sized barrels are quite different. Montalcino has every kind of producer and wine philosophy; tiny estates with less than 2 hectares under vine, those who consult the moon before bottling, truly biodynamic properties, VIP owned boutique wineries, ancient Tuscan noble families, locally owned farms and huge conglomerates. Montalcino itself is a terrifically cosmopolitan community. An article recently highlighted that there are 44 nationalities in a town of 4.000 residents… – Description from Laurapal (hide)

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Varietals Produced in Brunello Di Montalcino View all

Muscadelle

It is unclear how Muscadelle made its way to Australia. The country has been famous for its excellent sweet wines sin...
Cabernet Sauvignon

“King of the Red Wine Grapes.” The colonizer of the vineyards, pushing native wine grapes into its shadows. The Caber...
Barbera

History of the grape: Barbera is a native to the Piedmont, where it has been growing for centuries, and is now the fo...
Nebbiolo

History of the grape: Two schools of thought exist as to the origins of Nebbiolo (which means “little fog” either for...
Sangiovese

Prounounced “San-joh-vay-say,” this Italian wine varietal is Tuscany’s #1 red wine grape. It’s the pistol of Central ...

Popular Wineries in Brunello Di Montalcino View all

Donatella Cinelli Colombini

Donatella Cinelli Colombini is a Medieval scholar-turned wine producer in Montalcino, Italy. Sh...
Case Basse

Case Basse is an estate in the southwest area of Montalcino, where Sangiovese Grosso vines are gr...
La Poderina

La Poderina is located just south of Montalcino near the village of Castelnuovo dell'Abate that i...
Poggio Antico

First of all the opinion of Arianna and Sabrina on the quality of Poggio Antico's wines. Arianna ...
La Velona

The vineyards of the farm cover an area of 12 hectares planted with Sangiovese Grosso which is th...
Canalicchio di Sopra

In 1962 Primo Pacenti, a lover of the land with a knowledge of its products, founded Azienda Agri...

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Brunello Di Montalcino on Snooth

March 2010

Ciacci Brunello Pianrosso 2004

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No written review

Wine review by Teppo
February 2010

for a gift, wow! I am so confused by the label, I am trying to learn more about ... ... Vigna del Colmbaiolo Brunello di Montalcinoany hel Read More

Forum post in the topic I was just given a 1998...
February 2010

Caparzo Ca' del Pazzo Sant'Antimo Rosso 1999

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Bold, complex and smooth. Read More

Wine review by basilwino
February 2010

Castello di Camigliano Brunello di Montepulciano 2001

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No written review

Wine review by 259542Michael759 259542
January 2010

Brunello Montalcino Gli Angeli 2004

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No written review

Wine review by kareyk
December 2009

Do you remember on last April the bad news about Brunello di Montalcino ?Well, there is a further step of that bad fact and it is still in Tuscany.Actually the wineries under the control of the investigators are 42 and the most important wine involved is the Chianti.In few words, in many and many bottles of Chianti with the official ribbon DOCG,... Read More

Forum post in the topic a new scandal in Tuscany
November 2009

Poggio di Sotto Brunello di Mont 1999

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No written review

Wine review by spantano
November 2009

Castello Banfi 2006

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Very aggressive wine; just not sure all of the flavors agreed with me completely... definitely not boring, at least. Read More

Wine review by Echelar
October 2009

Il Palazzone 1999

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Fruit forward with prominent maraschino cherry. Spicy toasted aromas create a complex and intense bouquet. Silky soft wiht pleasant tannins. Lingering length and finish. Still extremely vibrant in 2009 tasting Read More

Wine review by 193530Laurapal 193530
October 2009

A highly anticipated annual wine event, this year's Grand Tasting will be the ... ... opportunity! * 2004 Brunello di Montalcino - Vintage Score: 97 points! * 2005 Bordeaux - Vintage Score: 95-100 points! * 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape - Vintage Score: 98 points! * Spottswoode - Lindy Novak will be here to pour her highly sought-after... Read More

Forum post in the topic Gary's Wine & Marketplace...

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