Brunello di Montalcino, an ancient wine that looks to the future

The first experiments were in 1888 by Ferruccio Biondi Santi. Now only wines produced and bottled within the township of Montalcino can be called Brunello

by Duccio Morozzo della Rocca

The production zone was delimited already in 1932 by the Commission of the Ministry of Agriculture in a territory with an optimal microclimate and a particular physical-chemical
structure and it was one of the first wines to obtain the Docg (Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin) with the Decree of the President of the Republic of July 1 1980.

Brunello is obtained exclusively from Sangiovese grapes (locally called “Brunello”) grown mainly with the spurred cordon system, which allows to obtain a low yield per hectare (maximum 8000 kg of grapes, as required by the regulations).

The regulations of Brunello require a minimum period of refinement in oak wood of 2 years and the release for consumption was established on “...the first of January of the year following the end
of the 5th year term calculated taking into account the harvest year....” for the “Vintage” type while for the Riserva it is the end of “.... the 6th year term calculated taking into account the harvest year...”.

Anyway it is really difficult to predict when this wine could refine or for how long it could improve its own potentials: ten, twenty maybe thirty years, depending on the vintage.

The township of Montalcino (564 metres above sea level) is situated 40 kilometres South of Siena. The territory, delimited by the valleys of Orcia, Asso and Ombrone, has a squared shape, with its sides measuring an average of 15 kilometres; its surface is 243.62 square kilometres (of which 29% is flat; 70% hilly, 1% mountainous).

Genesis of a great wine
The Brunello was born at the end of the eighteenth century thanks to the passion, the craftsmanship and intuition of a garibaldian, Ferruccio Biondi Santi that once returned to his home land, dedicated himself to agriculture in his property Tenuta Il Greppo di Montalcino, working his vines, the Sangiovese. At the time, the wine was made with the traditional Tuscan methods, with the “governo”, an antique winery practice which consists in adding grape must to the wine in order to create a second fermentation.
Ferruccio Biondi Santi processed the Sangiovese on his own and aged that wine for long lengths of time in barrels.
This is the birth of Brunello, a made-up name from its characteristic colour: a strong and velvety wine that did not resemble in any way other reds of a more privileged aging.

We have track of the oldest bottling dated 1888, kept in the cellar of Tenuta Il Greppo and lasts up to 1935. In this period of time we see the work of a small but determined number of farmers committed to the study and process that surrounds the wine. But it the thirties the Phylloxera, a dangerous disease that affects the roots, eradicated all the vines.

The darker years began, scarred by a slow and laboured recovery dedicated to the reformation of the vines and interrupted and delayed by the II World War.
In the fifties, less then fifteen producers begin to realise the true possibilities of Brunello di Montalcino until 28 March 1966 the Doc (Denomination of Controlled Origin), was credited to the Brunello.
But it’s during the sixties and the seventies that Brunello became better known through the global markets. The number of both production and producers grew substantially and they agreed in common policies creating the Consortium of Brunello di Montalcino (founding date: 18 April 1967), with the aim of developing and protecting the production and to increase the understanding in Italy and in the rest of the world. On April 7th 1979, the Consortium was also granted multiple activities of surveillance and consultancy.

Organolectic Characteristics
The main characteristic of Brunello is its long aging before being put on the market, which determines its peculiar brilliant transparent ruby red colour, tending to garnet. Its scents are generally intense, of great persistence and complexity, and one can make out hints of underbrush, small red berries, earth, as well as sweet and spicy aromas coming from the aging wood.
To the taste, Brunello is essentially elegant and harmonious with a rich structure, well balanced by an acid freshness.
Its alcohol content is 12.5% (minimum) and often higher, easily reaching 13.5%.
Brunello comes only in bottles of: 0.375 lt; 0.500 lt.; 0.750 lt.; 1.5 lt.; 3.0 lt.; 5 lt.

The numbers of Brunello
Average annual production of Brunello di Montalcino is 6.5 millions bottles (the number varies according to the quality of the year), of which 60% is sold abroad.
The main importing countries are: U.S.A. 25%, Germany 10%, Switzerland 7%, Canada 5%, England 3%, Japan 3%, while the rest is distributed among 60 countries. The remaining 40% of Brunello is destined for the national market.

The producers are 250, of which 200 are bottlers. In all, the hectares planted with vineyards in the Montalcino territory are 3,500 hectares: 2000 are planted with Brunello di Montalcino.
The size of the estates (by surfaces covered with vineyards) is as follows:
22% have less than one hectare; 29% have between 1 and 3 hectares; 15% between 3 and 5 hectares; 15% between 5 and 15 hectares; 9% between 15 and 100 hectares; 1% above 100 hectares; 9% are solely commercial enterprises.

In 2007 the business turnover reached nearly 120 millions Euro, despite the wine
district of Montalcino assisted to a poor wine year producing only half of the
bottles normally released in the market.

Point of view with…
President of the Brunello Consortium, Patrizio Cencioni

- For the future of the Consortium which one between export and national consumption will dominate?
Currently the export share is 62%. I suppose that such tendency will probably continue and is destined to grow specially if there are openings in new markets.

- Regarding the exportation, do you feel more protection since all the Doc, Docg, Igt are now in a common Dop/Igp register?
I do not think that there is a big difference between the two definitions, since the consumer knows the brand "Brunello di Montalcino". Certainly the investment made on the designations Doc and Docg has been important and therefore we think it is proper to continue such direction.

- Is the Brunello berthed to tradition or opened to innovation?
The Brunello has been - opportunely - a very successful innovation therefore it has become tradition. I still see this innovation-tradition in the future.

Gastronomy and the matches
Brunello is an excellent wine for red meats and game of both feather and fur, if possible accompanied by mushrooms or truffles. For these dishes both structured and composite go well together with a wine with an intense and penetrating perfume, dry without roughness, pleasingly tannic, with a good structure, austere and noble. Brunello is also excellently well suited to cheeses (seasoned tome, Tuscan pecorino, spicy gorgonzola, Parmigiano Reggiano) and with international cuisine dishes based on meat or structured sauces. Brunello also makes a good “meditation wine” especially when it is a great vintage, well preserved and at the peak of its qualitative evolution.

Years with Five Stars
From the end of the war until now the following years were officially judged “five star” years: 1945, 1955, 1961, 1964, 1975, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1995,1997, 2004.