Brunello di Montalcino

Brunello wine and its flavours

Brunello di Montalcino is one of Italy’s most prestigious wines. It also boasts the country’s longest ageing requirements. Brunello must be aged for at least four years before release – compared with Barolo at three years, and Amarone at two years.

Classic Brunello is matured in large Slavonian oak barrels, so as not to overpower the grape’s natural aromas. As a result, the wine develops pure, multi-layered flavours. Brunello tastes like wild strawberry, raspberry, mint, rich espresso, sweet tobacco and delicate violet flower all in the same glass. Brunello is famous for its incredible ageing potential, and can improve for 30 years or more.

Read our Guide to Brunello di Montalcino…

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Guide to Brunello di Montalcino

Brunello wine in the Official Registry

First historical record: 1869

Official registration: DOC 1966, promoted to DOCG in 1980

Consorzio: Consorzio del vino Brunello di Montalcino https://www.consorziobrunellodimontalcino.it/

Region: Toscana (Siena municipality)

Area under vine: 1,067 hectares

Annual production: 8 million bottles (60,133 hectolitres) [2019, 2]

Key Brunello wine rules

The style of Brunello wine

The Brunello disciplinare (winemaking rules) define the typical style of Brunello wine. Even today, they follow the same general guidelines that were used to produce the very first Brunello wines back in the 1880s. These were developed by Feruccio Biondi and his son, Tancredi Biondi-Santi.

Biondi-Santi Brunello was crafted from pure Sangiovese – very rare for that time period. Under the mezzadria system, farmers used to grow various grapes on small family allottments (viticoltura promiscua), blending them to produce house wines.

To make Brunello softer, Biondi-Santi introduced the destemming of grapes (as stems contain harsh tannins). The tannic and powerful Brunello wine was then aged for very long time – thus becoming far more enjoyable.

Ageing and Brunello quality levels

There’s nothing standard about the “standard” Brunello – it's one of the most complex wines on the market. It must be aged for at least four years, over which time it develops remarkably complex flavours. This four-year period includes at least two years in oak, and four months in bottle. This is the longest minimal ageing period in Italy: a year longer than Barolo, and two years longer than Amarone.

Brunello Riserva must be aged for five years, and can be released on 1st January of the sixth year following harvest. It must spend at least two years in oak, and six months in bottle.

The classic Brunello ageing technique relies on large Slavonian oak barrels. These allow slow contact with oxygen, which penetrates the walls of the barrel, and less direct oak contact to preserve Sangiovese’s fruity flavours. These days, it’s possible to find Brunello aged in small French oak barriques, or in a combination of Slavonian and French oak, for more wood influenced flavours such as black pepper, vanilla or smoke.

Which grapes are allowed in Brunello?

The wine is produced from the local version of Sangiovese, which is also called Brunello. The name translates as “little dark one”, as the grape is known for its smaller and darker berries.

Brunello was once thought to be its own distinct grape variety. However, DNA analysis confirms that it’s a biotype of Sangiovese.

Where Brunello wine is made

Territory

The territory of Brunello di Montalcino is located 40 kilometres south of the city of Siena, in Toscana. The area is almost square, measuring 15 x 15 kilometres. The Obrone river forms Brunello’s north and west borders. The Aseo river is the eastern boundary, and the Orcia river is the southern.

The altitude above sea level varies: from 120 metres along the river valleys, up to 650 meters close to the Etrurian Fortress of Poggio Civitella, 2.5 km south of Montalcino. The Montalcino hill itself is 567 metres high.

The overall surface of Montalcino is around 24,000 hectares. It is mostly covered by hills, woodlands and olive groves. The area planted with Sangiovese is around 1,067 hectares.

Climate

The climate is Mediterranean, with warm, mild winters and hot summers. The region's inland position, and the Apennine mountains to the east, make the climate dry and almost continental.

The high elevation of the area dictates significant temperature swings between day and night. This promotes high aromatic intensity and complexity in the grapes.

The air is dry, with low annual rainfall of circa 700 mm. In the winter time, the highest hills are often covered with snow. The mid-hill areas are not affected by fogs or spring frosts, and are considered the best for viticulture. Frequent winds promote good air circulation, and protect vines from disease.

Monte Amiata – a 1,738 m high extinct volcano – is located 20 km south-east of Montalcino. It protects the region from wet currents, storms and hail.

Rainfall mainly occurs in spring, when the soil accumulates its water reserves. Summers are warmer and drier. The lack of water curbs the vigour of the green canopy, helping the optimal development of grapes late in summer. Autumns are typically sunny, dry and cool, creating particularly favourable conditions for grapes to ripen.

Soils

The soils in the Montalcino area originated across several geological periods. They include sandstone, limestone, and alberese – fine-grained calcareous marl, formed from compressed clay and mineral granules. Soil often includes marl (mudstones) with varying sizes of grain, sand and clay [3].

A brief history of Brunello di Montalcino

1850s – Clemente Santi, a reputable producer of Moscadello wine (the signature sweet white wine of Montalcino, made from Moscato Bianco) started experimenting with Sangiovese to make red wines. He focussed on single-varietal Sangiovese. At that time, it was more common to blend various grapes. His other innovation was using long fermentation and maceration.

1869 – Santi produces the first Brunello wine: Vino rosso scelto (brunello), 1865 vintage. It receives the silver medal at an agricultural fair in Montepulciano, and is considered the beginning of the Brunello tradition.

1885 – Feruccio Biondi, Santi’s grandson, continues to improve Santi’s red wines. He introduces destemming (not typical at that time) to remove harsh tannins. Biondi starts using large Slavonian oak barrels, and ages his wines for a very long time. In the 1880s, he coins the new name “Brunello” for his Sangiovese wine. Feruccio then adopts the double-barrelled name Biondi-Santi, building on the high respect of both families.

1920s – Tancredi Biondi-Santi, Feruccio’s son, makes Brunello a commercial success. The Biondi-Santi name, and Cantina della Fattoria “Il Greppo”, becomes highly respected across Italy.

1966 – Brunello di Montalcino is among the first wine production areas in Italy to receive the DOC status. The disciplinare is effectively based on the winemaking techniques developed by Feruccio Biondi and perfected by Tancredi Biondi-Santi.

1980 - Brunello di Montalcino is among the first DOCs in Italy to be upgraded to the DOCG level.

Don't forget Rosso di Montalcino

Like its elder brother, Rosso di Montalcino is always made from 100% Sangiovese. It’s produced in the same area as Brunello di Montalcino, and is typically made by the same wineries.

Rosso can be released from the 1st September of the year after harvest. There isn’t a minimum oak ageing requirement. As a result, Rosso tastes younger and fruitier than Brunello, and is much more approachable. However, it has less ageing potential.

Technically, producers can downgrade their Brunello wine to Rosso if it fails to meet the high standards required for Brunello. However, the best wineries produce both Rosso and Brunello, often from parcels located next to each other.

We encourage you to compare and contrast both Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino: one bold, deep and powerful, the other flavourful and fruity. Both are very much enjoyable in their own right.

Sources:

[1] MiPAAF (1970-2010)

[2] ISMEA (2019)

[3] Disciplinare di Produzione della Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita del vino “Brunello di Montalcino”

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