Wine Styles of Montalcino
One of the most famous wines, not only in Italy but the world, the Brunello di Montalcino is a wine rich with history and deep with flavors. A pure wine, in that it is the only D.O.C.G. in Tuscany that calls for 100% Sangiovese; nothing else is allowed into these wines. And furthermore it must be the ‘Brunello’ clone of Sangiovese, also known as Sangiovese Grosso. Compared to the vines in much of the Chianti wines, Brunello is characterized for having larger size berries and thicker skins to those berries. Why is this important? It is these two qualities which give the wines of Montalcino, the Brunello’s and the Rosso’s, the darker flavor profiles and also the stronger tannin structure-a key component in the reason for the aging capacity of the Brunello wines. Another key distinction for the wines of Montalcino is location. South of Chianti Classico and West of Montepulciano, the city enjoys the best exposure to climate in most years. They get more warmth than the other two wines, but also because the city is closer to the sea, Montalcino also enjoys more of the coastal influence as well. Put simply, it’s a perfect marriage for the vines.
The story of the Brunello di Montalcino starts over a century and a half ago with the grandfather of Brunello you could say, Clemente Santi. Many credit him with isolating the Brunello clone in his own vineyards as far back as the 1840’s on the family estate, Il Greppo. Later on his grandson, Ferruccio Biondi, returned to the family estate and continued the work of developing Brunello and in 1888 Biondi-Santi Brunello di Montalcino was born. There are a few other names from these old times, but this estate was definitely the head of the class. In 1956 there was a terrible freeze that threatened to wipe out the vineyards and olive groves of many, leaving only a few producers in the region. In 1980 the wine from Montalcino was granted the highest distinction in Italian wine law, the D.O.C.G. which set very specific standards that must be adhered to in order to use the title. Today, as the wines have gained even more international acclaim and the number of producers has grown, the wines of Montalcino are still some of the strictest wines in all of Italy to produce. Look for wines that are darker in color and fuller than traditional Chianti’s in aromas. Beautiful wines that are the epitome of the Sangiovese grape.
Brunello di Montalcino D.O.C.G.
The first granted, and one of the original 4 D.O.C.G. wines passed in 1980, Brunello is held to the highest standards in production methods. These requirements are almost always further intensified by the producer themselves wanting to deliver the highest quality wine possible. Yields are kept extremely low in the vineyard, and what does get delivered to the winery each harvest is meticulously sorted to select only the finest grape bunches. D.O.C.G. law has set forth one of the longest aging requirements of any dry still wine in Italy, 4 years for normale and 5 years for the Riserva wines from January 1st the year following the harvest. For example, a 2004 Brunello normale may be released on Jan 1st 2009, the Riserva on Jan 1st 2010. Every Brunello must be 100% Sangiovese Grosso (Brunello clone) and nothing else. All Brunello wines must be aged for a minimum of two years in oak barrels plus at least 4 months in bottle for normale and 6 months for Riserva wines. This may seem like a long time but Brunello di Montalcino is a wine built for aging and can still be a tight restrained wine upon release. Great examples of this wine can age for well over 20 years and still be in perfect harmony.
Rosso di Montalcino D.O.C.
It is very difficult for both the producer and the consumer to wait 5 years to begin to enjoy the wines of Montalcino, and so in 1983 (November 25) the D.O.C. regulators after listening to the people of Montalcino granted the Rosso wines of the region elevated status into the ranks of the D.O.C. For producers this meant that they could use their younger vines for these Rosso wines and as a result reserve the best fruit for their Brunello wines. The Rosso label corresponds to the same region as defined for the Brunello D.O.C.G. and must also be comprised purely of the Brunello clone of Sangiovese (Grosso). The big difference is in the aging requirements, which only ask for 1 year of aging before release as opposed to the 4 year minimum for Brunello wines. Think of these wines as softer and easier to approach than the big bold brooding Brunello wines, and are considered to be great values especially in good vintages.
Sant’Antimo D.O.C.
This region is named after the famous abbey of Sant’Antimo and the region is encompassing of all of Montalcino. Created effective for the 1996 vintage, it is the effort to recognize the whole of Montalcino as a commune that produces quality wines. The Sant’Antimo D.O.C. can be applied to white and red wines as well as the specialty dessert wine of Tuscany-Vin Santo. The label is in effect giving acclaim to the vines other than Sangiovese Grosso grown in Montalcino, international varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay to name a few. It gives a winemaker free will to experiment and create good wines which were not common until very recently. The laws are very lenient here; the major point to make is that a varietal wine must be at minimum 85% of said varietal.
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