Brunello di Montalcino: Tuscan wine excellence, history and tradition
Brunello di Montalcino DOCG is a highly renowned Tuscan red wine that is produced from Sangiovese grapes only in the town of Montalcino, in the province of Siena, in a fairly restricted area of 24 thousand hectares. Since the beginning of its long history, which began in 1865, it has proven to be of high quality and prestige, representing an Italian oenological excellence thanks to the strict rules of production and the uniqueness of the territory. Brunello', as it is commonly called almost in a “confidential tone”, is appreciated by wine enthusiasts and connoisseurs all over the world and represents a priceless oenological heritage.
The identity card of Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
The quantity of 80 quintals of grapes per hectare of land is the maximum yield of the vine. Brunello di Montalcino is, by characteristic, a ‘long-lived’ wine in the sense that it requires meticulous ageing before reaching its maximum quality level. There are even bottles on the market that have been aged for more than 10 years, while those that have ‘matured’ for three decades reach very high commercial valuations. Brunello must have an alcohol content of at least 12% with a minimum acidity of 5 g/litre.
Once poured into the glass, which should preferably be large and very open, the wine has a ruby colour that tends towards garnet if it has significant ageing behind it.
What is most striking is the bouquet: lively, robust, persistent and intense, and the same perceptions can be felt on the palate. The most attentive sommeliers and tasters perceive a mixed fruity-vanilla scent with traces of underbrush and aromatic wood. The ideal temperature for tasting this type of wine is between 18°C and 22°C, and decanting is possible if these are vintage bottles, so that the wine can take in air and deposit residues on the bottom.
Pairings of Brunello di Montalcino
Brunello wine is full-bodied and ‘full’. This is why it goes well with structured dishes with red meat and game (poultry, as well as venison, roe deer, hare or wild boar). Also excellent in combination with intense sauces with mushrooms or truffles.
The flavour and release on the palate make Brunello ideal with mature and medium-hard cheeses, such as seasoned tome or pecorino cheese.
As far as first courses are concerned, ragùs and game sauces are the ideal combination to enjoy this fine wine.
Brunello di Montalcino: a wine that smells of value and history
Leaving aside the various curiosities of the origin of the name of the town of Montalcino, it is good to be aware that the wine vocation of the area has been known for over two thousand years. In the mediaeval period, there is evidence of the production of a red wine ‘but not in large quantities’ testifying to a land that is productive, but over a relatively small area.
The actual birth of Brunello di Montalcino dates back to the second half of the 19th century, thanks to local farmers who ‘refined’ the production of wine by working a native grape quality called ‘Brunellino’ and derived from Sangiovese Grosso. The ability of this quality of vine to generate wines of great value and predisposed to ageing was immediately apparent.
In 1870, the first bottles of Brunello were presented in Siena five years after the grape harvest, while the affirmation came ten years later. There have always been few producers and even fewer were in the post-war period. In 1966, Brunello di Montalcino received the Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC), while in 1980 it became DOCG.
Today, the most renowned wineries include Salvioni, Poggio di Sotto Colle Massari, Casanova di Neri, Vigna Marrucheto Banfi and Franco Pacenti, all strictly from the area.