Brunello
From LoveToKnow Wine
What It Means To Be Brunello
Roughly translated, Brunello means “brownish,” and that captures nicely what this wine is all about. Dark, deep reddish brown fruit characterizes this wonderful long lived wine. Brunello is a grape and is a clone of Sangiovese, known officially as Sangiovese Grosso. Brunello is made around the Tuscan town of Montalcino, thus Brunello di Montalcino is a wine and a grape and a town all in one bottle.
Origins Of The Wine
Brunello was the first Italian wine to be accorded D.O.C.G or Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita status in 1980. The wine has been produced for about 150 years, starting in the late 19th century when Ferruccio Biondi–Santi began experimenting with the Sangiovese grape in his vineyards. Today there are a little over 100 wineries producing Brunello.
Styles Of Brunello
Brunello acquires its intense character through extended aging in oak. Older vintages have been criticized for what many felt was an excess of astringent tannins that required many years to become drinkable. There is a great debate in Brunello as some feel that recent vintages have bowed to international pressure and begun making fruity, easily approachable wines, sometimes at the cost of less distinctive character. There are two classes of Brunello: Normale indicates that the wine has been aged not less than 4 years. Riserva’s have been aged for not less than 5 years and are only made in exceptional vintages. There are 3 areas of Brunello that have distinctive characteristics, mostly determined by differing altitude. South of Montalcino the grapes planted in the hills are known as having the greatest ageability and structure. To the north of the town the vineyards are planted at lower levels and the wines are less structured with more easily approachable fruit and in the vineyards planted on the edges of Montalcino, at the lowest elevations, the wines are considered the lightest of the three and can usually be drunk and enjoyed sooner. Blending is not allowed for the production of Brunello.
Brunello Buying Advice
All Brunello is expensive with the range starting at around $30 and ending up somewhere north of $150. This is typical of any wine branded with the D.O.C.G. status as it is supposed to guarantee that these are some of the greatest wines Italy has to offer. Currently Brunello is divided, at least by the wine critics, into two camps: the old guard and the modern producers. Basically these two camps are divided by the question of how long to age the wine in oak and whether this oak should be old or new. An example of the modern style would be the Brunello’s of Altesino, which can be found stateside fairly easily. An example of the old guard are the wines of Salicutti, but be prepared to wait as these wines take years or extended decanting to be enjoyable. An alternative to increasingly expensive Brunello is Rosso di Montalcino which is a far simpler, softer wine produced in the region. Usually a good one can found for around $15+.
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