Where does Brunello di Montalcino come from?

The Brunello di Montalcino is, together with the Barolo, the most sought-after Italian wine by wine lovers all over the world. The grape from which this wine is made is the Sangiovese (Grosso) grape. This grape gives the wine strength, fullness with dark red forest fruit. Not just a drinking wine, but a real "food wine" perfect with game, steak, roast meat and cheese dishes. The Brunellos come from the southern part of the Tuscany region and exclusively from the area that belongs to the ancient town of Montalcino, located south of Siena. The town of Montalcino is very small and has about 5,000 inhabitants, who are mostly employed in the wine sector.

It is good to know that Brunello is not made from Brunello grapes, but from Sangiovese Grosso grapes.

The Sangiovese Grosso, is a clone of the Sangiovese grape, which you often find in the regions of Romagna and Tuscany. Also the Chianti wines are mainly, if not entirely made from the Sangiovese grape, as is the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.

Taste profile of the Brunello's di Montalcino:

• Aromas: Brunello has complex aromas of red and black fruits such as cherries, plums, and currants, along with floral notes of violets. As the wine ages, tertiary aromas of leather, tobacco, spices, earth, and truffles develop.
• Taste: Full and powerful with an excellent balance between acids, tannins, and alcohol. You usually taste cherries, plums, herbs and hints of wood from the maturation in oak barrels.
• Texture: Structured with firm tannins, which soften with age.

Brunello di Montalcino DOCG

The quality of the Brunellos is guaranteed by the company founded in 1967Consortium di Brunello di Montalcino. The Brunello di Montalcino has the DOCG quality mark. DOCG stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita, which is the highest quality standard in Italy for wines. This specifies the maximum yield per hectare. The wines must be made from Sangiovese Grosso grapes from vineyards located in the town of Montalcino. In addition, the wines must also be bottled in the town of Montalcino. The Consortium checks the companies many times during the year. The producers must also keep a logbook in which they record the actions they have taken. Samples of the wine are also taken by the Consortium inspectors. The Consortium checks whether the winemakers have made their wine according to the rules of the Brunello di Montalcino DOCG. They only check whether the wine that has been made meets the standards. If the wine meets these standards, they do not give a quality assessment of the wine. That is the task of the wine journalists of Gambero Rosso, Bibenda, James Suckling, Robert Parker, Jancis Robinson etc.

How long should Brunello wine mature?

Brunello wines are required to mature in oak barrels for at least 24 months. However, the wines may not be marketed until 4.5 years after the harvest. Some producers use a wood maturation of 36 months, others opt for 30 or 24 months. This is the producer's choice. Brunello wine has a very long shelf life. In general, it can be said that it can easily be stored for 15 to 20 years. It is also recommended to drink a Brunello di Montalcino only after about 8 to 10 years after the harvest. Then the wines fully reveal their complexity and power as well as their silky tannins. The Brunello di Montalcino Riservas may not be marketed until 5.5 years after the harvest. These Riservas usually undergo a wood maturation of 48 months in oak barrels.

Buy Brunello wine

A bottle of Brunello di Montalcino is not cheap. It is not possible to buy a real Brunello for a price below €25. Why can't a real Brunello di Montalcino be cheap? First of all, no new vineyards with Sangiovese Grosso grapes may be planted in Montalcino. The area is provided with a quota. The moment a winegrower is going to plant Sangiovese Grosso vines on a piece of land to make these wines, he has to uproot a piece of land of the same size and remove his plants from the vineyard. The result of this is that production cannot increase further. This puts extra pressure on land prices. A hectare of land that is suitable for planting Sangiovese Grosso grapes, for making Brunello grapes, currently (2024) costs between 1.5 and 2 million euros. Approximately 5,000 bottles of wine come from a piece of land of 1 hectare. If the piece of land has to be replanted, the buyer first pays for the planting of the vineyard and the planting stocks. The first four years, the harvest is sold on to traders because these grapes are not suitable for making quality wine. After the fourth year, Rosso di Montalcino can be made from the harvest for five to six years. However, the prices of Rosso are many times lower than the prices for Brunello. From the 10th year, the production of Brunello di Montalcino wine can begin. After the harvest, the grapes undergo a wood maturation of at least 24 months. For this, oak barrels must be purchased, the costs of which start at around 1,500 euros per barrel. Then, during the years of maturation, a lot of work must be done in the cellar. Finally, 4.5 years after the harvest, the wine can be marketed. Counting from the moment the vineyard was purchased, 15 years have now passed in which the vineyard has hardly generated any revenue.

Due to the popularity of wines such as Brunello di Montalcino, there are also many fake Brunellos on the market. These wines are not made according to the rules of the Consortium. These wines taste and smell completely different from a real Brunello. Despite the fact that this wine seems cheap, it is actually very expensive. If you see a cheap Brunello and would like to buy it. Avoid buying an "expensive" fake wine. Because the price of this "fake Brunello" is quickly too expensive! Only buy Brunellos from producers who are members of the Consortium.

A nice cheaper alternative to the Brunello di Montalcino

If you are a fan of Brunello di Montalcino, but would like to spend less money on your wine, then Rosso di Montalcino is a more than excellent alternative. In recent years, producers have invested a lot to upgrade the Rossos and this has certainly been successful. Many Rossos have become fantastic wines, with a more favorable price tag than Brunello. Rosso di Montalcino is made from the same Sangiovese Grosso grapes as Brunello di Montalcino. The difference is that the grapes come from young plants and undergo a shorter maturation of the wine in oak barrels.

You can buy the most beautiful Brunellos at extra low prices at Brunolo.nl

You are guaranteed to buy "real" Brunellos, which are often made by small producers who produce the most beautiful Brunellos every year with great passion.

Did you know that if you become a "member Amici Grandi Vini" you will receive a 15% discount on all Brunellos!