CONSORZIO DEL VINO BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO OVERVIEW
The Consorzio Del Vino Brunello di Montalcino was born in 1967 right after the Denominazione di Origine Controllata (D.O.C.) status was awarded Brunello wines. A group of producers founded the Consortium to uphold and protect the high standards of all four denomination wines of Montalcino: Brunello di Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino, Moscadello di Montalcino and Sant’Antimo. The Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino is the only Consortium in all of Italy with 100% membership. All of Brunello’s 250 producers are registered members; of those members, 200 are also bottlers. Brunello is obtained exclusively from Sangiovese grapes (locally known as “Brunello” grapes) grown within the territory of the Montalcino township. The name Brunello can be applied only to the wine produced and bottled within the township of Montalcino (the production area was delimited in 1932 by the Commission of the Ministry of Agriculture). Brunello di Montalcino was the first Italian wine to have obtained the Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin (D.O.C.G.) by Decree of the President of the Republic on July 1st 1980. Brunello must be aged a minimum of two years in oak and one year in the bottle; it must be released no sooner than five years after the harvest. Brunello is a limpid ruby color, leaning towards garnet. Its perfumes are intense, complex, and evoke red berries, and earth, as well as the sweet spicy aromas that come from wood and ageing. Brunello’s alcohol content is a minimum of 12.5% and sometimes as high as 13.5%.Brunello di Montalcino can undergo long aging, improving as time goes on from a minimum of 10 years up to 30 years, but it can be kept even longer. Before the wine can be released, it must be aged in oak for two years, and one year in the bottle; or two years in oak and three years in the bottle for riservas, which only happen in select vintages.
The elegance and harmony of its body allow for this wine to be accompanied by dishes such as red meats, furred and feathered game, and mushrooms and truffles. Brunello is also an excellent accompanying wine for cheeses: seasoned tommes, Tuscan pecorino and complex cheeses. The Wine Spectator selected Brunello Riserva Biondi Santi 1955 as the only Italian wine among the 12 great wines of the 20th century. The wine of Montalcino is in the august company of Château Margaux 1900, Château Mouton Rothschild 1945, Château Petrus 1961, Penfolds Grange 1955, Château Cheval Blanc 1947, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti 1937, Château d’Yquem 1921. Since the war to date, the “five-star” years have been the following: 1945, 1955, 1964, 1970, 1975, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1995, 1997, 2004, 2006, 2007.
Brunello di Montalcino is not the only enological treasure from the hills of Montalcino. The Rosso di Montalcino, Sant’Antimo and Moscadello are Montalcino’s three D.O.C. wines. Rosso di Montalcino is also 100% Sangiovese. It is meant to be drunk younger and fresher. It is a superb value for the oenophile. Moscadello di Montalcino is a sweet white wine made from Muscat produced in still, sparking and late harvest types. Il Sant’Antimo takes its name from the famous medieval abbey situated a few kilometres from Montalcino, that, according to legend, was founded by Charlemagne, Sant’Antimo is made in both red and white wines, as well as a Vin Santo, or dessert wine,that can also be red or white. Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice (Eye of the Partridge) is made with red grapes.
BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2004-2005 VINTAGE REPORT 2004 VINTAGE
Weather conditions- Throughout the whole period of the development of the vine – from April to the end of August – the weather was excellent. It was marked by alternating rain and sunshine, at exactly the right moments for the needs of the vineyards. The persisting spring showers brought about a considerable accumulation of water in the land and this reserve helped the plants overcome the summer heat. July and August were hot and sunny but there were days of cooler temperatures and even some rain. The benefits of the balanced weather of the year 2004 were added to the characteristics of the soil and the geographic position of the territory. The harvest took place in the normal period, neither before nor later than usual and went on until after the 20th of October.
Characteristics of the product- maximum levels of quality, wines with body and structure, but at the same time well balanced and elegant, products generally destined for a long period of ageing.
Number of stars – five
2005 VINTAGE
Weather conditions – The period of July and August was quite hot and sunny, despite the presence of days with cooler temperatures and a few rainy days. Generally speaking, balanced weather conditions allowed for a very good development towards the end of August. The rains that started during the first days of September had an effect on the grapes and delayed the harvesting. The harvest was good however helped also by the return of the sun during the second half of September. The producers selected the grapes, leaving aside those that were not perfect and diversifying the production. Thus they were able to produce Brunello di Montalcino with the grapes that had the most polyphenols and the highest sugar content, and the grapes that were less structured and more fruity were set aside for the production of Rosso di Montalcino.
Characteristics of the product: excellent quality, elegant wines with a good body and structure that can be destined for a medium-long period of aging.
BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2009 HARVEST REPORT
THE PRESIDENT PATRIZIO CENCIONI: “WE FORESEE AN EXCELLENT VINTAGE”
2009 Harvest: Brunello Di Montalcino First Bunch of Sangiovese Picked Today Excellent forecast for the production of Rosso di Montalcino, Sant’Antimo and Moscadello di Montalcino Montalcino 22 September 2009 – The grape harvest operations began today for Brunello di Montalcino vintage 2009. The harvest of Sangiovese has started in the south of the territory where the grapes have reached an excellent level of maturity. The quality of the grapes is very high and the expectations are for an excellent qualitative level. The weather conditions of 2009 underwent two distinct phases that compensated each other.
During the first phase there were many rainy days that resulted in an accumulation of water reserves in the soil in spring, at the beginning of the vegetative development of the vines. This rainy phase continued longer than usual until the middle of July. During the second period, in summer, the weather was very dry and hot. The water reserves accumulated during the first phase were therefore very useful. The grapes ripened faster in the month of August following a regular rhythm, as was clear from the analyses gathered by the Consorzio. The potential alcohol contents of the grapes are considerably high, but with excellent levels of total acidity and extracts. The polyphenols present are abundant and well balanced. The grapes for the production of Rosso di Montalcino that were harvested at the same time as the Brunello grapes, are also of an excellent quality. There were very good grapes from the Sant’Antimo vines, both the early ripening ones and the later ones. And lastly the grapes, also being picked, that will be made into Moscadello di Montalcino, both the still kind and the sparkling, as well as the late harvest. There is also a good forecast for quantity, whose level is expected to be similar to that of 2008, with a probable slight decrease in percentage. “At this time of great commitment – says the President of the Consorzio Patrizio Cencioni – we take note with great satisfaction of the forecasts for an excellent vintage 2009, which will enable us to maintain our strength on the markets and continue to present Montalcino on the international panorama, as an ‘absolute classic’ of Tuscan and Italian oenology”. Great optimism, therefore, for the 2009 vintage, a year in which the Montalcino area has confronted with staunch determination a state of global economic crisis that involves all wine growing situations, both in the old world and in the new producing countries. The data points to encouraging results: As of August 31, 5,800,000 seals of Brunello di Montalcino were sold, compared to 5,500,000 during the same period in 2008, showing an increase of 5%. The effort of producers, therefore, has given positive results and the positions reached are being maintained.
CONSORZIO DEL VINO BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO – BIOS
Patrizio Cencioni has been President of the Consorzio Del Vino Brunello di Montalcino since June 2008. He has a diploma as Agrarian Expert and has always been involved in the estate managed by the Cencioni family since 1957. From the beginning of the eighties he has worked for the Consorzio as Counselor of the Board and Vice-president since June 2007.
Stefano Campatelli has been Director of the Consorzio Del Vino Brunello di Montalcino since 1990. He graduated in Agrarian Science at the Faculty of the University of Florence in 1983. In 1989 he obtained his Masters in Enology at the Faculty of Agrarian Science in Piacenza at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. He was accorded the title of Enologist by the Ministry of Agrarian Policies. He is a Counsellor of the Board of the Federdoc (National Federation of the Consortiums for the Safe-guarding of Wines) with headquarters in Rome.
