Great Italian Wines: Brunello Di Montalcino

Hi everybody, this is Agnes from No Sediment and today we're going to talk about one of the greatest Italian red wines, Brunello di Montalcino. But before we begin, if you like this content, I would really appreciate if you clicked like and subscribed to my YouTube channel, as it really keeps me going and creating these videos for you. Brunello di Montalcino truly is one of the greatest and age-worthy red wines of Italy and it is born in Tuscany winemaking region and must be made from 100% Sangiovese grape variety. Locally, this grape was known as Brunello, hence the name of the wine, Brunello di Montalcino, meaning Brunello from Montalcino. The Montalcino village is located at the hilltop and the vineyards of Brunello are planted around its slopes. Sangiovese is one of the greatest and widely planted red grape varieties of Italy and it can be found in almost every winemaking region here. It tends to develop quite high acidity levels, elevated tannin, while still remaining relatively light in color. Its aromatics are often characterized by a range of red berries, especially red cherries, but it can often show notes of florals as well. Sangiovese from Montalcino area has long proved to make wines with exceptional aging capacity, richness, depth, body and complexity. This is partly due to the long aging requirements as Brunello di Montalcino cannot be released earlier than in five years after the harvest. If the wine is labeled as Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, it must be aged minimum of six years. Traditionally, Brunello wines were aged in large wooden oak barrels, acquiring notes of dried cherries, violet flowers, and hints of balsamic vinegar. Nowadays, some winemakers prefer small French oak barrels, therefore wine is more characterized by fresh and lush fruit, notes of vanilla and toast, and oftentimes shows softer tannin structure. Naturally, local Italian food might as well be just the best pairing for Brunello wines. This includes long aged hard cheeses, wild boar, and of course Bistecca de Fiorentina, which is a traditional Florentine steak. Some of you in the comments have also asked me to share few of the producers that are either highly regarded in the winemaking region or I enjoy myself, so here it goes. Producers such as Biondi Santi, Silvio Nardi, Cassanova Dineri, and Il Moronetto are certainly amongst the top winemakers in Brunello region, though they also dictate premium prices. Il Moronetto makes wines in a very traditional way and emphasizes that the wines are not made for immediate appeal, but instead are slowly developing and evolving, showing true potential of Brunello wines. Amongst those that I have enjoyed a lot are Il Pagione, Baricci, and La Magia. In fact, I fell in love with La Magia wines from the very first sip I tasted it in walk around tasting. I liked it so much that I had to persuade the owner of the winery right there on the spot to sell me two bottles that were actually meant for the tasting. I also mentioned Il Pagione, which is quite large winery, yet they constantly deliver great wines for a very approachable price tag. Interestingly, Brunello di Montalcino has its little brother, Appellation Rosso di Montalcino, and these wines also must be made from 100% Sangiovese grape variety. Rosso di Montalcino can be released already a year after the harvest and therefore it will show more fresh fruit characters. In some cases, Rosso di Montalcino is declassified Brunello, making it a great price quality performer, especially if sourced from a quality producer. If you watched until the end, it means you like Italian red wines, so make sure to watch my other video on one of the greatest Italian red wines, Barbaresco.