Benvenuto Brunello 2014: Benvenuto Rosso!!Benvenuto Montalcino!!!
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Posted: Tuesday, 15 April 2014 11:55
Benvenuto Brunello 2014: Benvenuto Rosso!!Benvenuto Montalcino!!!

Apr 15: Benvenuto Brunello is perhaps the best organised Italian wine tasting annual event but it should be titled Benvenuto Montalcino because its second wine Rosso di Montalcino which can be drunk younger and is much more affordable, is equally or more important for the Indian wine market, writes Subhash Arora who feels Montalcino is the Mecca of expressive Tuscan wines with many other more affordable wines to its credit.

Click For Large ViewBrunello is the signature wine of Montalcino and Montalcino is almost synonymous with Brunello, thus giving the impression that Brunello is all about Montalcino and Montalcino is all about Brunello. There is no doubt that Brunello di Montalcino is the uncrowned queen (or king, depending on perceptions) of Tuscan reds-nationally and internationally.

Magical Montalcino

Montalcino is an obscure, medieval, beautiful Tuscan town 40 kms South of Siena, 110 kms South of Florence and 150 kms north-west of Rome. It is perched on a hill in the middle of a valley, making it picture-postcard perfect.  The gentle slopes also help to produce grapes of high quality. Sangiovese is the unchallenged king of grapes there. Its local clone known as Brunello Grosso is used to make the two well-known magical wines of the area-Brunello di Montalcino DOCG and Rosso di Montalcino DOC.

Click For Large ViewBrunello is a serious wine with complex aromas, silky tannins, full structure, balanced acidity, and lasting fruitiness coupled with minerality that comes from the special soil of vineyards at 250-500 meter heights, and exceptionally persistent and long after taste. Brunello di Montalcino has a long period of maturity with quality producers recommending opening of the bottle after 8-10 years and with aging potential of 20-30 years or even more. Brunello di Montalcino may be released after four years of harvest on January 1 of the following year, according to the laws of this appellation and of course it must use Brunello grapes grown in areas earmarked for the DOCG wine only.  

Benvenuto Brunello 2014

Thus the 2009 was officially released on January 1, 2014 although several producers plan to keep it slightly longer in the bottle, releasing during Vinitaly starting yesterday  (6-9 April) or even as late as September. According to the strict rules of the appellation, 100% Brunello (Sangiovese) from the designated, classified and approved vineyards can only be used for Brunello di Montalcino. The yield must be less than 8 tons/hA from vines over 25 years old and with a minimum aging of 2 years in oak casks and a total of 4 years. Moreover, bottling must be within the production area.

Similarly the lighter, younger, cheaper and thus more affordable version, Rosso di Montalcino 2012 was showcased as ‘Anteprima'. Riserva 2008 was also released, a treat for the early birds, the visiting journalists, to let them taste the vintage and judge for themselves.

Tasting Montalcino

Click For Large ViewThe event Benvenuto Brunello used to be held at the majestic and historical Fortezza at the top of a hill, making it the highest point in Montalcino. Due to some practical constraints it has been shifted to a new site - the nearby Museum for the last few years. Since the shifting from the earlier venue, it has become even better organised than before, after a few glitches experienced in the first year in 2010. The wine bar at the corner of the tasting room is lined up with all the Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino and other wines from the area. Round tables for six, covered with milky white tablecloths and 6 glasses fill up the huge hall with access to plug points and internet making the venue extremely journalist friendly.

The venue buzzed with activity on February 21-22- bright and early at the appointed hour of 9:30 am. Each visitor was personally greeted by the efficient and warm staff of Stefania Tacconi of the Consortium of Brunello di Montalcino. Of course you must be cleared by the stern and serious looking security staff first. Even the young coat ladies are warm, smiling and eager to help. A meeting area arranged in one part of the museum where one can relax or meet producers are well heated and welcoming. One could request 6 pre-numbered bottles at a time, with one sommelier assigned to each table, ably assisted by other sommeliers around if things got too busy.

The visiting journalists could also visit the hall with a glass in hand, where producers showcased these wines and could interact with them on both days.

Benvenuto Montalcino! Welcome to Montalcino!!

There were over 130 producers showcasing Brunello 2009, Brunello Reserve 2008 and Rosso doc 2012. There were also Sant’Antimo DOC wines from the area and Moscadello di Montalcino DOC and even a dash of Vin Santo di Montalcino DOC made from Trebbiano and Malvasia grapes.

Undoubtedly, Brunello is the signature wine and a beauty to behold, hold and let truth be told, the most popular brand of Tuscan wines, especially in India where a certain class of people would prefer to drink any ‘Brunello’- me included. The mere mention of the name Brunello di Montalcino might even make you salivate.

But due to the high import duties alone of 150% and even higher mark-ups by the hotels who buy them import duty-free (excise duties are additionally paid according to laws in different states by on-trade and off-trade) they could be unapproachable for most people. Another limitation of Montalcino is that they do not generally produce white wine. An interesting exception is Moscadello di Montalcino DOC, a reasonably priced sweet white wine. Also available is Vin Santo di Montalcino DOC. There is yet another appellation for wines produced in Montalcino - Sant'Antimo Rosso and Bianco DOC which offer alternatives using authorized grapes from the area and is reasonably priced. A wide spectrum of white and red wines is available using international grapes too, making it also a reason to be welcome at Montalcino.

Tasting Wines of ‘Benvenuto Montalcino’

At the best of times, it is difficult to tell a significant difference between the many producers but for the style or if one visits the wineries - not an easy task given there are an impossible number of over 250 wines to taste over two days.

But it appears that after the impressive 2008 vintage, the current Anteprima was generally more inconsistent and lower quality than 2008. The 2008 Riserva were generally much more delicious although many producers are still not releasing them for a year or more. The 2012 Rosso di Montalcino wines were much better in quality with more fruit and concentration than 2011.

Click For Large ViewThat may not be all bad news for the wine lovers for the 2009 vintage Brunello.  Many top producers have decided not to bottle their premium labels but make the lower end generic wine by de-classifying some of the Brunello and making it a generic wine instead. For example, the Santa Restituta di Pieve owned by Gaja produces two single vineyard premium offerings-from the Sugarille and Rennina at a premium price in most years. They were not happy with the quality for 2009 and decided not to make the two wines this year and instead make only a generic Brunello di Montalcino from these wines. At less than half the cost, the generic Brunello would be a great buy.

I wasn’t surprised when I realized later that the vintage of 2008 had been given 5/5 stars by the experts in 2009 whereas the 2009 could earn only 4 stars in 2010. Interestingly, 2010 vintage was again pegged up to 5 stars to make one await Benvenuto 2015 with anticipation.

Think  Brunello-Drink Rosso

Quality of Brunellos is matched by the media hype and high prices which have escalated exponentially during the last couple of decades due to the increasing popularity and can be exorbitant, even for Italy.   However, Montalcino offers an excellent and affordable substitute in the form of Rosso di Montalcino. Nick-named the ‘little brother’ of Brunello and produced from the same Sangiovese clone but under less strict conditions of yield and ageing, it makes an excellent younger drinking wine.

At the lunches and dinners served by the Consorzio or anywhere else, Rosso di Montalcino is de facto served as an aperitif. Most producers agree in private conversation that Brunello di Montalcino is not a daily drinking wine even for them but Rosso is, which is available almost at a third of the cost of a Brunello.

Click For Large ViewCoupled with the fact that the wines have softer tannins, the Rosso is also more suitable for vegetarians who prefer it on their palate. At a dinner hosted by the Delhi Wine Club in November 2011 when Count Francesco Marone Cinzano, owner of Col d'Orcia visited India, the customary white/sparkling wine served as an aperitif was substituted by Rosso di Montalcino which was really devoured by members and it would not be incorrect to admit that it was preferred to the Brunello di Montalcino by some of the members who compared them ‘blind’ because they were not well conversant with the wines and did not even know that the Rosso sold for around 40% the price of Brunello.

Think Brunello- Drink Rosso has been the consistent advisory from delWine and Indian Wine Academy for several years and remains unchanged. No producer disagrees with our view, especially for India where people drink wines very young and don’t have proper storage. The wine cellars (which are mostly special fridges) are fine for storage for years but do not control the humidity which is important for long term storage.

Benvenuto Brunello! Benvenuto Montalcino!!

Subhash Arora

 

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