Benvenuto Brunello
Benvenuto Brunello 2010 took place this weekend in Montalcino, Tuscany and we were delighted to be invited. Every year, the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino coordinates the event in various cities throughout the world. In Montalcino it ran for four days in the village’s 14th century fortress. It allows producers to present the latest release to journalists and the Consorzio gives its overall rating of the vintage.
Montalcino
While people have probably lived on and around the hill of Montalcino since Etruscan times, its fame as a wine producer is relatively recent. In the Middle Ages it was on the Via Francigena pilgrimage route between Canterbury and Rome, and was best known for its tanneries, shoes and leather goods.
Brunello
Red wines of good quality have been produced in the area for centuries, but it wasn’t until the late 19th century that the Brunello di Montalcino we know today was born. Until that time, the red wines were a blend of local grapes, much like Chianti is today.
Ferruccio Biondi-Santi worked with the various clones of Sangiovese, and by the 1880’s had singled out one that would make excellent wines without being blending. He bottled the first vintage in 1888 and is credited as the inventor of Brunello di Montalcino.
The climate here is also hotter and dryer than in most regions of Tuscany. This allows the grapes to reach full maturity to produce fuller bodied, more tannic wines that are capable of aging for decades.
Food Pairings
Typical food pairings with Brunello are red meat dishes (even with intense sauces), mushrooms and truffles, wild boar and other game such as hare, and full flavored aged parmesan or local pecorino cheeses.
2005
Back to Benvenuto Brunello, I found a wide variety in character and quality among the producers. 2005 was a challenging year weather wise, so it’s important to go with the top producers who managed the difficult weather conditions the best. Early summer was dry and warm, but rains hit in mid August and the cooler weather made ripening difficult and uneven. I especially enjoyed the wines of Podere San Lorenzo, Vasco Sassetti, Fuligni, and Lisini. The Consorzio awarded four out of the possible five stars to the 2005s.
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