FIRST A BIT OF GEOGRAPHY

The region, about 40 kilometres from Siena and about the same distance from the Tuscan coast, is made up of unspoiled countryside of mainly twothirds hilly country and one-third flat land. Due to it being historically and economically almost forgotten in time from just about the medieval period, most of the villages and hamlets remain rather well preserved in an idyllic landscape jigsaw puzzled with a large percentage of woodlands, olive groves and vineyards only to be broken by the occasional farmstead, chapel or abbey.

The region, with only 15 percent taken up by vines (around 5000 acres), is roughly square, delineated by rivers with four major slopes rising to form a ridged peak. Enjoying a more Mediterranean climate than the rest of Tuscany, ie dryer and sunnier, the shallow soils and high altitudes benefit the already acid-prone Brunello grape due to strong diurnal temperatures, with a large difference between the hot dry days and cold nights, resulting in wines which no matter the ripeness level achieved maintain a strong backbone of reserve and acidity necessary for longer aging and better complexity, and creating a balance between the approachable ripe tannins people so enjoy in a wine and a more refined racy profile consummate with a thirstquenching and lengthier and silkier feel to the wines overall appreciation.

No major geological survey has been undertaken of the DOCG’s soil types, but judging from individual studies from single winemakers, the variance in soils is high - for example, the Banfi estate estimate that close to 30 types of soils can be identified in their vine holdings. Italy of course has an infamously complex and dynamic geology, shaped by mountains rising formed from ancient sea beds as a result of the African plate gate crashing into the European one forming the backbone of both the Apennine range up and down the peninsular and the Alpine range separating the country from continental Europe. Within this setting the region of Montalcino has undergone various cycles of elevation and submergence; meaning that even mountainous regions have layers of ancient sea bed interspersed with ancient alluvium as lands rose and sunk, expression as a unique wine. The region of Montalcino may seem rather unvaried as it conjures up images of gently rolling hills peppered with pines and olive groves crowned by medieval hamlets so familiar in our travels around Tuscany or as seen on wine labels up and down the region, but for one of the smallest DOCGs, Montalcino is also one of the most diverse in soils, varying altitudes, sun exposure, and microclimates belying the real state of affairs and resulting in a diversity of wines. while the middle altitude slopes and ridges have been subject to landslides of older higher altitude rock debris and erosion of glacial deposits, where the lower lands have deeper layers of more recent and deeper layers alluvium silts and soft clays.

Not every slope or ridge was subject to the same geological story and Montalcino is a testament to that as the region is pockmarked with isolated zones of differing soils even within close proximity, so neighbouring vineyards may have different soil profiles resulting in different wines. However, in broad brushstrokes, we can cautiously generalize that the higher the altitude the older the rocks and soils. Centering around the town of Montalcino itself the high-altitude vineyards are more than likely to have shallow and less fertile soils on bare rock (which counter intuitively is exactly what produces very good wine) composed of well-draining ancient Cretaceous stony gravel, schist, fossil/lime rich harder clays, and some sand. The middle slopes and ridges, diverging away from the town where a good number of vineyards are situated, have some of these mountain-laden rocks and gravels due to landslides but are more likely to have calcareous soils from the more recent Miocene and Oligocene period with layers of ancient alluvium of yellow clays. In contrast, the lower lands and valleys sporadically between these slopes have the more recently formed geological soils with deeper richer alluvium of soft clays, mud, sand, and marine sediment from the relatively younger Pleistocene and Pliocene period.

This alone results in various categories of expression of Brunello wines as each soil type results in a different style which with time and familiarity can be comfortably distinguishable upon multiple tastings. I should also say that while soil type and altitude are two of the main elements in determining a wine’s shape and feel, the various microclimates that the region enjoys ensure that while each vintage may have an overriding characteristic, for example, in a ripe balmy vintage (2016), a dry very hot vintage (2017), a cool classical vintage (2013) or a mild wet vintage (2014), you do get variations as various micro-regions, sun exposure and elevation ensure different zones have the advantage in different climatic conditions in any given year.

This February Biondi-Santi, the legendary Brunello producer, announced the release of its newest vintages of Brunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCG 2016 and Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2017. The first use of the word ‘Brunello’ dates back to the mid-19th century, when Clemente Santi won a prize for his ‘vino scelto’, made entirely from the Sangiovese Grosso varietal grown on his land in Montalcino. In 1888, his nephew, Ferruccio Biondi Santi, produced the first wine officially known as ‘Brunello di Montalcino’. Since then, the BiondiSanti name has been synonymous with excellence and is one of the world’s leading lights in the ‘Made in Italy’ movement, loved by both collectors and the most respected wine critics. In 2016, Christopher Descours’ acquisition of Biondi-Santi opened a new chapter in the company’s story with the introduction of important research and development projects both in the vineyards and the winery. These projects aim to further build on the excellence that has always been associated with Biondi-Santi.

The region of Montalcino, about 40 kilometres from Siena and about the same distance from the Tuscan coast, is made up of unspoiled countryside of mainly two-thirds hilly country and one-third flat land. Due to it being historically and economically almost forgotten in time from just about the medieval period, most of the villages and hamlets remain rather well preserved in an idyllic landscape jigsaw puzzled with a large percentage of woodlands, olive groves and vineyards only to be broken by the occasional farmstead, chapel or abbey.

Families Of Wines

However, over and above this variation, a general feel of how to distinguish and enjoy the various expressions of Brunello can be broadly and cautiously determined as follows.

The upper vineyards centred around the town itself are known for their larger more structured wines with a tannic profile that tends to be reserved in their youth. A complex mineralize inflection is the most identifiable feature over and above a more level primary fruit-centred and secondary wood and spice profile. These wines tend to be the most age-worthy and have a structure and body allowing for the largest complexity without detracting from the refinement and silky tannins that are a trademark of Brunello.

The slopes and ridges especially to the southwest of Montalcino have a family of wines which are more fragrant and exuberant with a strong secondary profile of wood, leather, baked spices nicely entwined with rich layers of fruit and some minerality. These wines tend to be a bit too ethereal in their youth but with some cellaring develop into an effervescent display of complexity both in aromas and flavours extremely enjoyable even if still quite pricey. Tertiary layers do develop with time but the overall savoury leathery streak of bitter-sweet Mediterranean herbs and gamey undertones is the chief characteristic of these wines. You get some of the finesse of the higher altitude wines, even quite classical in profile, but the general shape is more rounded.

The deeper soiled lowland vineyards tend to produce a rich flavoured, somewhat rugged without being rustic, blend of primary fruit flavours, maybe less precise or peaked - ie a mix of red fruit flavours with some tertiary clayey soft tannins in the midpalate for weighting, and depending on the winemaker's penchant for oak, a secondary profile of wood and spice may be present (although despite the trend in the 90s to over oak winemakers tend to be more subtle in its use today). These wines are more approachable in their youth and can be due to ripe tannins less racy, maybe even flabby, but are overall good value fare that fall into the pop-and-pour restaurant table variety. Notwithstanding this very generalistic division upon multiple tastings, Brunello can also be further divided into families of wines following similar patterns. Indeed various wine authors have their own theoretical or geographical divisions of the region which take into consideration other elements, however I am rather keen on discerning the various personalities of wine the 'hard way' ie slowly but surely tasting for oneself the 200-plus producers of Brunello as a long term bucket list.