Opinions on wine are like noses: everyone has one. There are dedicated fans who prefer Piedmontese reds fashioned from Nebbiolo, while other Italian wine lovers claim the best rosso is made from Tuscan Sangiovese. Even among Tuscan red wine drinkers, partisans debate the relative merits of Chianti, Vino Nobile, Carmignano and Brunello di Montalcino.
In his book Tuscany and Its Wines, the eminent British writer Hugh Johnson described Brunello di Montalcino as Tuscany's biggest and boldest wine, adding that "In the lest years of the 20th century Brunello di Montalcino far outpaced Chianti in esteem; formed, one might say, its own category of Supertuscan." Johnson's oblique reference to those popular Tuscan blends ignores the fact that in Brunello di Montalcino, Sangiovese stands on its own, without the help of any other variety such as found in other Tuscan reds. In fact, Brunello is the only Tuscan Sangiovese-based red wine that is not blended with another grape.
Besides being the popular marketing name for the wine, Brunello is also the local name for Sangiovese in the Commune of Montalcino. The DOCG wine is vinified in stainless steel tanks, including 18 days of maceration on the skins, then aged for a total of four years, two of which are obligatory in oak casks, though many Brunello producers exceed the aging minimums.
How does Sangiovese show up in so many different guises in Tuscany, you might ask? Well, there is the clonal thing, where Brunello producers, led by Biondi-Santi, selected the best clone of Sangiovese and named it Brunello. But some observers say that the dry, warmer climate of southern Tuscany, especially in the delimited area of Montalcino, ripens the Brunello faster and with more intensity than Sangiovese does in other parts of Tuscany. There are also the mineral-rich soils and vineyard elevations (many in the center of the zone rise more than 1,000 feet above sea level). Whatever it is, Brunello di Montalcino stands out in Tuscany for its weight, size and depth of flavors.
When tasting a large number of Brunellos di Montalcino, you can wade in and taste them one at a time in no particular order. Or, you can group the wines according to their source location within the Montalcino zone. Picture the zone as a large circle, with the hilltop town of Montalcino more or less in the center, where the climate grows warmer and drier the further south you go. The theory, then, is that the northern one-third of the zone, with lighter soils and slightly cooler temperatures, yields lighter more aromatic wines from the Brunello clone of Sangiovese. The southern third of the zone, clustered around the smaller communes of Castelnuovo dell'Abate, San Angelo in Colle, Carmigliano and San Angelo Scalo at the southern edge of the appellation, is warmer and drier, with heavier soils, providing wines that tend to be bigger and more powerful. And those in the center one-third, spread out around Montalcino, strike a balance between the other two profiles.
True or not, I decided to test the theory in late January, when the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino presented "Benvenuto Brunello," a first-time tasting of select Brunellos in San Francisco. The event was a debut for the highly vaunted 2001 vintage, though a few producers put their 2001 Brunello on the table with the equally impressive wines from the 1999 vintage and the less exciting Brunellos from the 2000 vintage. The Consorzio rates 1999 and 2001 vintages as excellent (4-Star), while 2000 earned a Good (3-Star) rating. This, then, is a selection of some of the Brunellos I thought that stood above the crowd:
Capana, Brunello di Montalcino (Tuscany, Italy) 2001 ($50, Villa Italia & Masciarelli Wine Co.): This wine has a deep brilliant garnet color. The aromas are fresh and forward, showing hints of ripe red fruits and spice. The tannins are refined and firm, and though this Brunello is a little tight right now, it shows great depth and promise. 90
Siro Pacenti, Brunello di Montalcino (Tuscany, Italy) 2001 ($80, Diamond Wine Merchants): This shows medium ruby color, with a fragrant cherry aroma and spicy French oak back notes. The supple flavors are packed with fruit and crisp acidity. This is a nicely integrated, refined wine with good length. 92
Tenuta Caparzo, Brunello di Montalcino (Tuscany, Italy) 2000 ($50, Henry Wine Group): Brilliant medium ruby color. The nose is a little shy but showing black cherry and spice accents. On the palate, there is medium fruit, spicy and gamy notes, supported by firm but not heavy tannins. The finish is long and refined. 90
Tenute Silvio Nardi, Brunello di Montalcino (Tuscany, Italy) 2001 ($58, Kobrand): Brilliant ruby color. The aroma is forward blackberry and spice with subtle mineral back notes. Blackberry and spice notes are dominant in this complex, but refined Brunello. 90
Tenute Silvio Nardi, Brunello di Montalcino (Tuscany, Italy) Manachiara 2001 ($90, Kobrand): Here is a deep, brooding, single vineyard Brunello with layers of juicy fruit, big tannins and great length. Although not yet ready to drink, this concentrated Brunello shows strong promise. 92
Fattoria dei Barbi, Brunello di Montalcino (Tuscany, Italy) 2001 ($42, Wine Wave Inc.): Medium-deep ruby color. The nose is slightly closed but showing traces of black fruits, with earthy back notes. Textured and rustic, the flavors are full of blackberry and spice, supported by big tannins. Barbi Brunello is the complete package, though not yet showing its full promise. 94
Conti Costanti, Brunello di Montalcino (Tuscany, Italy) 2001 ($65, Empson USA, Inc.): Deep ruby color. The ripe berry nose is inviting, with forward blackberry accents and an earthy-gamy back note. The flavors are tight but with good fruit and earthy notes, brisk acidity, and firm tannins. This shows an admirable level of restraint. 89
Fattoi, Brunello di Montalcino (Tuscany, Italy) 2001 ($55, Tricana Imports): Very deep inky color. Forward, expanding blackberry and spice aromas dominate the palate, supported with firm tannins and bracing acidity. Although it has length and structure, the overall impression is a little simple. 88
Poggio San Polo, Brunello di Montalcino (Tuscany, Italy) 2000 ($52, Dalla Terra): Bright medium ruby color. Deep layered cherry-berry nose with traces of minerals. The flavors are rich and balanced with bright cherry-berry notes, refined tannins, and good length through the finish. 89
Castello Banfi, Brunello di Montalcino (Tuscany, Italy) 2001 ($65, Banfi): The color of this wine is deep, almost opaque. Ripe dark fruits with mineral and spice accents distinguish the nose. The flavors are richly textured, soft and supple with good length and firm tannins. This is a powerful wine that shows very good promise. 92
La Colombina, Brunello di Montalcino (Tuscany, Italy) 2001 ($48, Liquid Assets Group Imports): Very deep ruby color. Forward, spicy French oak nose, blackberry and mineral aromatics follow onto the palate, where they are joined by a subtle gamy note. This big Brunello has firm structure and great depth and length. 90
Col d'Orcia, Brunello di Montalcino (Tuscany, Italy) 2001 ($45, Palm Bay Imports): Deep ruby garnet color leads to a fresh berry aroma with hints of sweet spice. Tight and slightly closed, the layered blackberry flavors are nicely supported by good acidity and tannins. It's a powerhouse, but the wine drinks nicely now and will gain in complexity and finesse with more time in the bottle. 89
Lisini, Brunello di Montalcino (Tuscany, Italy) 2001 ($55, Empson USA, Inc.): Very deep in color, this shows a dense, layered nose, with blackberry and mineral notes. Firm in structure, with layered fruit, creamy texture, and good length and balance through the finish. 90
Summing Up: It is unfortunate that some of the big names and admired newcomers from the Consorzio del Vino di Montalcino (such as Biondi-Santi and Frescobaldi's Castelgiocondo and Le Macioche) did not show their wines at "Benvenuto Brunello." It is only possible to arrive at definitive conclusions regarding the quality of a specific vintage by means of a truly comprehensive horizontal tasting. Nevertheless, this tasting certainly did establish the fact that Brunello producers are sending a lot of deeply delicious juice in our direction.
