The tasting organised by the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino at their office offered 64 labels. However, tastings are always enhanced by personal visits and based on the tastings of 44 wines at the Consorzio; Subhash Arora opted to visit the following wineries and report:
Capanna, Coldisole, Biondi Santi, Banfi, Fattoria dei Barbi, Tenute Silvio Nardi, Castelli Martinozzi, Tenuta Friggiali and Donna Olga, Poggio de Sotto, Caparzo
and a drive-in visit to Fuligni. Here is the account of what I saw, sipped and spat:
Capanna
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| Cencioni in theCapanna Cellar |
Owned and run by Patrizio Cencioni, the new President of the Consorzio; he was the vice president when the President decided to resign on July 9th and was elected to the post on July 12th. The small winery produces Rosso which is aged for 2 years where most others do it for a year. Therefore, the 2007 is not out yet.
The wine will be ready to drink in 3-4 years and has an expected life of 10 years. The full bodied Rosso 2006 was still austere, though quite spicy and full bodied. Surprisingly, a bottle his son, Amedeo told me had been opened for 4 days was still quite fresh and lively to drink.
The 2003 Brunello was well structured, strongly tannic, and was full on the mouthfeel. The 2000 Riserva was excellent though it would still need a few more years to give out its best. Very concentrated fruit and complex flavours in that wine.
They produce 70,000 bottles out of which almost 25-30,000 each are Brunello and Rosso. 5-8,000 bottles of Moscadello and the balance small quantities of Sant'Antimo
complete their portfolio.
Coldisole
Owned by a passionate businessman Lionello Marchesi, the winery produces only Brunello, Riserva and Rosso. With a vineyard acreage of only 6 h/A the winery is perhaps not well suited to serve the Indian market. The wines also were not fresh and crisp or exciting.
The owning winery Castello di Monastero is perhaps concentrating more on their Chianti Classico production in Castelnuovo Berardenga.
For more info, visit www.castellodimonastero.com
Biondi Santi
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| Franco Biondi Santi |
This is undisputedly the 'First Winery' of Montalcino with Ferruccio Biondi Santi who created the Brunello wine in 1888 would be the 'Father of Brunello'. Many clones of Brunello (a nick name for Brunette, popularly known as Grosso in the area) were created by this winery. BBS 11 is the Sangiovese clone created by the family and is still used by many other producers as well.
If Ferruccio created Brunello, his son Tancredi Biondi Santi improved the production to perfection. He is also credited as being one of the architects who developed the Standards for the Appellation of Brunello di Montalcino when it was formed in 1967.
Franco Biondi Santi is the grandson who is maintaining oenological tradition of the family and with whom our group had the pleasure of tasting his wines. That Brunello is truly an age-worthy wine can be gauged from the cellar which Franco unlocked for us. Bottles of 1888 and 1891 were still alive and resting in his private, traditional cellar.
The winery is very traditional too. He makes Riservas in exceptional years, the recent ones being 2001, 1999, '98,'97,'95 and '90. The prices are commensurate with the quality and brand equity. While the '03 retails for around €68 at the cellar door, the 2001 Riserva sells for € 260. If you think that is expensive, you would gasp for breath, knowing that a few 1945s are still being sold in the market for the princely sum of € 5000 a bottle!
The Rosso from Biondi Santi are expected to last 10-12 years, the Annata (regular Brunello) ages fro 20-30 years whereas the Riserva is normally meant for 70-80 years and sometimes up to 100 years. The winery does re-corking every June at cost.
Earlier this year on June 7 re-corking was done for '55, '64, '69, '71 and '75 which were also topped up. Franco informs that the younger wines needed 9 gms while the older bottles required 25 gms due to constant evaporation.
This is truly a collector's label. The top bureaucrats, politicians and other modern day maharajas of India are the potential clients for these wines, once they know the luxury status, and brand value of these wines.
Out of the total production, 40% is exported, 30% to the US alone.
http://www.biondisanti.it/
Castello Banfi
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| Bar at Taverna Banfi |
The biggest, most powerful and modern winery owned by the American Mariani family owns 2400 hectare of land, huge from the point of view of Montalcino where the average holding of a winery is less than 10 hectares of vineyards.
Taverna Banfi is a restaurant catering to wine tourists. The charming place has a fixed course Menu and a relaxed atmosphere where one can enjoy some of Banfi's wines as well. It is usually crowded, so a reservation is highly recommended.
Of course, the apple of eye of the property is the Michelin started Ristorante Castello Banfi where you can enjoy a 5-course sampler menu for only €150 including wines (€ 90 without wines). A-la-carte is also available with each dish costing around € 30-44. I suggest you should go for the sampler menu for a rounded experience. Unfortunately it is not open for lunch so we had to do with the Taverna.
Even if you do not intend staying at the well-known guest house Il Borgo, it is well worth taking a tour. It offers 14 rooms and suites, varying in size, location and décor, all with carefully selected furnishings and fabrics, classic fixtures and luxuriant amenities. Each offers a King-sized bed, while the five designated suites are additionally furnished with a Queen-size sofa bed in a separate room. The beds in three of the rooms and one of the suites can be separated to Twin beds. The daily tariff of about €430-550 may appear but the beauty, history and comfort it offers, justifies the high coast
Conde Nest Traveler listed it as one of the Hottest New Hotels of the World in May 2008.
Wines from this Estate are being imported by Brindco.
http://www.castellobanfi.com/
Fattoria dei Barbi
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| Stefano Colombini dei Barbi |
Though the farm of Barbi (Barbo means mountain fish- Barbi being the plural) has been in existence since 1352; the present owners Colombini family bought it in 1790. It won its first award in 1892 from the ministry of agriculture for its red Brunello and has not looked back since.
The winery was being run actively till recently by Francesca Cinelli Colombini who has given the ownership to her son Stefano, a traditional winemaker but with a lot of respect for the technological improvements. (Her daughter Donatella owns the other winery named Donatella Cinelli Colombini).
The winery produces about 700,000 bottles Brusco IGT being a great value for money wine. A full bodied wine with fruity and spicy flavours, it can be enjoyed for daily drinking. Of course, it produces the Rosso, Brunello, and Riserva in special years.
Vigna del Fiore is a single vineyard special Brunello which was a Riserva till 1995. It is produced in very small quantity of maximum of 13000 bottles a year it is made. The 2001 we tasted as a part of vertical tasting of 2001, 1993, '91 and '83 comes from a hot vintage when it was extremely hot during the day and nights were cool. It has light dryness on the palate. The acidity gives lightness to the wine and makes it fresh and age-worthy. It was very concentrated wine with rounded tannins that require food with red meats as counterweight.
The 1993 had a very acidic backbone with complex perfumes and flavour while 1991 was still high on tannins but it would be a great food wine. I personally did not care for the 1983 because of too meaty a bouquet. Its high costs of €260 did not influence me to convert into a fan.
This winery is a tourists' and wine-lovers' delight. It has a restaurant, museum, free guided tours six times a day followed by complimentary guided tastings and even an agriturismo where one can find rooms to rent- currently undergoing renovation. The renovated Barbi's Tavern next to the winery serves local Montalcino and Tuscan cuisine. Sitting outside, soaking in the view of the valley across is a bonus.
Undoubtedly, a popular winery with the importers and surely will be a darling when it makes its present in the 5-star properties across India.
http://www.fattoriadeibarbi.it/
Tenute Silvio Nardi
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| Emilia of Tenute Silvio Nardi |
This winery is yet another example of an outsider driving into the wine country, falling in love with the place and having the passion of making wine take over with time. The current owner Emilia Silvio Nardi is a known and respected name despite her being a woman, a discriminated gender even in Italy till recent years. Her father came to Montalcino in 1955 for a visit and fell in love with the place. He bought land which totals 1400 h/As out of which 80 a/As are Brunello vineyards.
Since 1985, she has been running the winery zealously.' We have 25 different types of soils on our property including totally different characteristics and the North side totally differs from the South side, giving totally different characteristics,' says Emilia. Weather is quite important too. 'We are always looking up at the sky. Every year is different. We try to harvest when phenolic maturity is at its best.' She tries to keep low clusters- 8 to a vine for Brunello whereas Rosso may have 10-12.
'People did not take me seriously as a winemaker when I was young and active,' she says with disdain. ' I haven't been to university for oenology but at the age of 42 I decided to do my executive MBA', when she lived in Trieste. Well settled and respected now she divides her time by being 3 days at the winery and 2 days as the housewife with her family.
At her Estate in Casale del Bosco, over dinner where we had Rosso 2006 and Brunello 2003 and 2001, she was candid in telling us how an Indian importer (known to us) had bought a sample shipment and never paid her for it. Fortunately, the amount was small- €1500, adding philosophically that 'there are such people in the market in every country,' she said, adding that she is keen to work with a genuine importer in India. Many importers showed keen interest in her wines.
Manachiara, a "cru" created from a specially vinified selection of the finest grapes from a designated vineyard within the estate properties is entirely her creation and is a specialty wine from the estate.
http://www.tenutenardi.com/
Castelli Martinozzi
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| Family of Castelli Martinozzi |
A small family owned vineyard with only 12 h/A of estate, it had won a silver medal in 1892 in a competition. Barely producing 10,000 bottles each of Brunello and Rosso, the family is working in the winery, Nicoló D'Afflitto, is the consultant winemaker who also works with Frescobaldi, and Dei in Montepulciano. The interesting story about the winery is that for three months it was occupied by the German Gestapo during the Second World War when the garden used to be full of German trucks.
It is situated near the Santa Restituta winery owned by Angelo Gaja. An old family Chapel says it all about the history of the family. Right inside the woods surrounding the farms one can see the remains of an Etruscan road which was build perhaps 3000 years ago, from Florence to the Maremma area near the sea on the Western side of Tuscany.
Cesare Castelli runs the fourteenth century farm with the help of his daughters Cristina and Alessandra and nephew Federico.
The Rosso 2004 tasted was a fresh and elegant wine with good balance- an outstanding wine, better than the 2005 and 2006 which were quite palatable, but not as elegant.
The 1995 was perhaps one of the best Brunellos I tasted during the trip. With a perfect balance, I could not resist noting 5/5 for this concentrated and balanced wine with plenty of fruit, spicy nose, silky tannins and a long, complex end.
Due to its small size, it may not be easy to import this wine into India but it is one winery which shows the passion, dedication and commitment the small growers of Italy can possess.
http://www.castellimartinozzi.com/en/main.htm
Tenuta Friggiali
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| Tasting Room of Tenuta Friggiali |
Women producers seem to be doing quite well in Montalcino, at least at the present time. We visit another winery run by Donna Olga who has several wineries including Tenuta Friggiali and Tenuta Pietranera which are owned by her Agricola Centolani.
Touted as one of the top 10 wineries of Montalcino, it is a big, modern winery with all the opulence that can go with it. A special emphasis is place on the branding and labelling with fancy labels carrying silver and gold coatings for various labels.
Rosso 2006 we taste is not only a decent priced wine, it has a good balance, is young and fruity. But the Rosso 2006 Pietranera is better perfumed, has nicer tannic structure and fresh acidity backbone, making it a more enjoyable and age-worthy wine.
Loggio 2004 IGT made from 80% Sangiovese, 12% Merlot and 8% Cabernet is a darker coloured, full bodied wine with spicy aromas and a peppery and pleasant flavour with a lasting impression on the palate.
We also taste the 2003 Brunello Friggiali and the Pietranera which still seem to be closed. However, Donna Olga 2003 has silky tannins and a great balance, showing better structure and flavours than the previous two Brunellos- an outstanding wine, that.
Ricardo Cotarella, the famous Tuscan winemaker consultant gives his name and hand to the wines which are highly awarded wines.
The estate also runs an agri-turismo where one can get a double room for as low as € 95 a night with breakfast.
http://www.tenutafriggialiepietranera.it
http://www.tenutedonnaolga.it/
Poggio di Sotti
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| Vineyard of Poggio di Sotti |
Owned by Elizabeth and Piero Palmucci this 20-year old winery is situated in Castelnuovo dell 'Abate, near the medieval abbey of Sant'Antimo.
Collaboration with the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Milan, helped planting proper vines selecting most suitable clones of Sangiovese and proper density of vines per hectare.
Giulio Gambelli, a famous Tuscan winemaker and consultant has been associated with the project from the beginning.
'Our Brunello needs long years of maturation in the barrels in order to allow all the aromas and the other organoleptic components of the Sangiovese to expand and evolve in the most natural and harmonious way and to ultimately reveal all its original and unique characteristics,' says Palmucci who believes his Rosso is better than 80% of the Brunello produced in the area.
The 2005 Rosso was brilliant ruby red colour, clear and clean wine with plenty of bouquet and flavours-almost crafted to perfection. It has spent two years in casks. It will last longer than other's Rossos, believes Palmucci, who feels that it will last for 10-15 years and is best to drink in 2010-12.
To maintain the natural expressiveness of the Brunello, Palmucci uses no outside agents and uses the yeast of the grapes only; neither does he filter his wines.
The 2003 Brunello spends 2 years in oak barrels but all 5 years are spent in oak casks. Flavour of black cherries is evident. It is a Balanced and very spicy wine. Acidic backbone makes it fresh and drinkable right now. According to Palmucci, it is drinkable right now and will last for at least in 20 years.
Here again the 1995 was simply superb and deserved the 5/5 it got.
Piero is not a protagonist for decanting. He feels Giulio has a perfect palate for tasting and he suggest wines to be drunk by opening the bottle the night before.
Wine making prowess of this passionate producer was recognized when he won an Oscar in wine for 2007 in the red wine category. His wines have been getting vey high scores from Robert Parker.
http://www.poggiodisotto.com
Tenuta Caparzo
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| Tenuta Caparzo vines |
Here is yet another woman who is making her gender proud for the entrepreneurial and management capabilities. Elisabetta Gnudi Angelini who also owns Altesino Estate next door making high quality wines, produces not only red wines but very palatable white wines as well as we found out at a long tasting session followed by dinner. The 80 h/A vineyards yield mostly Sangiovese giving both Brunello and Rosso. They also produce Sant'Antimo DOC wines which give a lot of freedom in choosing the grapes and style of making wine.
Le Grance with 85% Chardonnay and the balance Gewürztraminer and Sauvignon Blanc is perhaps the first white wine from Montalcino. It has flavours of dried fruits and aromas of spices- a very pleasant wine. Ca'del Pazzo (house of mad people) based on which the winery has been named too, is the red equivalent version made from Sangiovese and Cabernet.
It offers many wines including IGT, Moscadello, Brunello and Rosso etc. but their signature wine is La casa made from a single vineyard of the same name. The ' 99 is a near-perfect wine with smooth tannins, great balance, pleasant flavours and long persistent end.
http://www.caparzo.it, http://www.altesino.it
Fuligni
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| With Maria Fuligni (R) |
This 100 h/A vineyard estate is owned by Maria Flora Fuligni and her nephew Roberto Fuligni. Maria was kind enough to show us her cellar at a short notice before we took off for Rome, started our return journey. The old 18th century home in which is also housed the cellar, is quite charming-filled with antiques. Part of the residence has been renovated in the recent times making it more comfortable. The view of Montalcino hills at a higher level in the East is truly breathtaking.
The winery is very traditional. The wine is laid in 500 liter and 750 liter Slovenia oak barrels from which we sampled some of the 20054 and 2006 which was coming up slowly but surely.
http://www.fuligni.it/eng/cantina_en.html
Brunello is truly a great wine from Italy. There are over 210 producers all of which cannot be visited. Surely there are other interesting wineries we could have visited but despite the action packed programme, it was an impossible task. Perhaps, next time. A presto!
Subhash Arora
for details about all the wineries, visit http://www.consorziobrunellodimontalcino.it/
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