Brunello di Montalcino (Italy)
Brunello di Montalcino DOCG is a red wine from Montalcino in Tuscany.
It is made from 100% Sangiovese grapes.
Typical Flavors
 Red Cherry |
 Strawberry |
 Raspberry |
 Cranberry |
 Blackberry |
 Black Cherry |
 Plum |
 Tomato |
 Herbs |
 Violets |
 Spices |
 Tea Leaves |
Oak Added Flavors:
 Vanilla |
 Coffee |
 Cinnamon |
 Tobacco |
Red Cherries and Wild Berries are typical Brunello di Montalcino flavors.
With aging, Darker Berries, Sweeter Cherry, Plum, and Herb flavors are added.
Hints of Flowers (Violets), Licorice, Spices, Tea, and Minerals.
Profile
Brunello di Montalcino is known to have good power and fullness, juicy fruits and soft tannins:
| BODY | Medium - Full | ||
| TANNINS | Medium - Plus | ||
| FRUIT | Medium - Plus | ||
| ACIDITY | Medium - Plus | ||
| |||
Food Pairing
 Pasta |
 Risotto |
 Ham |
 Salumi |
 Pizza |
 Hamburger |
 Chicken |
 Turkey |
 Sausages |
 Rabbit |
 Pork |
 Wild Boar |
 Lamb |
 Veal |
 Game |
 Beef |
Brunello di Montalcino pairs well with both Italian and International food.
It loves Rich Pasta Dishes, Tomato Sauces, Stews and Mushroom Sauces.
Pairing Suggestions
Excellent Pairing:
Grilled Vegetables.
Cured Meat. Prosciutto. Salami.
Tomato Sauce. Meat Sauce.
Truffle Sauce. Mushroom Sauce.
Rich Pasta. Rich Risotto. Pasta Cabonara.
Pasta Arrabbiata. Pasta with Truffles.
Rich Pizza. Pizza Picante. Lasagna.
Poultry. Rich Chicken. Turkey. Rabbit.
Hamburger. Sausages. Veal.
Stew. Wild Boar Stew. Ox Tail Stew.
Pork (Herb Grilled).
Lamb. Lamb Chops with Rosemary).
Red Meat. Braises. Roast Beef. Game.
Cheese:
Mature Cheese.
Pecorino. Parmigiano. Asiago. Provolone.
Tuscan Specialities:
Ribollita (Hearthy Soup).
Bistecca Fiorentina (Florentine Steak).
Risotto (with Meat or Mushroom Sauce).
Polenta with Black Truffle.
Grilled Portobello Mushrooms.
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The Ideal Glass
The Bordeaux glass is perfect for medium to full bodied red wines.
It is taller than other red wine glasses, and has a slimmer bowl.
The large size of the glass allows the fruit bouquet to develop. It smooths out rough edges, plays down tannins, and allows the wines to achieve balance.
The slimmer bowl sends the wine directly to the back of the mouth for maximum taste.
DOC(G)
Brunello di Montalcino DOCG has a younger brother called Rosso di Montalcino DOC. Both come from the Tuscany region of Italy. Both are made from 100% Sangiovese.
The Rosso di Montalcino DOC classification originated in 1984 to create a fresher wine that needed less aging than Brunello di Montalcino DOCG.
The DOC is lighter and require only six months in oak and one year total aging before release.
This classification enables the producers to make money from the DOC while waiting for the DOCG wine to age.
World Famous Grapes
Sangiovese
Sangiovese is the king of Italian red grapes.
Sangiovese Regions
The Sangiovese wines from Toscana (Tuscany) are world famous.
Montalcino, Toscana | |
| Rosso di Montalcino DOC | 100% Sangiovese |
| Brunello di Montalcino DOCG | 100% Sangiovese |
Montepulciano, Toscana | |
| Rosso di Montepulciano DOC | Min 70% Sangiovese |
| Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG | Min 70% Sangiovese |
Chianti, Toscana | |
| Chianti DOCG | Min 70% Sangiovese |
| Chianti Classico DOCG | Min 80% Sangiovese |
Other Toscana Regions | |
| Montecucco Sangiovese DOCG | 90-100% Sangiovese |
| Suvereto Sangiovese DOCG | 85-100% Sangiovese |
| Morellino di Scansano DOCG | 85-100% Sangiovese |
| Carmignano DOCG | Minimum 50% Sangiovese |
Outside Toscana | |
| Montefalco DOC | 60-80% Sangiovese |
About Sangiovese
Sangiovese's homeland is Tuscany. But it is also big in Emilia-Romagna, Umbria, Marche, Lazio, Campania, and Sicily. It is the most cultivated red grape in Italy.
The name (Sanguis Jovis) is Latin for "Blood of Jupiter".
Sangiovese is thin-skinned and the color of the wine is light red.
Sangiovese wine has high acidity, high tannins, medium body and medium alcohol.
Sangiovese Clones
Based on the work of G. Molon in 1906, Sangioves has been divided in two families: the Sangiovese Grosso (big), used for making Brunello di Montalcino, and Chianti wines, and the Sangiovese Piccolo (small), used in the other zones of Tuscany.
But this classification is too simple. There are nearly 100 approved clones of Sangiovese in Italy and the are no indication that the quality can be based on the size of the grapes.
Terroir
Sangiovese loves the Galestro terroir found in most of Tuscany’s best vineyards.
Galestro was created in a deep sea which is now the Mediterranean. It is a formation of stone, mudstone, sand, and clay (not compact clay), that breaks into little pieces helping open the soil.
Toscana (Tuscany)
Toscana is famous for the city of Firenze, and red wines made from Sangiovese.
Red Wines:
Chianti
Chianti Classico
Rosso di Montalcino
Brunello di Montalcino
Rosso di Montepulciano
Nobile di Montepulciano
Montecucco Sangiovese
Morellino di Scansano
Super Tuscan:
Super Tuscan
Bolgheri Rosso
Carmignano Rosso
Suvereto Rosso
Val di Cornia Rosso
White Wines:
Rosé Wines:
Sweet Wines:
Toscana
Toscana is most famous for the majestetic city of Firenze.
On the wine side, the region is best known for the Sangiovese based red wines:
- Chianti Classico
- Brunello di Montalcino
- Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.
A copy of the Bordeaux Blend, named Super Tuscan, is also popular all over the world.
Vermentino is the best known white wine from the coastline, and Vernaccia is an internationally recognised white wine from the medieval town of San Gimignano.
On the sweet side, Vin Santo ("Holy Wine") is the national drink in Tuscany.
Toscana has 11 DOCGs:
Sangiovese:
Chianti DOCG (70% Sangiovese)
Chianti Classico DOCG (80% Sangiovese)
Brunello di Montalcino DOCG (100% Sangiovese)
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG (70% Sangiovese)
Montecucco Sangiovese DOCG (90% Sangiovese)
Morellino di Scansano DOCG (85% Sangiovese)
Super Tuscan:
Carmignano DOCG (Sangiovese, Cab Sauvignon/Franc, Merlot)
Suvereto Rosso DOCG (Cab Sauvignon, Merlot)
Val di Cornia Rosso DOCG (Sangiovese, Cab Sauvignon, Merlot)
White:
Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG (85% Vernatcha)