Terroir of Montalcino
The production area coincides with the communal territory of Montalcino, 40 km to the South of Sienna. It has circular area with a diameter of 16 km and a surface area of 24,000 ha. Local economy is agricultural, with vineyards occupying only a small proportion of the land; 50% are wooded or uncultivated, 10% is planted in olive groves, 8% consists of vineyards, of which half produce Brunello di Montalcino, with the rest consisting of other agriculture. At the center is the town of Montalcino, which is at an elevation of ~700 m. The rivers Arbia and Orcia border it on two sides, and Mount Amiata lies on the Southeast. Microenvironments are produced by slopes with different orientations and alterations in elevation. The climate is typically Mediterranean with 700 ml annual precipitation concentrated in the May, October and November. Sea breezes coming across from the coast reduce moisture levels and the threat of rot. Monte Amiata (1700 m) to the Southeast, provides a natural barrier that protects Montalcino from most climatic adversities such as sudden downpours and hail-storms. Most vineyards are located at intermediate elevations of 300-500 m., and are not affected by fog, ice, or late frost, and they get persistent winds. The combination of consistent sunshine but constant winds leads to even ripening without over-ripening. The lowest regions consist of terrain created by the deposit of alluvial material with an active stratum that is deep and quite loose. Higher elevations are enriched, by fossil material, with soils formed by the decomposition of rocks, especially marl and limestone, which are therefore less rich.

Clones of Sangiovese
There is very extensive clonal variation in Sangiovese. The major recognized division is between the clone(s) used in Montalcino, which are considered to be of higher quality, and those used elsewhere. When Sangiovese was introduced into Montalcino, Biondi-Santi identified a clone of Sangiovese in his vineyards which he named Brunello (the little brown one). Descendants of this strain still dominate the production of Brunello di Montalcino by Biondi-Santi and other producers. Sangiovese Grosso is used to describe what has been thought to be a family of clones that evolved from the original clone of Biondi-Santi. More recently, three clones have been identified at Biondi-Santi. BBS11 is thought to be the original clone. BBS4 and BBS44 are different clones. Now as many as 650 different clones have been identified in the Montalcino appellation. The other general strain is called Sangiovese piccolo, and this is more common in Chianti. Sangiovese is much influenced by terroir: it does not do well in acid, loam, or clay soils, but prefers limestone. Experimentation to develop new clones has led to some with smaller berry size which look likely to lead to improvements in the wine. Brunello di Montalcino is classically described as having savory aromas and flavors with notes of tobacco and leather, but it is generally the case that changes in winemaking have resulted in more forward, fruitier wines that can be drunk much younger than previously, irrespective of the exact location of the vineyards.

Producers in Montalcino
There are now more than 200 producers, most offering a range of wines including Brunello di Montalcino and Rosso di Montalcino. The Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino was formed in 1967 to represent the producers and to aim for improvement in quality. One factor in modernizing the region was the arrival of Villa Banfi in 1978. They purchased large tracts of land, changed the landscape extensively, established a huge modern facility, and started to produce a wide range of wines of all types (red and white, dry and sweet, still, sparkling and fortified), from dry to sweet, white to red, and still to sparkling to fortified. Although the lower quality production is to some degree resented, they have had an effect in introducing modern methods to other producers.