History of Montalcino Before the 1880s, Montalcino was known for sweet wines made from the Muscadello grape (a little Moscadello di Montalcino is still made). When the vineyards were attacked by oidium, they were replanted with Sangiovese (resistant to oidium and already used in neighboring Chianti and Montepulciano). Brunello di Montalcino dates from 1890, but through the 1920s there were only four producers bottling wine under its name ( Biondi Santi, Colombini, Franceschi and Angelini). Phylloxera in 1930 devastated the vineyards. The first regulations describing the region were promulgated in 1932, but through the 1950s there were fewer than 15 producers. The wines of its most famous producer, Biondi-Santi, have long been well known, but as recently as the 1950s other producers most often bottled their wine as Chianti Colli Senesi. In the 1970s, Chianti Classico was well established, but land in Montalcino still sold cheaply, reflecting the lack of reputation. Brunello di Montalcino was delineated as a DOC in 1966, and was revived only in the 1970s, when new investments were made. In 1980, it was the first region in Italy to become a DOCG. Montalcino presently has four DOC wines, of which Brunello is the most important. Brunello di Montalcino has now far outstripped Chianti on the international market, being the only traditional wine of Tuscany to vie with price level of the Super-Tuscans.
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.
Appellations in Montalcino Brunello di Montalcino must be 100% Sangiovese. This is the same varietal that is the basis for Chianti, but here it cannot be blended with any other varietal. The typical grape is a different clone (Sangiovese Grosso) from that used in Chianti. The wine has more weight and longevity, due not only to the clone but also to differences in terroir and climate: the soil has more limestone and sand, Montalcino is slightly warmer and drier, and the elevations of the vineyards tend to be lower.
Rosso di Montalcino is also made from Sangiovese, but is a much lighter wine, aged for only one year, and intended for early consumption. rosso di Montalcino performs the role of a second label for the Brunello for many producers. It must be aged for one year in any type of container. Producers can adjust what proportion of wine goes into Rosso versus Brunello according to the vintage, so like any second label, the existence of Rosso di Montalcino improves the quality of Brunello di Montalcino. Warm summers in the last ten years have made over-ripeness of grapes a problem.
Moscadello di Montalcino is a white wine made from the Moscadello (Muscat) grape.
The Sant'AntimoDOC was created in 1996 to allow more flexibility in wine production in Montalcino by allowing the use of grapes and conditions other than those for Brunello or Rosso (exclusively Sangiovese) or Moscadello. Sant'Antimo is a wide denomination which covers both red and white wines. A red Sant'Antimo can be made of varieties such as Cabernet, Merlot or Pinot Nero, or a white Sant'Antimo can combine varieties of Chardonnay, Sauvignon and Pinot Grigio. The red wine can also be produced as Novello. A Sant'Antimo Vin Santo can also be produced from white grapes and the Sant'Antimo Vin Santo Occhio Di Pernice from red grapes. The Sant'Animo DOC is a catch-all that allows producers of Brunello to have an alternative to make a wine including more international varietals or to use different conditions from those specified for Brunello. There is therefore great variety in the types of wine that have the Sant'Animo classification.
Viticulture in Montalcino The most widely used training system is the cordone speronato, which involves short pruning (to two buds) at the crown of the rootstock. A modified Guyot, locally called archetto, is also used, with a single shoot pruned to 6 to 10 buds.
The North-South divide in Montalcino The terroir is quite varied. The region is divided into two parts: to the North is the original region; plantings in the South are more recent. Regions to the North and East are high in clay and volcanic soils, the West (where there are fewer vineyards) the soil is chalkier, with more gravel and marl, and to the South there is a high proportion of calcareous soils (known locally as galestro) resembling those of Chianti. The climate of the Northern half resembles that of Chianti, milder and wetter than the Southern part, which has a warmer and drier climate. The grapes ripen more slowly in the Northern and higher altitude vineyards close to the town of Montalcino (where there is greater diurnal temperature variation), and produce aromatic wines of greater finesse than those from the Southern slopes, which tend to be fuller and richer. There is some dispute (especially by producers with more Northern vineyards) as to whether they are truly characteristic of Brunello. Many producers blend from among different soil types, although (following the general trend) there are now more Brunellos designated from single 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.
Sangiovese overview Sangiovese is grown almost exclusively in Tuscany, where it is the basis of the wines of Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino. The clone(s) used in Montalcino are considered to be of higher quality than others. The combination of high acidity and often aggressive tannins has led to blending with other, often softer varieties, except in Brunello di Montalcino where it is vinified as a monovarietal) in the past in Chianti, the blending grapes even included some white varieties.
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 Montalcinoappellation. 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.
