Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/133302
PHOTO COURTESY OF CONSORZIO DEL VINO BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO Il Poggione's Fabrizio Bindocci, President of the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino. PHOTO COURTESY OF COL D'ORCIA PHOTO COURTESY OF COL D'ORCIA PHOTO: A. BROOKSHAW, COURTESY OF BANFI VINTNERS Mura estate on the southern edge of Montalcino in the 1970s and, over the next 30 years, transformed it into one of the grand estates in Tuscany. "And if 1990 proved that Brunello was a world class wine, 1997, widely regarded as the defining vintage of recent times for Brunello, launched us into the stratosphere." Banfi's commitment to Brunello has not simply been in real estate and bottles produced; they have also done vast clonal research and voluntarily shared that knowledge with all Brunello producers. "Brunello is one of the flagship wines of Italy," adds Mariani-May, "and we aim to keep it that way. Whatever we at Banfi can do to help the area become more understood from a production standpoint, we share with the hopes that things move forward for everyone." As with so many winemaking regions in the world, with recognition came the inevitable growth. There are now more than 8 million bottles of classified Brunello produced annually by 258 producers. Yet for all that growth, its producers are fiercely protective of Brunello's legacy, and relentlessly strive to maintain its uniqueness. "One of the best ways to define Brunello, is to realize that it is the only Sangiovese-based wine in Tuscany mandated to be always and only 100 percent made from Sangiovese," says Il Poggione's Fabrizio Bindocci, President of the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino, the governing body for Brunello production, whose job it is to oversee the strict regulations set forth to maintain the wine's quality and integrity. "And while the style may vary a bit from producer to producer, from a more traditional style to a more modern style, it still must spend a minimum of two years in wood, and can't be released for four years after harvest. And it is still unmistakably Brunello." So what of the differing factions of Brunello production, the traditional versus the modern, more extracted styles? "I think it may be leaning back towards traditional," states Stefano Campatelli, Director of the Consorzio. "But first you have to talk about what traditional means. Traditional today means something different than it did 30 years ago. Winemakers across the board have adopted different techniques, like a move towards smaller barrels, changing barrels more frequently and using new wood more often. That creates a different wine from those of the past, so the paradigm shifts a bit and traditional Brunello as a concept is more modern than it was." A sentiment shared by many, including producer Count Francesco Marone Cinzano, owner of Col d'Orcia (imported by Palm Bay International), and a past President of the Consorzio. "When my family purchased our winery in the 1970s, Brunello was different from today. There were fewer five-star vintages [the Consorzio awards a quality rating from one to five stars to each vintage based on growing conditions, harvest data and random tests of samples], less knowledge of the potential of Brunello. With a string of excellent vintages over the last decade or so, we are seeing that potential being realized." Of course, even Brunello is not immune to economic uncertainty. Banfi's Mariani-May thinks there may be some consolidation ahead, but Marone Cinzano does not. "I first thought some of the producers who jumped on the bandwagon during the land rush of the 1990s would have dropped out, but it just hasn't happened," he says. Good news for importers who focus on small-production labels like Vignaioli Selections' Dino Tantawi, whose three Brunellos total under 2,000 cases. "My Brunello sales are beating my Piedmont wines two to one. I never thought I would see that. It speaks volumes to the state of Brunello's importance." A trend not overlooked Col d'Orcia's Francesco in restaurants across the Marone Cinzano. country, as well. "I think it's a must-have," says Ben Roberts, Wine Director at Masraff's in Houston, whose award-winning list features seven Brunellos. Dan Amatuzzi, Wine Director of Eataly in New York City agrees. "Very important for us," says Amatuzzi, "I have even found some that I can pour by the glass. Maybe not the best profit margin, but it sells—and sells well." Gratifying for makers of Brunello, whose vision for their unique product and steadfast approach to making it the best has helped it become one of the world's most sought after wines. The Col d'Orcia vineyards in Montalcino's rolling hills. june 2013 / the tasting panel / 157 TP0613_120-156.indd 157 5/23/13 4:57 PM