Brunello di Montalcino - Modern vs Traditional

As I promised in my previous blog, I was going to continue with the Brunello theme. Last blog I gave you a bit of history regarding this wine and how it was produced. In order to have an even better understanding, it will help to visualize the area.

I realize this isn't the best map but it was the best I could do and it will help illustrate the various points I have to make. The map is in 9 quadrants. If we number them 1-9 starting with the upper left and then moving right, the middle quadrant will be quadrant 5. It is in the north-eastern corner of this quadrant where we find Biondi-Santi and Brunello's ground zero (Number 178 if you can read it).

Some boring numbers. In 1966, when Brunello became a DOC, there were 76.53 hectares planted. In 1968 the number actually fell to 56.24 hectares and was up to 74.84 hectares in 1970. By 1971 the numbers reached 156.50 hectares. Let's put that into some numbers that make more sense. In 1975, 800,000 bottles were produced by 25 estates. In 1979, they were up to 1.5 million bottles produced by 40 estates and the 1995 vintage registered 3.5 million bottles produced by 120 estates. The last figures I have (2007) show 197 estates producing Brunello. I was unable to find the current bottle production stats or hectares under vine but I can tell you that Banfi alone produces 600,000 bottles a year of their basic Brunello. What these numbers show us is the incredible growth in this area in the last 30 years.

But at what cost?

Ferruccio Biondi-Santi's Brunello was aged 4 years in large Slovenian oak casks then 2 or 3 years in the bottle. With all these new producers starting up, they decided to change the aging requirements to help them out. So in 1980, when Brunello became the first DOCG in Italy, the aging requirements changed from 4 years in oak to 3 1/2. The bottle aging remained. Today's DOCG aging rules for Brunello are minimum 2 years (3 years for Riserva) in oak of any type or size, followed by a minimum 4 months (6 months for Riserva) of bottle aging. The wine cannot be sold until January 1st, 5 years following harvest (6 years for Riserva). So right now you can purchase 2004 Brunellos. You'll have to wait until January 2010 for the 2004 Riservas.

With the increasing amount of Brunello plantings, the growing area got progressively larger. The areas in quadrants 8 & 9 are much warmer areas than that of quadrant 5 and the wines produced there have little in common with the original. Wines from the southern areas typically have lower acidity and higher alcohol and colour concentration. This combination does not make for long aging potential. Also, the newer and larger estates use meccanized equipment for harvesting. However there are still many estates that still do everything by hand.

In the aging requirements I mentioned oak of any type and size. Traditionally Brunello was aged in large Slovenian oak (pictured left), not small French oak barriques. A barrique holds 225 litres or 300 bottles and is the most common used barrel in winemaking (below right). The reason for the large Slovenian oak cask is that Sangiovese doesn't need all the characteristics that the smaller barrique imparts into the wine. In fact, it can be a hinderance to the wine. That said however, in those warmer southern areas mentioned above, the barrique can be beneficial. It can help balance out what the grape is lacking naturally.

So what does all of this mean to you the wine consumer? When you go into a wine shop and ask for a Brunello, you may be asked if you prefer a traditional style or modern style wine. Traditional is aged in the large Slovenian oak and modern in barrique. Ultimately, both are quality wines it's just a matter of what you prefer. There is an unfortunate trend upon us right now to homogenize wines. What I mean by this is that many wines are starting to taste the same. It's becoming increasingly difficult to differentiate between Old World and New World wines. The marketplace has a preference for easier drinking, fruit forward wines and that is what's being produced. Nothing wrong with it but I'm just scared that we will start losing individuality in wine. I want to taste the difference in my wines. I like that Sangiovese from Tuscany tastes different than something from California.

So what are some Brunello producers to look for. A quick check of the BC Liquor Store website shows many quality producers available. It just comes down to price. Altesino, Angelini Val Di Suga, Donatella Cinelli Colombini, Poggio Antico, Silvio Nardi are all good. Not to mention the Banfi, Antinori and Frescobaldi offerings. If you happen into a good wine shop such as Marquis Wine Cellar or Everything Wine in North Van, ask about Brunellos by Tiezzi, Sesti and Argiano. Tiezzi's vineyards are located right outside the walls of the town of Montalcino (number 50 on the map) and are made in a traditional style. Sesti and Argiano are further south (numbers 89 and 23 respectively, quadrant 7). Sesti is very small compared with Argiano which is owned by the same family that owns Campari. If you want to drink the wine wine now, I would buy the oldest vintage you can find. 1998, 1999, 2001 and 2003 were all excellent years but not as outstanding as 1995, 1997 and 2004. The better the vintage the higher the price. 2002 was considered fair and 2000 slightly better. Those vintages should cost considerably less.

If you want to try a wine from this area but don't want to spend the money on a Brunello, try a Rosso di Montalcino. Most Brunello producers make a Rosso which is the same grape varietal as Brunello but isn't aged as long. This DOC wine was created to help producers get a quicker return on their investments while waiting for their Brunellos to age. A really good value for the money.

Now go out and drink some Brunello and impress your friends will all your new-found knowledge.

Brunello di Montalcino - A History

I spent last weekend visiting the Montalcino area. Montalcino is a town in Southern Tuscany and is famous for the wine made from Sangiovese Grosso, Brunello di Montalcino.

I spent an intense 3 days touring vineyards and tasting the wines (in 4" heels by the way). I was laying the groundwork for a wine tour that I am hoping to put together. I have so much info to share that I think I'll divide it into a few blogs. I want to start at the beginning and tell you how Brunello came to be.

This area of Tuscany (like many others) was made up of people who worked the land for survival. In the 1700's , a man named Tullio Canali built a villa in an agricultural zone a kilometer and a half from the town of Montalcino. This area was known as Greppo. Tullio's daughter Petronilla, married Luigi Santi and they had 2 sons, Tullio and Clemente. Tullio Jr, became the first mayor of Montalcino after the unification of Italy while Clemente became a pharmacist. Clemente dedicated most of his time to the villa's agricultural endevours especially the vineyards. His love of the land and his knowledge of science and chemistry helped him become a first class enologist. He was a true pioneer and won many awards for his wines. His daughter, Caterina Santi, married Jacopo Biondi and their son Ferruccio inherited his maternal grandfather's passion for the land and wine. As a tribute to his grandfather, he joined the family names and became Ferruccio Biondi-Santi. It was Ferruccio who started making wine of 100% Sangiovese, the first Brunellos. His wines were very full bodied. Without knowing it, he started a new chapter not only for Italian wines but for the town of Montalcino.

Ferrucio's son Tancredi inherited the land and his father's passion for the wines made there. Not to mention, all his dad's wine making secrets. Tancredi realized how extraordinary the wines made by his father were and how well they aged. The proof was in the cellar which held the 1888 and 1891 vintages. Tancredi's decision to preserve the old vintages and to only make Riservas in the best years helped show the world how truly amazing this wine was. Tancredi had 3 children, Tedina, Franco and Fiorella. It is Franco who carries on the family tradition.

Dr. Franco Biondi-Santi is currently 87 years old. He is a very regal man. The wine world in general and Montalcino in particular are very much in his debt. There is no way that I can recount all of his acheivements in this blog. For the real keeners reading, I will recommend a book. Franco Biondi Santi, The Gentleman of Brunello by Kerin O'Keefe. It's not a big book but very well written and informative. I was very fortunate during my visit to meet and chat with him. It was at his insistance that I also got to taste a 1998 Brunello.

Here's a few fun facts about Brunello.

1932 - Italy officially recognizes that Brunello is a creation of Dr. Ferruccio Biondi-Santi.

1944 - Second World War. To protect the old Brunello Riservas, Tancredi and Franco hide them in cellars underneath Montalcino. Sealing them off by building a brick wall to hide them. Tancredi figured that the passing armies would either drink them or steal them.

1966 - Brunello is granted DOC status. It is with Tancredi's guidance that the rules for the wine are formed.

1970 - Tancredi passes away. At this time, his Brunello is the most sought after and expensive in all of Italy.

1970 - The start of clone selections for Sangiovese at the Greppo. These clones are labelled BBS, Brunello Biondi Santi.

1990 - Franco founds an environmental group for Montalcino to prevent a huge garbage dump from being placed in Montalcino. This dump would be 200 meters from the Brunello vines. After 6 years, he is victorious.

1994 - Vertical Tasting. 16 journalists are invited to to taste 100 years of Brunello Riservas (from 1988 to 1888). The highest points went to the 1891 vintage.

1999 - Wine Spectator names Biondi-Santi's 1955 Riserva as one of the 12 best wines produced, in the world, in the 20th Century.

2004 - Biondi-Santi's logo is added to the list of the best 'Made In Italy' logos. Others include Ferrari, Gucci, Ferragamo, Versace, Fendi, Valentino and Bulgari.

Ok. So after all that, let's talk about the wine. Brunello as invented by Ferruccio was supposed to age 4 years before being released. The Riservas 5 years. The first 3 (or 4 in the case of Riservas) were to be in large casks of Slovenian oak, the remaining year in the bottle. To this very day that is how the Brunellos of Biondi-Santi are made. And their price tag reflects that. In all honesty, you shouldn't even consider drinking one until it's 25 years old. I purchased a 2004 and I plan on holding it for at least 20 years. The 2004 Riservas won't be out until next year. In Biondi-Santi's cellar, they still have 4 casks that Ferruccio purchased. They are over 100 years old and every wine produced spends at least 6 months in them.

Coming up, I'll will continue with my Brunello blog. I'll talk about modern vs traditional styles of Brunello and introduce you to some producers whose wines I really enjoyed. Plus, I'll also talk about the Rosato wines made in the area.

Stay tuned.

Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival

I had never attended the Playhouse Wine Festival before this year. I have been to many other similar events and as a general rule, I'm not a big fan of large wine tasting events. It reminds me of a cattle call. And to be fair, I haven't usually been in town to attend it.

This year I decided to take advantage of the fact that I was in town during the event. I was invited to some private tasting suites and I signed up for 3 wine seminars. I even joined the herd on the main tasting floor.

I attended 3 seminars on Saturday, Vinho Verde, Blind Blind and Century Mark. Blind Blind was a double blind wine tasting. Not only did we not know what wines we were drinking, we were also blindfolded. The idea being that taking away one sense heightens the others. Now as I've previously mentioned, I suck at blind wine tasting. This was a great seminar for me to work on my skills. Having just got back into town on Thursday night I hadn't had a chance yet to start building on my nose encyclopedia but I am happy to report that I did get 2 of the 10 wines right. And by right I guessed what grape varietal they were. Baby steps.

During the Century Mark seminar we tasted 9 wines all from vines that are over 100 years old. The vines are over 100 years old not the bottles of wine. These wines are produced in limited quantities because vines that old have small yields meaning they don't produce a lot of grapes. The wines were very dark and rich. I wish they would have given us some cheese during the tasting because these wines are so intense that a bite of cheese would have made a big difference towards the enjoyment of them.

But the seminar I enjoyed the most was Vinho Verde. Vinho Verde is a white Portugese wine. This was my a-ha moment. One of my goals with this blog is to introduce people to good quality wines that don't cost a fortune. Vinho Verde is one of those wines. You all know how I feel about Critter Wines, well I have found the exception to the rule. Vinho Verde Gatao (there's a blue cat on the label). This is an awesome wine. Once the weather warms up, it will be great to sip on the patio by itself or with a wide variety of appetizers. During the seminar there were snacks provided by the chef of the convention center so we got to try the wines with various foods. There is a huge Asian influence in Vancouver's cuisine and it's often hard to find wines to work with all the complex spices. Typically Rieslings have been the go to wine for Asian food as well as Sauvignon Blanc. The Vinho Verde wines were amazing with the Asian spices. The other two wines that stood out were Arco Nova Rose 2007 and Arco Nova Loureiro 2007. We tasted 6 wines and they were all fabulous and all under $20. The problem is that 3 of them aren't available yet. You can get Gatao at the BC Liquor Store for $10.99. The Arco Nova wines are available at Everything Wine in North Vancouver. If you are in North Van, it's worth a trip to Everything Wine to pick these wines up. The Rose' worked so well with all the snacks we tried. I was told that if you bought them by the case you got a $2/bottle discount off the listed price. Well worth it because once you have these wines at home, they will be gone quickly.

Aside from the great wines tasted during the seminars, I really need to comment on how excellent the events were run. The people they had running the seminars and on all the panels were fabulous. They made each event very enjoyable. I can't wait until next year so I can attend more seminars.

It made me very proud to be a Vancouverite. Many people from all over the world come to this event. This wine festival is really world class.

The Court of Master Sommeliers

I recently returned from Orlando Florida where I was writing some exams for the Court of Master Sommeliers. I am a sommelier with the Federation of Italian Sommeliers (FISAR) as well as their Sommelier of the Year 2007. So the obvious question is why write exams for another sommelier organization. As with many things Italian, I find FISAR to be disorganized and unprofessional. Also, it is unknown outside of Italy. The Court of Master Sommeliers is recognized worldwide and there are very few Master Sommeliers out there. The program is very intense. I headed to Orlando because I could write several exams in 3 days. And Mickey's there. You automatically think wine when you see Mickey. Or is that just me because I'm trying to drown out the screaming children that typically surround him?

I arrived in Orlando around 8pm on Sunday night and my first seminar was at 6:30am Monday morning. I spent 2 full days in lectures before writing the first of 4 exams. The lectures consisted of an overview of all the aspects of winemaking as well as all the wine regions of the world. These weren't lessons. You had to know your stuff before walking in that door or you would have been lost. The key part of these 2 days for me was the blind wine tastings. Let me explain what that is. A blind wine tasting is when you are given a wine and you have to figure out what it is by looking at it, smelling it and tasting it. You then draw a conclusion as to if the wine is old world or new world, the grape varietal you think it is, the country and region you think it comes from and what year it is. Easy right? We tasted 28 wines over those 2 days. I suck at blind wine tasting.

There are a few reasons why I suck at blind wine tastings. A key one is that my nose isn't great. It looks good on my face but it isn't fine tuned in the smell department. I don't know if this is a result of the many sinus infections I've had over the years or if it just never worked properly out of the factory. Everyone is different with their smell abilities. I think people that grow up in the country have more to work with as they've been exposed to more of natures' smells than city folk. And I'm a total city girl. The other reason is that I've never been properly trained to analyze wines like that. The main focus in my Italian training was wine and food pairing, a subject that wasn't even discussed in the Orlando sessions. So for me, the blind wine tasting sessions were very important and one of the main reasons I wanted to enter this program.

The first exam came at the end of day 2. It was a multiple choice written exam covering everything imaginable about wine. Out of over 100 people who wrote, I got the highest score. There was no time to celebrate as at 8am the next morning I was back for more exams. The first one of day 3 was the dreaded blind wine tasting at 8:45am. The theory is that your nose is at it's sharpest first thing in the morning. My nose is still asleep at that time. Try as I might, I couldn't get anything out of the wines. Now, my nose isn't completely useless but it sure was that morning. I tried my best and then moved on to the written exam. This exam was harder than the one the previous day but I did well. After the written we had to do a practical service exam. We were put in a restaurant setting and had to open a bottle of champagne for our customer and answer various questions that he asked.

Let me talk about the champagne for a minute. Each sommelier association has their own service protocol they want you to follow. The ideal way to open a bottle of champagne for the the Court of Master Sommeliers is in the air, with a napkin over the top. I've never opened one like that before. I could have left it in the ice bucket and opened it there (which I should have done) but I wanted to do it in the preferred manner. When opening a bottle of champagne you should never pop the cork. The cork should be released gently so the champagne hisses. When I opened my bottle it sounded like a Disney firework went off.

Once I recomposed myself, I continued with the exam. I was asked a variety of questions including wine recommendations for particular dishes. Because of the champagne incident, I didn't think I did very well but surprisingly enough I got a good review and was even complimented on my wine/food pairing abilities. So it all came down to the dreaded blind wine tasting. It was no big surprise that I didn't do very well on that part.

So what does this all mean? Because the blind wine tasting is such an important part of the total exam, I can't move on to the next level yet. I was very disappointed that I didn't do better but I'm not giving up. I am going to work on my blind wine tasting techniques and start working on my nose. It is possible to train your nose. I just have to start smelling everything and commit those smells to memory. Build up my nose encyclopedia.

And drink lots of wine.

Studying is hard.

Tannins & Wine Temperature

Last Monday night I attended a wine tasting event organized by Vancouver Wine Casual. They are a group that I found on Facebook. The event was held at the Broadway International Wine Shop on Broadway at McDonald (across from Safeway). It wasn't a structured wine tasting but more of an opportunity for people with a common interest to meet and chat about wine. The theme for the evening was Sparkling and Italian wines. We tasted 4 sparkling wines and 5 Italian reds.


I am not going to get into a detailed report on each wine as it would be rather boring without the glass of that wine in front of you. What I do want to talk about is something that came up during the wine tasting, Tannins and Wine Temperature.

What are tannins? Tannins are a natural preservative in wine and help give the wine longevity. They are found on the grape skin, in the pips and on the stems. The oak barrel in which wine is aged also gives off tannins. You don't 'taste' tannins, it's more of a tactile sensation. That astringent quality you get in your mouth when you drink some red wines is the result of tannins.
Why red wine and not white? Part of the red wine making process involves letting the juice stay in contact with the skins. The amount of time that the wine remains 'on its lees' depends on the wine being produced. This could range from several hours to several weeks. In general, white wines aren't left on their lees for very long. Chardonnay is the most common exception. This explains why you will get that astringent sensation in a red wine and generally not a white.

When serving wine, temperature is very important. Most people follow the general rule that you chill white wine but not red. The reason for that is that warmer temperatures increase the aromas, fruit, sweetness and alcohol while decreasing the acidic and tannic sensation of the wine. Cooler temperatures enhance the acid and tannins while decreasing the fruit, sweetness and alcohol sensations. White wines are made to be more acidic (thus more refreshing) and without tannins. Next time you have a glass of white wine, notice how it changes in the glass as it warms up. In general, you want to serve white wines between 8 - 10 degrees C (46-50 F). Chardonnays should be served a bit warmer because they are usually more complex. (12-14 C, 54-58 F).

The more complex and old a red wine, the warmer it should be. For example, a 10 year old or more Bordeaux, 18-20 C, (66-70 F). A younger wine, 16-18 C (62-66 F). The wine dictates the temperature. There are some red wines that it is perfectly acceptable to serve chilled. Some red wines are made with just enough contact with the skins to give them their color thus there is hardly any extraction of tannins. These lighter wines benefit from being chilled as they have more in common with white wines than other reds. Wines like Beaujolais (not the Crus), and Dolcettos from Italy are nicer if chilled a bit, around 12-14 C (54-58 F). These wines don't have the structure that other reds have.

What other drink do we consumme that is high in tannins? Tea. And what do you add to tea to get rid of the bitterness? Milk. The fat and proteins in the milk soften the tannins. So, why does a tannic wine works well with cheese? The cheese softens the tannins in the wine and makes it more enjoyable.

In North America we enjoy sitting on a patio and drinking a glass of wine. We don't worry too much about the food aspect. In Europe, food almost always accompanies the wine. Old World wines tend to be more tannic than New World wines. It is easier to enjoy a New World wine all by itself than an Old World one.

Summer seems a long way off, but next time you're sitting on a patio enjoying your wine, try one of the lighter ones served a bit chilled. It will be a nice change and you may be pleasantly surprised.

Syrah & Shiraz

I often get asked what is the difference between Syrah and Shiraz. Are they different? Actually, they are the same grape. So, why the difference in spelling?

Syrah is one of the four classic red grape varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir are the other three). It's most famous growing region is the Rhone Valley in France. The Northern Rhone produces very dramatic Syrahs. The wines of Hermitage and Cote-Rotie are 100% Syrah. The Southern Rhone Valley uses Syrah as part of the blends that make up Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas and Cotes-du-Rhone. Further south-west in France is the Languedoc-Roussillon area. Syrah is also a major grape here where it is used in the blends of wines from Corbieres, Faugeres, Fitou and Minervois.

Shiraz began it's life in the seventeenth century when the French Huguenots brought Syrah to South Africa. There are only theories as to the renaming of the grape. One such theory is that the grape originated near the Persian city of Shiraz. Why the grape would be given a Persian name in South Africa is unknown. From South Africa the grape was taken to Australia where it retained the name Shiraz. Shiraz is the leading variety in Australia and the most famous (and expensive) is Penfolds Grange.

But what are the differences between these wines? The only real difference is in taste and structure. Even though the grape is the same, the wines taste different because of where they are produced, not because of spelling. The French wines may be more potent due to their acidity and tannins than those from South Africa or Australia. Those wines may be softer with a more fruity character. The difference in styles can be attributed to the growing area (terroir) and to the winemakers. Each winemaker puts his own imprint on the wine he makes. In general, New World wines tend to be more fruit forward than Old World wines.

Keep in mind that for every Hermitage or Penfolds Grange, there is also a Goats Do Roam (South African critter wine playing on the French Cotes-du-Rhone wine region).

So when you find yourself in a restaurant and the server tries to tell you that Syrah and Shiraz are two different varietals, you can show off your wine knowledge and maybe teach them something. Or just direct them to this blog.

FYI....Petite Sirah (sometimes spelled Petite Syrah) is another grape altogether.