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.