Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Preview 2023 by Filippo Magnani

Tuscany’s “Old Red Wine Zone” becomes a leader in sustainability

The 2023 edition of the highly anticipated Anteprima Vino Nobile di Montepulciano returned to the medieval fortress of Montepulciano on February 15th.. The doors were opened to the public from Saturday the 18th to Monday the 20th. There were over 40 producers present, which is over half of the denomination.

Participants had the opportunity not only to taste both the 2020 vintage and 2019 reserve wines, they also had chance to learn about DOCG’s innovative projects related to sustainability and the ‘Pieve’ project which defines 12 unique zones of production called “Additional Geographic Units.”

As the first DOCG in Italy, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is also leading the way in sustainability and is now the first Italian denomination to have received the sustainability certification mark under the Equalitas standard. This has been a long journey, that started back in 1985 when the Consortium, with the support of the Municipality of Montepulciano, decided to install a network of meteorology stations to record weather data throughout the entire production area. Expert agronomists made recommendations based on the findings to limit the use of chemical pesticides. Further studies were done in 1992 and 2006 to investigate the soils and biological waste respectively. Then in 2015, the “Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Carbon Footprint” project became a model on a national scale, calculating the CO2 emissions for one bottle of Vino Nobile. The protocol established by Equalitas for certification is extremely rigorous and includes numerous environmental requirements, such as measuring the carbon footprint, the water footprint, and socio-economic compliance with free trade unions and equal opportunities.

The “Pievi” project continues the route towards the excellence of the pure expression of Sangiovese

Launched in 2021, during the pandemic, the Consorzio of Nobile di Montepulciano introduced 12 Additional Geographical Units called “Pievi” that are the result of an in-depth study of history, landscape, and wine production. The name refers to the ancient parish churches used to divide the territory into areas as far back as Roman times. The goal of the Consortium with this project is to reaffirm and codify a current physical reality with its ancient historical roots since Montepulciano is one of the oldest wines documented in the Middle Ages. In fact, one of the most interesting documents testifying to the existence of a Montepulciano wine production and marketing district dates back to a rare sales contract from 17th October 1350, preserved in the Madonna de’ Ricci (crociferi) collection found in the Italian National Archives in Florence. The first Vino Nobile wines with the “Pieve” label from the 12 selected zones will be released next year.

The noble heritage of Montepulciano

A symbol of local culture, the village of Montepulciano is situated on a gently sloping limestone hill that separates Val di Chiana from the Val del Orcia. Due to its rich history, Montepulciano represents a sort of open-air museum in the heart of one of the most popular and explored wine destinations in Tuscany. The old town is filled with Etruscan artifacts, Renaissance buildings, ornate churches decorated by illustrious artists, ancient theatres, and local artisan shops—a perfect place for wine enthusiasts to immerse themselves in Tuscan beauty and history.

 

“Benvenuto Brunello 2022” Preview – Filippo Magnani

Tasting fresh, elegant, new vintage Brunello wines, a tempting invitation to explore the magnificent wine land of Montalcino…

From 11th to 21st November, the village of Montalcino under the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino, hosted by “Benvenuto Brunello” which is dedicated to the new vintages of this famous wine. The 2022 edition gathered some influential wine writers, journalists, bloggers and traders from around the world to present the Rosso di Montalcino 2021, Brunello 2018 , and the Brunello Riserva 2017. 137 wineries and 300 ready-to-taste-labels read to be released on the market from January 2023.  For the first time, on 17th November, “Brunello Day” made its debut simultaneously in the cities of London, New York City, Los Angeles and Toronto. The last 3 days of the event in Montalcino were open to the public by ticket. A unique opportunity for wine lovers to enjoy themselves in the increasingly innovative and prestigious territory of Montalcino and furthermore to get a chance to meet the brilliant producers of this territory.

A unique territory for the pure expression of Sangiovese 

The production area of Brunello corresponds to the Historical Limits of the Municipality of Montalcino, a picturesque village, just 40 km south of Siena, which is surrounded by vineyards, olive groves and historical sites. The Montalcino district comprises 3,500 hectares of vineyards registered under the DOC and DOCG designations. The production area is in the shape of a square, around the town and it’s very interesting to go through the microclimate differences in such a small territory. It is a dry land that enclaves a multitude of combinations of microclimates and soils. In general terms, the grapes located in the cooler northern areas of the DOCG tend to ripen more slowly. These vineyard sites are located in higher-elevation hills (not over 600 metres) and are planted in gravelly Galestro soil. On the south side, the grapes are hosted in quite another environment. The soils are richer, like clay, the sunlight is more intense, sea breezes blow from the Tyrrhenian Sea, and the wines result more powerful. Furthermore, the presence in the South of Mount Amiata (1740m) has an important influence by shielding the vineyards from strong atmospheric phenomena and provide breezes that keep the climate dry and the vines’ healthy.

The Sangiovese Grosso – the fingerprint of Brunello 

Brunello di Montalcino is a 100% Sangiovese-based wine that needs long periods of aging before the quality peak.  Once reached, it represents a true champion of balance, complexity, and maturity. Sangiovese is the only grape allowed in the Brunello di Montalcino DOCG and Rosso DOC. It is a very sensitive native grape, one of the highest quality varieties that needs careful practicing, and impeccable attention to its production process, harvest and vinification.  It is a variety that shows off fragrant notes of cherry and plum, hints of spice and an extraordinary texture. The natural tannic structure and high acidity levels of the Sangiovese are the main factors of its longevity. It performs differently in each different site and changes depending on its environment. The terroir combined with the play of time has always given elegant wines with perfectly balanced, rich bouquets. Brunello di Montalcino never fails to be a surprise. It is an example of an impressive year by year quality persistence and every vintage looks at a different profile of the beauty of Sangiovese variety, revealing a different nuance of its character each time.

A successful wine story 

The road that leads Montalcino to be the phenomenon that it is today is a path that speaks of great difficulties, resilience, and a success that in the world of Italian wine has no equal. Many interpreters, local producers, important winemakers and wine families from other regions and even international investors, but who all produce Brunello with the same grape, under the same strict rules and with the same quality objectives. The shared path and consistency of nature at its best, is perhaps the greatest strength and energy of the ascent, and subsequent permanence of Brunello di Montalcino among the wines that we can define legendary. The echo of success, in the last 50 years is continually expanding and there is no oenophile that doesn’t proudly display Brunello wines on their precious wine shelf. Today, the popularity of Brunello di Montalcino continues on world markets, thanks to a sharply rising average price, a good hold on volumes, and further growth in strategic markets, already protagonists of a boom in demand over the previous two years. The results are noted by the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino, in the release of data recorded by the new Price Observatory on sales over the first nine months of the year. According to the sample of wineries, accounting for 28% of designation sales, the growth trend in September registers + 21.5% in terms of value, with a leap in average prices of “Vintage” and “Riserva” products – now close to 27 Euros per bottle ex cellar (+ 14%, with peaks of over 24% in the USA) – well beyond the inflationary push. Also on the rise, surprisingly for a not very rich last vintage (2017), are the volumes, up by 6%. The projection over the 12 months of 2022, according to the Consortium, should bring a total value of Brunello sales close to 250 million Euros. Numbers for Rosso di Montalcino are also up, with rises in both value (+ 20%) and volume (+ 9%).

In Italy it is known by 2 out of 3 consumers, surpassing in notoriety even the nearby Tuscan Giants. This is the data collected by Wine Intelligence that analysed the strength and recognizability of the 46 main appellations made in Italy. Domestic demand proceeds very well, confirmed as strongly rising and now representing about one third of the entire market thanks to a growth in volumes of over 17%, with values at + 31%. Overall, in the first nine months of this year, nearly 7 million bottles of Brunello di Montalcino were sold between “Vintage”, “Vigna” (i.e., single-vineyard) and “Riserva” products, the latter being the protagonist of a very strong increase over the same period in 2021.

Montalcino, a dream wine travel destination

Montalcino was a very important stop of the Via Francigena, a road that ran from England to Rome and, therefore, it welcomed and hosted important men of power, nobles, politicians, popes… The great Wines of Montalcino were crafted to satisfy the illustrious visitors who were traveling to reach the Eternal City, and that’s why the hamlet has always displayed absolute quality winemaking for centuries.  Montalcino today is internationally affirmed as an authentic, high-end wine destination. Visiting Montalcino is not just about tasting.  It has to do with the history of its people, and it helps you to understand why wine is so integrated into the culture of its inhabitants, who from generation to generation continue to pass on their passion and know-how. The town welcomes many visitors and the care of its hospitality has become just as important as the attention to its wine. Ancient buildings and modern B&B, luxurious accommodation within the wine estates and impeccable hotels. The cellars are open to all visitors and the experiences to participate in are numerous. It is possible to choose the itinerary that best suits their own needs, and each chosen path knows how to leave its mark. The rolling hills of Montalcino are also the setting for two important sporting events, where professional, competitive, and amateur cyclists and walkers can take up the challenge or try their hand at routes of different intensities and difficulties: the Brunello Crossing (for the walkers) and L’Eroica (for the cyclists) for example.

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New Chianti Classico subzones or ‘UGAs’ have been approved

Last week at the June 2021 assembly of Chianti Classico’s governing Consorzio, a “very large majority” of Consorzio members approved changes to the disciplinare that have the potential to put some separation between the Riserva and the Gran Selezione levels. Here are two key aspects to the proposal:

  • Focus on Sangiovese and native grape varieties

The current rules for all Chianti Classico wines require a minimum of 80% Sangiovese, but the new GS level will strengthen the connection with that variety (and push the wines a little closer to those of Brunello di Montalcino) by raising the requirement to 90%. Additionally, the remaining 0–10% of the wine will be restricted to native Italian grape varieties (e.g., Canaiolo, Ciliegiolo, Colorino, etc.). International varieties will not be permitted in Gran Selezione bottlings; and

  • Zonation

The Consorzio has come to an agreement on a first order of non-overlapping subzones that will allow producers to highlight and promote local variations within the 20-mile-long Chianti Classico denomination. These will be officially known as UGAs (unità geografiche aggiuntive, “additional geographical units”). It does not appear that there will be a requirement for a GS wine to be from a single UGA, but those that are will be able to carry the subzone name on the label.

Chianti Classico DOCG includes all or part of nine communes, and the new UGAs will follow commune boundaries to a large extent (see accompanying map). The communes of Castellina, Gaiole, Radda, and San Casciano will remain intact as subzones, while the three partial communes of Barberino Val d’Elsa, Poggibonsi, and Tavarnelle in Val di Pesa will be combined as the San Donato in Poggio UGA. The commune of Greve will become four UGAs: Greve, the highly regarded frazioni of Panzano and Lamole, and the lesser known frazione Montefioralle. Finally, the southern commune of Castelnuovo Berardenga will be broken into two UGAs: Castelnuovo Berardenga and Vagliagli (which is destined to be added to the list of most mispronounced wine locations).

Apparently, there is already talk about extending the use of these UGAs to the basic and Riserva levels as well as GS.

This proposal will have several hoops to jump through before it becomes official, then the wines will be required at least 2½ years of aging before release.