Considering the fact that wines have been produced for over 3,500 years in Italy, Brunello di Montalcin Wine is viewed as a more modern invention, so to speak. The wine came into being as a result of the studies of Ferruccio Biondi-Santi, a winemaker of the late 1800's, are not seen as a wine that paid homage to local traditions. Biondi-Santi began planting clones of the Sangiovese grape variety called “Brunello” and was eventually able to produce a completely satisfactory wine that was made from a single variety of grape.



Biondi-Santi was an innovative vintner to say the least and continued to break with wine-making guidelines and tradition throughout his life. He would subject his wines to a process involving a four year period of aging in oak casks. After the aging was completed, Biondi-Santi would then allow the bottled wines to age some more which resulted in the development of some outstanding characteristics and qualities.

Somewhere around 1880, Biondi-Santi became the talk of the wine industry in Italy and the first official vintage to hit the shelves was the 1888 Brunello. Despite how long ago this first vintage came into being, supposedly there are 5 bottles of the original 1888 Brunello still in existence today. As the Brunello ages, it acquires a greater fragrance and a more velvety flavor. This helps to increase the aroma and the harmony that has been delicately balanced yet at the same time, it is quite intense.

The Grape and the Wine

Suffice it to say, the Sangiovese grape is the most widely planted grape today in the entire Montalcino. Additionally, it is the only grape allowed to be used in Brunello di montalcino price. The different clones of the Sangiovese grape are indigenous to the Montalcino region and have best adapted to the climate and terrain compared to other varieties of grapes. This climate and terrain are also the key reason why the Sangiovese grape ripens consistently and more fully than in any other area of the Tuscany region.

Once the wine has passed through the maceration period and the fermentation stage, it is then aged for a period of 3 years in oak casks. These casks impart very little oak flavor to the wine and produce one that is considerably more austere than those aged in other casks. Production of this wine is typically divided into a “normale” and “riserva” bottling, or normal and reserve. The normale are typically released 50 months after harvesting while the riserva is released 12 months after that.

Today's current aging requirements for Brunello di montalcino price were established over ten years ago in 1998. These requirements mandate that the wine ages in casks for a period of not less than 2 years, then it is bottled and ages another 4 months before being released onto the market. These guidelines are so strict that commercial fraud convictions will result if they are not strictly followed and the offender could receive a prison sentence of up to 6 years.