This blog is based on the Spirits of New Mexico radio show that aired on February 6, 2021. We do on-air tasting of one or two wines to illustrate what is available in a particular wine region, or as a contrast of what influence a wine region has on a grape or blend. We use suitable glasses for the type of wine and do a double-decant of red wines to insure they have opened sufficiently for accurate judging.
This is not our first stop in the Tuscany wine region as so many varied and expressive wines come from here. However it’s been over a year and a half since we sampled a Brunello. My wife and I celebrated our 25th anniversary with a 2000 La Fiorita Brunello on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. We dined in the Tuscan Grill of the old Princeville Hotel, now a St. Regis hotel on Kauai’s North Shore, a land so beautiful that this oddly designed hotel almost seems an intrusion.
However my first Brunello was enjoyed many years before in a Firenze (Florence) restaurant in the heart of Tuscany; a most appropriate venue. That was followed by more bottles in a subterranean restaurant between arched pillars under San Gimignano an Italian hill town in Tuscany, near Florence. There was not one Brunello that did not evoke oohs and aahs; I was definitely hooked.
We stayed in a San Gimignano pensione with friends while we toured Tuscany wineries and towns including Sienna, Montalcino and Montepulciano. Our friend Peter Stolinsky was particularly fond of Brunello, actually passionate about the wine so I can thank him for that tip. The town is encircled by 13th-century walls, its old town centers on Piazza della Cisterna, a triangular square is lined with medieval houses. It even has a torture museum some of the members of our party were eager to see. Not naming names on that one.
Tuscany is in the heart of Italy’s Westside, with coastal influences from the ligurian Sea. Tuscany is divided into a number of subregions; the broadest being Chianti Classico, which was the original Chianti region. There are a number of terms one must be familiar with to fully understand Tuscan wines that relate to wine quality. Our focus is those quality levels one can pursue for selecting palatable wines.
Italian wine ratings
DOC/DOCG: (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) These relate to quality standards that define the types of Italian grapes permitted, aging requirements, etc. DOC is a broader classification, while DOCG is more restrictive and defines more rigorous growing, aging and quality specifications. The standards also relate to physical locations similar to AVA (American Viticultural Area) designations.
- For example, the Chianti region is rated DOC, but the Chianti Classico subregion is a DOCG
- In Italy there are 329 DOC regions and 73 DOCG
- Superiore on a label indicates a wine with higher alcohol, more detail on label, longer aging requirements and better quality grapes
- Riserva refers to additional aging standards, generally 1 year, but this varies by region
IGP/IGT: This newer standard was created to address wines made with non-Italian grapes, which included the so-called Super Tuscans. The thought now is to treat these wines as DOC or DOCG as updated standards that are under development.
Tuscany Wine Region
The cities of Florence (It: Firenza), Montalcino and Sienna mark the northern, middle and southern boundaries of Tuscany. There are 15 sub-regions of note within the broader Chianti classifications. There are 33 DOC-designated areas and 11 DOCG-designated areas. Many of the towns are atop hills, which in ancient times served as an extra level of security and fortification.
Historically winemaking began in the 8th century BCE with the Etruscans. Florence became the center of wine production when it formed the Florentine guild in 1282. Many of the landowners leased their lands to sharecroppers who in turn gave them half the grapes. Various communes formed to assist in the marketing.
Bettino Ricasoli became the first winemaker to identify quality wines and the Sangiovese grape in particular. In the mid-1800s powdery mildew, phylloxera and later war saw a decline in wine production that did not pick up again until the 1970s. Prior to that the ubiquitous “straw” Chianti bottle was found to be more useful as a candle holder that a repository of fine wine.
Map courtesy of Vinepair.com
Tuscan wines and grapes
Sangiovese is the premier red wine grape, often blended with other red or white grapes. More Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are being grown there, influenced by super Tuscan wines. While the reds dominate many Tuscan listings there are also exceptional whites to discover using Trebbiano, Vermentino and Vernaccia Italian white grapes. The following examples of Tuscan wines and the sub-regions reflect their variety and uniqueness.
- San Gimignano is a small walled medieval city near Sienna known for their white wines using an ancient version of Vernaccia grown in the sandstone hillsides.
- Bulgheri DOC is a unique coastal region within Tuscany. Only up to 70% of Sangiovese is permitted, but up to 80% of Cab Sauvignon or Merlot is allowed. In 1974 at a Decanter-sponsored wine tasting, a Sassacaia won over top Bordeaux wine, foreshadowing the 1976 Judgment of Paris in which Napa wines bested Bordeaux and Burgundy wines.
- Vino Nobile de Montepulciano is a Sangiovese-based wine from the town of the same name. We did an on-air tasting of a very good, highly-rated wine from here.
- Montepulciano de Abruzzo is the Montepulciano grape grown in Abruzzo province in east central Italy. Quality is improving and is often a best buy choice.
- Brunello di Montalcino is the Brunello Sangiovese clone grown in selected parts of Montalcino and Rosso di Montalcino is a lower-rated wine offering good value. There are always several Brunellos listed on Wine Top 100 lists. First region awarded DOCG status.
- Chianti Classico wines offer consistently good quality that becomes transcendent in Reserva styles. We have done on-air tastings of two reservas in the past.
- Chianti Rufina is one of the most famous of the seven subzones that fall under Italy’s iconic Chianti DOCG. The area, in the hills to the east of Florence, has a more continental climate and higher altitude at 1,600 feet.
- Chianti Colli Senesi is a large subregion of Chianti, covering some of the most famed vineyard areas in all of Tuscany, as it overlaps portions of San Gimignano, Montepulciano, and Montalcino in the hills surrounding Siena.
- As one might expect the towns rather than the Colli Senesi subregion find their way on a wine label, but many very good value wines can be found here.
Wine Folly: Brunello di Montalcino
No surprise I checked out Madeline Puckette’s take on this legendry wine. As expected, a good overview of the area including a detailed map of Montalcino and the surrounding area. As I’d mentioned previously not all the area around the town is prime Brunello terroir, the other areas are designated Rosso di Montalcino.
Brunello di Montalcino is made with a local Tuscan clone of Sangiovese called Brunello and sometimes called Prugnolo Gentile. It’s noted for having thicker-skinned berries and, because of this, Brunello produces wines with exceptionally bold fruit flavors, high tannin, and high acidity. A clone is a version of the original grape propagated somewhere else where weather, soil and terrain shape its character.
Image courtesy of Wine Folly
Traditional versus Modern Aging Methods
Traditional: Using large neutral Croatian oak vessels to express tertiary flavors and minimal oak lactones. Wines develop more dried fruit, leather and flower flavors; long aging potential.
Modern: Smaller French barrels (barriques) that impart more oak lactones and encourage the development of black fruit, chocolate, brown sugar and vanilla flavors. Because oxygen exposure is increased due to oak-to-wine surface area, wine often ready sooner.
What we are tasting: Poggio Vicino 2015 Brunello di Montalcino 14% ABV $16.99 at Trader Joe’s
So I’m wandering down the wine aisles at Trader Joe’s looking at the Barolo, Barbaresco and Brunello wines and this wine shows up. Thus began a this-can’t-be-right wine moment so I thought; I have to try this wine. Poggio in Italian means hill, hillock or knoll and vicino means near or close to.
Actually, Jon, the Reverse Wine Snob reviewed this wine and although he was not overly impressed I had to give it a go. He also uses the online traceability tool at the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino website to determine the producer, which is Tenute Piccini, a very large producer who makes quite a few wines in Tuscany. The tool analyzes the producer code on the neck next to the DOCG to determine this.
I used the tool to discover the name of our anniversary wine mention above, La Fiorita, since I only remembered that it was La-something. Yeah, good luck with that.
Since I knew Kevin would be bringing a good Brunello I thought it would be fun to contrast a bargain basement Brunello with his choice. And true to form he brought a head-knocker 95 point wine so I was not disappointed.
What we are tasting: San Polo Brunello di Montalcino 2015 ABV 14%, $70-80
Winemaker Notes: Intense ruby red in color with garnet hues, clear and glossy. The bouquet exhibits typical aromas of violets and small red berries. Subtle nuances of forest undergrowth, aromatic wood, a touch of vanilla and jammy mixed fruit then give way to subtle hints of coffee. This Brunello is intense, persistent, broad and heady. Full-bodied and warm on the palate, with a densely-woven texture and robust body, it has a persistent finish with well-rounded tannins. The particular features of the terroir at San Polo produce a Brunello with a capacity for lengthy aging, while patient cellaring enhances the wine during ageing in the bottle.
James Suckling: The ripe red fruit here is so expressive and floral, featuring dried rose petals, hibiscus, poppies, dried strawberries and raspberries. It falls inwards on the palate, compressed and captivating, gathering rough-edged strands of tannins as it goes, threading them through an iron-fisted, central core of flavor and texture. Rated 95 points.
Winemaking
Natural compost and nitrogen-rich plants have replaced the chemical treatments in the San Polo vineyards. Picturesque olive groves and a magnificent farmhouse enrich the property with genuine Tuscan charm, while the modern, underground winery and cellar provide the best environment and technology for state-of-the-art winemaking. San Polo estate is located in southeastern Montalcino at 1,300 feet above sea level overlooking the Sant’ Antimo Valley and Mount Amiata.
It comprises 52 acres, 40 of which are dedicated to vines. Twenty acres are currently producing Brunello di Montalcino, while the rest are dedicated to Rosso di Montalcino and IGT wines. The vineyards at San Polo were planted between 1990 and 2000 and the first wines were produced in 1997. All vineyards have been planted at high density and are sustainably farmed.
Analysis
The San Polo Brunello was easily the best in balance and flavor. Richer and more mannered than the Poggio Vicino, but both were decidedly Brunello wines so for anyone on a budget that wants to discover what all the fuss is about regarding these wines it is not a bad place to start. Who knows, you may be hooked, too.
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