I suppose it’s no surprise that the bottle that comes to mind first when I’m “musing” is my 1997 Brunello di Montalcino. Brunello is certainly the king of Tuscan wines and is among the most well-known and best wines of all of Italy. It derives from the Sangiovese varietal native to Tuscany. Sangiovese (Latin for “blood of Jove”) is the basic varietal not only for Brunello, but for a number of central Italian wines including Chianti, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, and (more recently) is blended with a number of varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, and/or Merlot to form so-called “Super Tuscans.”
Although Sangiovese can be found in Napa, Texas, and several other places around the world, the Tuscan climate is ideal for this thin-skinned grape. The relatively dry, warm weather helps the berries mature to produce a fruity young wine that has enough structure to age well in oak and bottle to yield a firm and full-bodied wine which pairs well with rustic Italian fare.
But enough technical stuff . . . let me tell you how I first met Signore Brunello.
As I mentioned in the introduction to this blog, Lisa and I first experienced wine on our twentieth anniversary trip to Italy. Prior to that, the only wines I knew (vaguely) had names like “Thunderbird” and “Mad Dog 20/20.” Oh yeah . . . there was that “Boone’s Farm” stuff, too. I’d never really seen a wine glass and DEFINITELY had no idea about wine tastings.
When we arrived in Florence, we found that in every restaurant we were given a carafe of “vino della casa” and a couple of tumblers with no stems. Nothing fancy. Once in a tiny restaurant in Montepulciano, we were allowed only one glass from which we were both to drink . . . but that’s another story.
We also learned that dinner in Italy is an “experience.” The first time we showed up at a restaurant before 7:30 and were turned away, we realized we were in uncharted waters. Eventually we learned that dinner begins about 8:00 and lasts until midnight or later. At first we thought the restaurant service was just slow . . . but we soon learned that the service was excellent, as long as you adapted to the rhythm of Italy. And part of that “rhythm” was enjoying the carafe (actually just a pitcher) of wine.
On the second half of that trip we were in a cooking school in Castello di Tocchi, just south of Siena. Each day we’d cook in the castle’s kitchen with Giancarlo, our chef/teacher and Leonardo, our interpreter/comedian. Then after lunch, Leonardo would take us on a cultural excursion. Every day we’d visit a different village or cultural site.
One day we drove through the Tuscan countryside to a hill town called Montalcino. At the top of the village sits a medieval “fortezza” or fortress. After we strolled the parapet for a while, Leonardo led us into a huge stone lined room . . . almost like a chapel. On a number of tables around the room sat what looked like a THOUSAND gleaming glasses.
Now those of you who have shared wine at my home know how I feel about glasses. I wash and polish every single glass by hand for Lisa and I and our guests. Sometimes (at least when we lived in the BIG house) that meant polishing fifty or more glasses. Even for smaller dinner parties when I’m serving multiple wines, each wine deserves and receives its own glass, so preparing the glassware is quite a ritual. I just believe that wine is experienced better in a clean (sparkling) glass appropriate to the wine itself (I have glasses for reds, whites, Burgundies/Pinot Noirs, Bordeaux/Cabs, Sauternes and dessert wines, etc.). And of course part of the appreciation is visual . . . when you hold that wine up to the light of a candle or chandelier and see the ruby glint in the reds and the diamond sparkle in the whites. Nothing irks me more than to be distracted by water spots or streaks on the glass. And that obsession probably began that day in the fortezza atop Montalcino.
Anyway, over the next couple of hours, Leonardo and the docents of Montalcino led us on an adventure of sight, smell, and taste that I’ll never forget as we sampled Brunellos from a number of producers from the village. Because of the angle of the sun or the way the sea breeze (the ocean is a long way away, but there is virtually no obstruction between Montalcino and the shore) hits the various slopes (North, South, East, or West) of the hill on which the village sits, the wine can display subtle but detectable differences in taste and aroma. It was quite an education.
A few years ago, a scandal threatened Brunello’s reign as the supreme wine of Tuscany. Because of its DOCG (Controlled Origin) status, there is a stringent requirement that Brunello be made of 100% Sangiovese grapes grown in the region. An accusation was made (it was later revealed to have been made by a group of non-Brunello Tuscan wine producers) that a majority of Brunello producers were mixing other varietals (Merlot, Cabernet, etc.) into their wines to increase the yield. The claim was that the number of bottles produced in several vintages in the early 2000’s exceeded what should have been possible given the number of acres under cultivation. After many cases of wine (600,000 from Castello Banfi alone) were impounded, investigators performed genetic testing which eventually vindicated the Brunello producers showing that the years in question had simply been unusually productive for the region.
I’ve tasted many wines since that afternoon in the village of Montalcino. And yes, many of them far surpass the Brunello in a pure head to head tasting. And I’ve visited many wine producing regions and tasted at a lot of vineyards and wineries. But that particular day I will never forget. And I’ll always have a Brunello or two tucked away in my collection.
If you’re looking for Italian wines (Brunello or any of the other great Italian offerings of which there are stories yet to come), I can recommend a couple of places. Costco (my “go to” wine supplier) is usually very light on Italians. They trend more toward California wines, a few good French selections, and a ton of value priced wines from Chile, Argentina, and Australia. Central Market (in Dallas and Houston) are a shade better than Costco in terms of Italian selection. In San Diego (where we lived when we made that first trip to Italy) we found a little Italian market called “Mona Lisa” in the Little Italy section near downtown which stocked a few bottles of Italian descent. If you’re in or near Dallas, I can highly recommend Jimmy’s Food Store on Bryan Street. It’s a cluttered paradise of all things Italian including homemade pasta, cheeses, and an INCREDIBLE selection of Italian wines. Best of all, it’s less than ten minutes from our place!
So here’s to Leonardo and Giancarlo and to the beautiful little hill town of Montalcino. If you ever want to share a bottle of Brunello, come on over.