Description of the wine: Brunello is a wine rich in scents of flowers and fruit in alcohol, elegant toastings, tertiary and balsamic notes that accompany a strong, decisive and capable of aging structure, that often improves itself, even along decades. Organoleptic characteristics: The color is deep ruby red with orange reflections, the aroma is complex and rich, the flavor is dry and soft. Historical-cultural information and curiosities: Despite its current reputation and global success, Brunello di Montalcino has not the centuries-old history of Chianti, Nobile and other Tuscan excellences. At the end of 1800, the territory of Montalcino belonged to the Colli Senesi area, where red wine was produced using also a part of white grapes. Since the Middle Ages it owed his fame to Moscadello di Montalcino, a sweet white wine from Muscat grapes, still produced in sparkling or raisin version. The idea of producing a wine from Sangiovese in single-variety winemaking was developed by Clemente Santi, pharmacist di Montalcino with great interest in agriculture, who wanted to show the world that it was possible to get a great wine working only Sangiovese, with long maceration and aging for a long time before selling. He started up in 1850 to collect awards abroad and with the vintage 1865 he achieved the current denomination Brunello di Montalcino (Brunello was the local name of a type of Sangiovese, said "big" because of the very thick peel and richness in substances). Heirs of Clemente, in the winery of the estate "Il Greppo" were firstly the grandson Ferruccio Biondi Santi, and after Tancredi, who brought the Brunello for the first half of the twentieth century through two World Wars and were accompanied by a few other families. The real boom came only in the nineties, with a production that soon came to more than six million bottles and above all at reasonable prices appropriate to the quality of wine that comes out in the market after five years of aging: high but necessary to allow the tannins and the scents of Sangiovese di Montalcino to fully express their elegance. Serving suggestions: Wine for great moments, but mostly wine to drink at the table, because it keeps for a long time freshness and drinkability, balancing body, structure and intensity. It is the perfect wine for succulent meat and strong sauces, and is great on seasoned cheese, or just as wine for conversation. Production area: Territory in the municipality of Montalcino. There is also the DOC Rosso di Montalcino, located on the same area but that collects grapes from younger vineyards without prior compulsory aging in wood: these are fresh, young and direct wines, that have the imprinting of the large territory of Montalcino and show a recognizable and charming side of Sangiovese, occasionally able to defy the years, such as Brunello itself. In the same territory, it is even possible to bottle the wines produced with international red grapes such as Sant'Antimo DOC, which takes its name from the famous abbey, a must for those who come here, as a tourist or a pilgrim. Production techniques: The grapes are carefully selected, and then soaked in controlled temperature in special vats for ten days. The wine is aged for two years: one year in French oak barrels and one year in French oak barriques. Then, there is the maturation phase of the bottle (8-12 months). Grape varieties allowed for its production: Brunello (Sangiovese) to 100%.
