Tradition Wins Out - Again

Last week at Via Carducci, a wonderfully authentic trattoria on Chicago's north side, I hosted a Brunello di Montalcino dinner. The featured wines were new releases from Montalcino, namely the 2007 vintage of Brunello, the 2006 vintage of Brunello di Montalcino Riserva and the 2010 vintage of Rosso di Montalcino; there was a total of nine wines for the evening.

These wines are brand new and while a few of them have entered select markets in America, many of them will not be available here for another few months. So this was a great opportunity to try the latest examples of these celebrated wines, sort of a miniature anteprima tasting, somewhat like the one I attend at Benvenuto Brunello in the town of Montalcino in February. The difference in this case being that while the tasting in Montalcino offered a lot more wines (more than 250), this evening in Chicago featured the wines with food, a nice plus! Especially when you pair Brunello with wild boar ragu and filet!

This was also a rare opportunity to taste three vintages rated as outstanding (5-star) by the Brunello consorzio. To my knowledge, this situation of three outstanding vintages in a five year period has never happened before, so this only added to the enjoyment of the evening. (I've written some initial thoughts on these new releases of Brunello di Montalcino at my other blog, LearnItalianWines, which you can read here.)

We had an excellent turnout of 25 people. I knew a few friends who were there, but for the most part, I wasn't familar with those who attended. This was exactly the group of wine lovers I wanted at this dinner, as each individual wanted to try these wines for themselves, being lovers of Brunello. No one asked how many points these wines were awarded. No one cared what certain famous (or infamous) journalists thought of these wines. They tried the wines themselves and made up their own mind - how refeshing!

I introduced a variety of styles from modern (Banfi "Poggio alle Mura") to ultra traditional (Lisini Rosso di Montalcino, Tiezzi "Vigna Soccorso") as well as an in-between style (Citille di Sopra). As with any good-sized group, tastes and opinions varied. For the middle course with the 2007 Brunellos, a few people loved the richness and power of the Banfi "Poggio alle Mura", while others opted for the elegance of the Ciacci Piccolomini "Pianrosso" (this is a particularly lovely wine) or the spice of the Citille. All well made wines, all representing Brunello beautifully in 2007, yet reminding us that these wines are the products of their terroir - both in the vineyard and in the cellar.

The next flight of wines was the 2006 Brunello Riserva and while I served three traditionally made wines, they were quite different. One was the "Gualto" Riserva from Camigliano, a wine that clearly showed the power of the 2006 vintage. This was a classic Brunello vintage, but one that is tightly wound and clearly needs a great deal of time to display its finest qualities. This is a beautifully made Brunello that will reward 12-15 years of patience and will drink well for at least another 7-10 years after that (I hope I'll be around then!). (By the way, the 2004 Camigliano "Gualto" Riserva, which I tasted at the winery last month and is available in the US, is a marevlous wine with beautiful floral aromatics and silky tannins. Buy this wine if you can find it and enjoy it while you cellar the 2006.)

The Tiezzi "Vigna Soccorso" Riserva, a marvelous, ultra traditional wine, was clearly a hit with this audience.  This is not a fruit forward, toasty wine, but rather a graceful, subdued wine with beautiful structure and ideal balance; this is a nice reminder of what many Brunellos tasted like some thirty years ago, before a few producers introduced barriques to the mix. I had not had the privilege of tasting this wine previously and after making my initial notes, I thought the wine might be too low-key for consumers, but I was clearly wrong, as they loved it!

Fabio Tassi (Photo ©Tom Hyland)

If there was a clear favorite at this dinner, it was the Tassi Riserva "Franci," another beautifully made traditional Brunello. Fabio Tassi operates a wine shop/tasting bar/ in the town of Montalcino and also manages the enoteca in the fortezza, where you can find virtually every Brunello label in existence. In his spare time, he even manages to find time to make a little bit of wine under his own label!

And what a wine this is. Of course, the greatness of any wine comes from the vineyards - Tassi has some outstanding plantings in Castelnuovo dell'Abate - but the final touches come in the cellar, in this case under the direction of enologist Alberto Antonini, one of Tuscany's most highly regarded winemakers, who ages this wine solely in grandi botti. This is a marvelously complex Brunello with impressive depth of fruit, excellent persistence, very good acidity and silky tannins. Above all, this is a wine of great breeding and finesse. You don't communicate the local terroir with heavy doses of oak, something both Tassi and Antonini understand quite well. Instead, you take a minimalist approach in the cellar and let the wine reveal itself, as it displays the sensual character of the Sangiovese grape about as well as any Brunello I have tasted this year. While this has the stuffing to drink well in another 20 years, you don't have to wait that long to enjoy this wine, given its elegance.

One final note on this dinner and why so many people there loved the traditional wines, be they Rosso, Brunello or Brunello Riserva. I can't speak for everyone, but I can wager a guess, which is that these wines were being enjoyed in the best fashion possible - with food! Modern, oaky wines may get high scores from certain so-called "influential" magazines, but I'm positive the tide has turned, as many consumers are turning away from the decision makers at these publications and look instead to what they prefer. I've always favored the more elegant, subtle approach of traditional Brunello (as well as Barolo, Amarone, Taurasi and just about any Italian red wine, no matter how humble or famous), as I can drink the wine, not just take one sip for the purpose of a review.

We all enjoy great wines paired with the proper food and the consumers at this dinner reaffirmed my belief in this as well as in the fact that traditional wines that play up to the food and do not overpower it are the most enjoyable of all. And isn't enjoyment why we pair wine and food together?

P.S. One final note. The 2006 Tassi "Franci Riserva" is not in this country and may not be brought in by the importer, especially as this is a very limited production wine. So you may have to order this from Montalcino. The price on the shelf at the enoteca at the fortezza is 120 Euro. That makes this wine one of the most expensive of all Brunello. The 2006 Tassi Brunello "Selezione Franci" (not a riserva) is imported in America and is less expensive; it's also a lovely wine in a similar style and one I highly recommend.

So if you need to try the Tassi Franci Riserva from 2006, it will cost you a fair amount of money. But this wine is something special - for me, one word perfectly describes it. It is a revelation!


P.P.S. I ended the evening with a bottle of 2001 Banfi Florus, a Moscadello di Montalcino, a sweet dessert wine of the area, made from Moscato. I normally don't care for this wine when it is young, at it seems a bit heavy as well as a bit simple. But I let this bottle sit in my cellar for about six years and when I discovered I still had it a few days before the dinner, I decided this was the perfect occasion to open it. What a pleasant surprise was in store for all of us, as the wine had rounded out and displayed remarkable complexity, tasting like an older Vin Santo or sherry, with just a trace of sweetness. Maybe that's the key with Moscadello - letting it age for five years or so before enjoying it.

Long Live Brunello Tradition

Montalcino

(Photo ©Tom Hyland)

There has been a lot of teeth gnashing lately over the recent election of Ezio Rivella as President of the Brunello Consorzio. It seems that some journalists believe this is a disastrous sign that could lead to all sorts of changes for this great Tuscan red wine. There may indeed be changes in store, but I for one, think a more measured response would be appropriate.

Let me state that I am a traditionalist when it comes to Italian wines in general and Brunello di Montalcino in specific. More than anything else, that means aging the wine in botti grandi, large wooden casks that don't overwhelm the wine with notes of wood. There have been dozens of producers over the past 20 years or so that have decided to depart from this practice, opting to age their wine in barriques, small French oak barrels that deepen the color of the wine and add spicy, toasty notes to the final product. These producers also tend to pick their grapes a bit later than usual (when this is feasible - autumn rains can spoil these plans). meaning the acidity is a bit lower. That means the wine is softer in the finish, a style these producers believe will win them more customers world wide.

Botti Grandi, traditional casks for aging Brunello

(Photo ©Tom Hyland)

While I do think that some of the modernists do produce very good to excellent Brunello (such as Valdicava and Fossacolle), I will almost always choose a traditional Brunello. These wines have a garnet and not a ruby red color, tend to offer higher levels of acidity (which make them better at accompanying a wider variety of foods) and most importantly, display the local terroir. This last point is important, as the modern wines that are aged in barriques tend to lose their sense of place, as the spice notes from the small barrels often cover up the charms of the Sangiovese grape.

Ezio Rivella is someone who has espoused a modernist style for Brunello to be sure. He was oposed by Fabrizio Bindocci, winemaker at Il Poggione, one of Montalcino's greatest traditional producers. I clearly would have preferred that Bindocci win the election, but it didn't happen. So now many journalists who favor traditional wines are sounding the panic button.

Could there be dramatic changes for Brunello under Rivella's watch? It's possible and it's interesting to ruminate about such things. But too many people are sounding like politicians here in our country as when the opposite party takes office. Things rarely turn out as badly as they think.

I tend to believe that the future for Brunello will be bright. I may be wrong, who can tell? But I do know that there are many traditional producers that have enjoyed great success making wines that reflect the local terroir and stress finesse and elegance over power and ripeness. Here is a brief list of these producers in no particular order:

Il Poggione
Biondi-Santi
Le Chiuse
Pian del'Orino
Il Palazzone
Talenti
Lisini
Col d'Orcia
Fuligni
Mastrojanni
Caprili
Sesta di Sopra
Sesti
Tenuta di Sesta
Tenuta Oliveto


I've left a few names out, but you get the point. Those are some of the great producers of Brunello di Montalcino, so as long as they're around and continue to craft traditional wines, the future of this iconic Tuscan red will be sunny. It's only natural for some people to worry about what lies ahead, but there's no need for alarm. Instead, communicate to lovers of Brunello that traditional wines are alive and doing quite well in Montalcino today!

Trends from VinItaly

Cristina Ziliani, Guido Berlucchi

(Photo ©Tom Hyland)

A brief summary of new releases from VinItaly:


2009 Whites
I tased dozens of impressive whites from 2009, especially from Friuli and Campania. Cool throughout most of the growing season, there was some much needed sunshine in August and September, according to Elisabetta Polencic of the Isidoro Polencic winery in Friuli. Luigi Maffini from the Salerno province of Campania told me that 2009, “was a very good vintage. The wines are very complex and offer excellent freshness. I prefer the whites from 2009 over 2007 and 2008.” Antonio Capaldo, owner of Feudi di San Gregorio, says that 2009 was “especially good for white wines.”

A short list of my favorite 2009 whites:

Friuli
Gradis’ciutta Sauvignon (Collio)
Livon Sauvignon “Valbuins” (Collio)
I Clivi Malvasia (Collio)
I Clivi Verduzzo Friulano (dry) (Colli Orientali del Friuli)
Isidoro Polencic Sauvignon (Collio)

Campania
Feudi di San Gregorio Greco di Tufo (especially good value)
Feudi di San Gregorio Greco di Tufo “Cutizzi”
Colli di Lapio Fiano di Avellino
Mastroberardino Greco di Tufo “Novaserra”
Mastroberardino Fiano di Avellino “Radici”
Marisa Cuomo Furore Bianco
Terredora Greco di Tufo "Loggia della Serra"
Vadiaperti Fiano di Avellino
Pietracupa Greco di Tufo
Vinosia Greco di Tufo
Luigi Maffini "Kratos" (Fiano - IGT Paestum)

Liguria
Cantine Lunae Vermentino “Etichetta Nera” (Colli di Luni)

Piemonte
Oddero Langhe Bianco (Chardonnay, Riesling blend)

Puglia
Alberto Longo “Le Fossette” (Falanghina) (Pugila IGT)

Antonio Capaldo, owner, Feudi di San Gregorio

(Photo ©Tom Hyland)

Amarone
Many of the newest releases are from the 2006 vintage, a very good vintage. The regular Tedeschi bottling is rich, spicy and gusty, but above all, well-balanced, while their “Monte Olmi” offers more weight on the palate with more pronounced ripeness. Similar notes for the Stefano Accordini “Acinatico” bottling, though fatter on the palate. Accordini has also released his exceptional "Il Fornetto" from 2004; a great wine from a great vintage. This will not be available until very late in 2010- this is a must buy for Amarone lover with its layers of fruit and intense notes of fig, date and red raspberry.

It’s also interesting to note how two exceptional Soave producers have now focused on Amarone as well. Leonildo Pieropan previewed his first-ever Amarone from the 2006 vintage; the wine offers beautiful ripeness and delicate spice and is as elegant as the man himself. Ca’Rugate has produced Amarone for a few years now and their new 2007 is their finest yet. Displaying black cherry and cranberry fruit wih notes of orgeano, the wine is driven by its fruit and not by oak and is quite elegant. Look for 10-12 years of improvement with this wine – complimenti to winemaker Michele Tessari.

Leonildo Pieropan

(Photo ©Tom Hyland)

2006 Barolos
I tasted a few bottlings of 2006 Barolo; the new wines will be released within the next few months. This is a big vintage and right now, many of the wines are quite tight and a bit tannic. While it’s difficult to fully appreciate these wines right now, one can clearly sense the excellent depth of fruit; this should be a long-lived vintage.

As usual, the finest bottlings display their terroir; take the three offerings from Vietti. The Brunate is wonderfully perfumed with velvety tannins, the Lazzarito is much more closed with firmer tannins, while the Rocche is more full-bodied with appropriate young tannins. The always lovely Vajra “Bricco dell Viole” is excellent, though more restrained than the 2005 was at this time last year, while the Luigi Baudana “Baudana”, aged in grandi botti, is quite elegant, while still offering excellent concentration.

My two favorite 2006 Barolos I tasted at VinItaly were from Oddero; the Rocche di Castiglione with sensual red cherry and orange peel notes and the Villero, a spicier and more powerful bottling that is no less elegant. I hope many more of the 2006 Barolos I will taste in May in Alba will offer the balance and finesse of these wines from Oddero!


2005 Brunello di Montalcino
I tasted a few dozen of these wines in February in Chicago and New York; this was my chance to try some of my favorites I missed. While these wines may be a slightly more difficult sell comig after the celebrated 2004 vintage, this is an excellent vintage overall, with beautiful varietal character and lively acidity. Among the very best I tasted were the Stella di Campalto, Talenti, Le Chiuse, Col d’Orcia, Innocenti, Ciacci Piccolomini, Fossacolle and these three I rated as outstanding: Il Poggione, Pian dell’Orino and Il Palazzone.


Franciacorta
Finally, a few words about a sparkling wine I love, but don’t get ot try often enough and that’s Franciacorta. Only a few brands, most noticeably Ca’ del Bosco and Bellavista are imported into the United States, which is somewhat understandable (especially now during the worldwide financial mess), but still a shame, as the finest efforts are distinctive and very special. I mentioned the amazing 2002 Bellavista “Vittorio Moretti” bottling in a separate post on my other blog; a few other excellent bottlings include the 2006 Camossi Extra Brut (their first Millesimato) the 2006 Saten from Il Mosnel and two very distinguished bottlings; the 2004 Guido Berlucchi Palazzo Lana “Extreme”, a 100% Pinot Nero with a lengthy, persistent finish and the full-bodied Brut normale from Enrico Gatti, a wine that is better than many top bottlings from other Franciacorta firms.

Here’s hoping that we see more examples of Franciacorta come to the United States!

Giovanni Arcari, Camossi

(Photo ©Tom Hyland)

Gems from VINO 2010

Thoughts on four exciting days in New York, including notes on dozens of excellent new Tuscan releases (red and white), some beautiful bottlings from Friuli and two offerings of Vermentino to die for!

Emilia Nardi, Tenute Silvio Nardi, Brunello di Montalcino

(Photo ©Tom Hyland)

I spent four wonderful days in New York City last week, tasting hundreds of new Italian releaaes, meeting vintners from around the country and making many new friends from all over the United States. The occasion was VINO 2010 - the second annual - which is billed as the largest Italian wine event held outside of Italy.

There were many highlights - I’ll touch upon a few in this post and go into greater detail in the next few posts during the upcoming weeks. One of the tastings was an anteprima of new releases from three famous Tuscan zones: Chianti Classico, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Brunello di Montalcino. Given the sheer number of wines available for sampling over several days, I had to focus on a few specifics, so I didn’t try as many of these wines as I could have, but I did find some excellent examples. From Chianti Classico, there was a delightful 2008 Carpineto, a wine made to be drunk and nor laid away for 5 years – how nice!

Clif and Donna Weaver, owners of Le Miccine, a small gem of an estate in Gaiole in Chianti, showed their 2007 normale and Riserva Chianti Classico bottlngs at the Friday Grand Tasting. The regular bottling had lovely red cherry fruit, subtle oak and very good acidity while the “Don Alberto” Riserva offers textbook flavors and the structure to age for 7-10 years. If you don’t already know this estate’s wines, now would be a great time to acquaint yourself with these bottlings.

I also loved the 2007 normale Chianti Classico bottlings of Badia a Coltibuono, Lilliano and Bibbiano, all made in a traditional style in large oak. In fact, I'm finding more Tuscan producers shifting toward more restrained use of oak, a welcome sign. There are many that still work with barriques, but even these producers seem to be relaxing a bit on the spice and vanilla flavors of new barrels. Let’s hope this trend of favoring fruit over wood continues in Tuscany!

It’s always exciting to try new releases of Brunello di Montalcino; this year the featured wines are the 2005 Brunello and the 2004 Brunello Riserva. 2005 is not garnering a lot of attention, given the fact that 2004 was an excellent vintage and 2006 is shaping up to be a promising year as well. However, I found the bottlings of 2005 Brunellos to be nicely balanced with very good acidity, balanced tannins and good to very good fruit persistence. Some bottlings are a bit tight as of now, while others are a bit lean, while some are soft and quite approachable. Among my favorites here were the offerings from Il Poggione (no surprise here!), Lisini (beautifully structured), Col d’Orcia, Uccelliera, Canalicchio di Sopra, the Campogivanni from San Felice, and the very elegant and beautifully styled Silvio Nardi “Vigna Manachiara”, one of this zone’s most consistent bottlings. I also liked two wines I tried for the first time, the “Vigna delle Raunate” from Mocali and the Tassi. The Mocali, from a 25 year-old vineyard, is aged for three years in large and mid-size oak and has a generous mid-palate and stylish acidity; this will drink well for 10-12 years. The Tassi is a bit less concentrated, but is extremely well balanced and is a wine of great finesse and elegance. Fabio Tassi produced the first Brunello under his own label with the 2004 vintage; he is off to an impressive start!

Fabio Tassi, an impressive new Brunello producer

(Photo ©Tom Hyland)

As for the 2004 Brunello Riserva, these are everything I had hoped they would be. There are some critics of 2004 Brunello who believe that the year was not as great as expected. While this may not be as long-lived a vintage as 2001, I do think this was a very special year – perhaps great – and the best proof of that comes with these Riserva bottlings. Wine after wine offered great concentration and structure for 15-20 years of aging, which is what I expect from this wine. Among the finest I sampled were the more modern-styled Banfi “Poggio al’Oro” and Caparzo (their first Riserva since 2001) along with the Il Poggione “Vigna Paganelli” and the Fuligni. The Il Poggione is deeply concentrated and a bit tight at present, but should be wonderful in 15 years or so, while the Fuligni is an amazing wine! Combining its beautiful perfumes, excellent concentration, lively acidity, subtle oak and elegant tannins, this is a textbook Brunello di Montalcino. If I had to give someone one wine from 2004 that I believed represented the vintage as well as any (as well as being a classic wine), it would be the 2004 Fuligni Brunello di Montalcino Riserva.

As for other notable wines, I thoroughly enjoyed the bottlings of Vernaccia di San Gimignano from Panizzi. Too often this Tuscan white is either much too plain or else laden with strong wood overtones by a vintner who wants to make more out of this wine than he or she should. The regular 2008 bottling from Panizzi has beautiful varietal character (pine and apple aromas), zippy acidity and a wonderful freshness, while the 2006 Riserva bottling is richer on the palate and carries its wood aging quite nicely, depsite the fact that the wine was fermented in barriques.

I also had the chance to catch up with the always charismatic Maria Elisabetta Fagiuoli of Montenidoli, another great Vernaccia producer. From talking with her and tasting her wines, you get the feeling that she’ll continue to do what she’s been doing until the big winemaker in the sky call for her, which we can only hope will be another 20-30 years from now at least! He regular bottling “Fiore” from the 2007 vintage is quite rich for an entry level Vernaccia, while her special releases speak to what can be achieved with this variety. My favorite wine from her is the “Carato” from 2005, a barrique-aged Vernaccia with lovely texture and deep concentration. Her wines – just like Maria herself – only improve with age!

A few other highlights included fresh, tasty examples of Soave from La Cappuccina (2009) and Cantina di Soave (2008 Classico). These wines represent the delighful, non-complicated side of Soave and are so easy to drink! I also enjoyed some beautiful bottlings of Prosecco, including the “Vigneto Giardino” from Adami that is much richer than most examples of this wine, along with two excellent offerings of Cartizze (a sub-zone of Prosecco that many consider to be the finest), from Mionetto (beautifully perfumed) and Bortolomiol (not as aromatic, but fuller on the palate).

I also concentrated on Friuli and discovered several wines I thought well balanced and very flavorful, including the 2008 Friulano and 2006 Refosco from Tenuta di Blasig; the 2008 Sauvignon from Colutta; the 2008 Sauvignon from I Feudi di Romans and the 2008 Friiulano from Petrussa.

Elisabetta Bortolotto Sarcinelli, Tenuta di Blasig, Isonzo DOC, Friuli

(Photo ©Tom Hyland)

I’ll discuss red wines in greater detail in the next few posts, but for now, notes on three reds I loved last week. The first is 2008 Celestina Fé Morellino di Scansano, styled in a traditional way in large oak – beautiful strawberry and red currant fruit here with silky tannins. Secondly, the 2006 Guado al Melo Bolgheri Superiore is a notable wine from this famous Tuscan coastal zone; one that has marvelous depth of fruit, excellent complexity and the structure to age for 10-12 years. Lastly, the new bottling of Syrah from Alberto Longo in Puglia labeled 4.7.7 – the dates of his dauther’s birth (2007). Lots of juicy mulberry and plum fruit with bitter chocolate notes – this is delicious!

Finally, I wanted to point out two bottlings of Vermentino from the 2008 vintage from Cantine Lunae in Liguria. The Grey label is simply delicious, bursting with lemon and dried pear flavors and a bit of saltiness from the nearby sea, while the Black label is richer with notes of acacia and apple peel in the aromas. Both are aged solely in stainless steel – no need to mess with the amazing aromatics with wood – and have vibrant acidity. The Black label received the Tre Bicchieri rating from Gambero Rosso in their 2010 edition and is fairly priced at $30; you might just enjoy the Grey label as much or even better, especially at $18, an amazing value!

Gambero Rosso's quirks

The 2010 guide from Gambero Rosso has been out for a few weeks now and I wanted to discuss their latest look at the top Italian wines of the year. While this admittedly is a far more important publication in Italy, there are many wine buyers and Italian wine fans in this country that look to this guide as a barometer of the finest bottlings from Italy.

I am not writing this to take them to fault with any one particular wine; that is an exercise in futility. If you like a wine and I don’t, it’s not a matter of one of us being wrong or right. Rather we can agree to disagree on a wine. It’s the same with Gambero Rosso, especially as they prefer riper, oakier wines more often than I do. But that’s the nature of the beast – you take them at face value. I may not like a particular Brunello, Barolo or Amarone that GR favors due to its style (and style is a large part of why any of us like a wine, whether we admit it or not), but at least if Gambero Rosso gives a wine its top award of Tre Bicchieri (three glasses), I want to know the wine is worthy of that honor.

Thus I have a problem with the 2010 guide awarding their highest rating to 33 examples of Barolo from the 2005 vintage. Barolo is certainly one of the two or three most exemplary red wines of Italy, but that doesn’t mean it’s great in every vintage and 2005 is proof of that. I tasted more than 150 examples this past May at the Alba Wines Exhibition, a first-rate event for journalists from around the world that I attend every year. Of the 150, I found four (that’s F-O-U-R) wines that I thought were of the highest quality.

Now granted, there are some famous bottlings I did not try then, so perhaps there are a few more examples I might have rated as outstanding. But it’s hard for me to believe that there are 30 Barolos from 2005 that are exceptional, as Gambero Rosso would have us believe. As I said previously, I want to know a wine is worthy of that honor and I don’t believe 2005 was the type of vintage that yielded greatness.

Perhaps Gambero Rosso has a quota for awarding a certain number of Barolos with Tre Bicchieri. How elese do you explain that last year (in the 2009 guide) they awarded 31 bottlings of 2004 Barolo with this award? Add in three additional 2004 Barolos given the award this year (these three wines were released later than most examples from 2004) and you have basically the same number of 2004 Barolos getting the top award as those from 2005. This is quite remarkable and in reality, quite a strange ranking of Barolo. I do like the 2005 Barolos very much (see my tasting notes on several dozen of these wines at the vinowire blog), but the vintage doesn’t come close to 2004. That was an outstanding vintage, as the wines were more deeply concentrated, with more pronounced aromatics and greater complexity. Quite simply, it’s a bit ridiculous to award as many Barolos from 2005 as highly as their counterparts from 2004. How else can you explain this except to think there is an allocation each year in the guide for a certain number of Barolos?

Contrast that with Brunello di Montalcino. While wine writers argue about the merits of 2004 for Brunello (I think it was excellent, while others have written that the wines are a bit light for the vintage and not that great), no one questions that 2004 was a far superior year for Brunello as compared with 2003. Happily, Gambero Rosso agrees, as last year they awarded only one 2003 Brunello (Biondi-Santi) with their top rating, while 16 bottlings of 2004 Brunello earned that award. This is a little more like it, so why the discrepancy between Barolo and Brunello? (By the way, GR, yes on the Tre Bicchieri to the 2004 Brunellos from Talenti – a wonderfully underrated traditional producer – Poggio di Sotto and Poggio Antico “Altero”, but why not Il Poggione, Col d’Orcia or Pian dell’Orino?)


I do want to point out that there are some very good Tre Bicchieri awards this year, especially to some wines that don’t get anywhere near the attention given to Barolo or Brunello. The 2007 Etna Rosso “Musmeci” from Tenuta di Fessina was honored with the top award and it’s nice to see this recognition for this new company. I visited the vineyards this past March and tasted the new releases and was thoroughly impressed. The “Musmeci” is a lovely, supple Etna red made from 80 year old vines; the morel cherry and red floral aromas are gorgeous and the wine is quite velvety. This is NOT a wine that favors power over elegance, so nice work by GR in recognizing this wine with their top honor.

Also, nice of GR to recognize Villa Monteleone with the award for their 2005 Amarone. Monteleone is managed by Lucia Raimondi, who has been responsible for everyday operations since the death of her husband a few years back. Her wines are as gentle as she is – she is such a lovely person and how nice that all of her hard work has paid off. This is an Amarone of suppleness; it’s nice to see another producer depart from the ultra ripe, oaky approach taken with too many examples of Amarone these days. By the way, if you like the Villa Monteleone Amarone, I think you’d love their Ripasso bottling labeled “Campo San Vito”; I think it’s a better wine than the Amarone.

Finally, congratulations to the superb Soave producer Ca’Rugate for two Tre Bicchieri awards, one for their 2008 “Monte Fiorentine” bottling (a wonderfully rich no-oak Soave Classico that is simply delicious) and for their 2007 Recioto di Soave “La Perlara”. For several years, Ca’Rugate has been one of the very best producers of Recioto di Soave (only Pieropan can match their consistency with this product, in my opinion) and it’s about time that GR gave them this award. In fact, I believe this is the very first time GR has given a Recioto di Soave their top rating. If you haven’t tried a Recioto di Soave, you will love this lush, lightly sweet dessert wine with a delicate nuttiness – it’s quite rich and it ages for a long time. Congratulations to winemaker Michele Tessari and the rest of his family for their work with these two wines and their entire lineup. Ca’Rugate is a great Italian winery and how nice that Gambero Rosso has noticed that (for several years now, I must add) as well!

Il Poggione Vertical

Leopoldo Franceschi, Owner of Il Poggione (Photo ©Tom Hyland)

One of my favorite Brunello producers for years has been Il Poggione, located just below the town of Sant' Angelo in Colle. Owned by Leopoldo Franceschi, the wines are beautifully made by Fabrizio Bindocci, a strict traditionalist. He ages his Brunello only in large casks (botti grandi); a few years ago he switched coopers and now uses French oak rather than Slavonian.

Bindocci and his son Alessandro hosted several journalists including myself for a wonderful vertical tasting at the winery this past February. Not only was it a rare opportunity to try several vintages of this great Brunello at once, it was also a chance to taste what Brunello was like more than 40 years ago. As Brunello has become a collector’s item, many new estates have sprouted up over the past 10-15 years. When the Il Poggione wine was made in 1966, there were only 26 producers of Brunello; today there are over 150. The local wine scene has certainly changed, but the outstanding quality of Il Poggione has not!


1997
Deep garnet with a brick edge. Aromas of cedar, orange marmalade and a hint of truffle. Medium-full with very good to excellent concentration. Earthy finish with very good fruit persistence. This should drink well for another 10-12 years. Outstanding

1991
Deep garnet with aromas of still fresh cherry, a hint of strawberry and cedar. Medium-full with excellent concentration. Long finish with beautiful acidity, subtle oak and refined tannins. Gorgeous wine – still with another 12-15 years of life to it. Outstanding

1988
Deep garnet with aromas of cedar, dried currant, sage and dried truffle. Medium-full with very good concentration. Very good fruit persistence and a long finish with a light herbal note. Lively acidity and subtle tannins. Drinking beautifully now, this should offer pleasure for another 7-10 years. Outstanding

1970
Pale garnet with a light edge. Aromas of dried currant, truffle and a hint of marmalade. Medium-full with excellent concentration. Quite elegant, this is beautifully balanced with subdued tannins. Nearing peak, this will drink well for another 5-7 years. Excellent

1966
Pale garnet with a brick edge. Aromas of cedar and truffle. Medium-full with very good to excellent concentration. Lengthy finish with pinpoint acidity. At peak- enjoy over the next 3-5 years. Excellent


I tasted the 2004 at a separate event. Here is my review of that wine:
As this is one of my favorite producers of Brunello di Montalcino, I expected an outstanding wine from the 2004 vintage; I was not let down. Deep bright garnet with aromas of red cherry, wild strawberry and cedar. Medium-full with very good to excellent concentration. Generous mid-palate and an elegant entry on the palate. Long, long finish with excellent fruit persistence, lively acidity and young, refined tannins. Typical class! Best in 15-20 years. Outstanding

Fabrizio Bindocci, Winemaker, Il Poggione (Photo ©Tom Hyland)

So much goes into making a great wine. Certainly having great material in the vineyards helps; Fabrizio Bindocci mentioned that as the local weather has been getting slightly warmer over the past few years, they have been planting new clones specifically created to work better at higher temperatures.

But perhaps the principal reason the Il Poggione team succeeds so brilliantly is their humility along with a constant belief that they can always improve the quality of their products. "I never think I make the best wine," Bindocci told me. "That way I can make better and better wine every year."

Reviewing Brunello - Il Poggione and a few other thoughts

Fabrizio Bindocci, winemaker, Il Poggione (Photo ©Tom Hyland)

Last week, Alessandro Bindocci of the great Brunello producer Il Poggione entered a new post on his Montalcino Report blog that featured Antonio Galloni’s review of the 2004 Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino. Galloni, the Italian specialist for Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, labeled the wine as “awesome” and commented that this wine “stood apart.”

I’d like to comment on this review, as it is a notable one. First, it’s good that Antonio was so generous in his review of this wine, especially as this is such a great estate and the 2004 is a stellar wine. I praised the wine back in February when I first tasted the wine in Montalcino as part of Benevenuto Brunello (Alessandro Bindocci also was kind enough to post my review of the wine, which you can read here – thank you Alessandro!)

Now that Galloni has written his review, I’ve been getting emails from retailers bragging about their price for this wine and of course, they have included Galloni’s review. I understand this, especially in this economy, as retailers are doing what they can to move this wine out of the store and bring in some much-needed cash.

But where were these retailers a few years ago? As dozens, if not hundreds of wine writers in Italy and the United States have known for years, Il Poggione has been one of the leading estates in Montalcino for more than four decades; there aren’t many estates that can make that claim. But the way these retailers are pushing this wine, you’d think this was a new producer.

One thing that will happen with some of the customers who buy this wine is that they will purchase it because of a review, meaning it could have been any producer, not just Il Poggione. These people are called cherry pickers and are notorious in the business as they buy the top rated wines whenever they can. But where were these people in previous years? Probably buying such wines as Casanova di Neri, a Brunello that has consistently received scores in the upper 90s in The Wine Spectator.

If so, this would be highly ironic, as Casanova di Neri produces a very ripe, very modern, international style of Brunello while Il Poggione remains in the traditional approach of winemaking for Brunello. So many customers are buying a wine because it gets a high score, not because they think they’ll like it.

I’d like to stay positive, but I’ve been around too long and have seen this before. I hope that the “new” customers of Il Poggione based on Galloni’s review will seek out Il Poggione when the next few vintages are released. So of course do Alessandro Bindocci and hs father Alessandro the winemaker! But let’s see what happens when the 2005 and 2006 are released; as these are two very good – but not great – vintages for Brunello, will the cherry pickers be there to support Il Poggione or will they look for other wines (perhaps not even Brunello) that receive higher scores?

Producing wine is a long-term business and love affair; vintners don’t just release wines from great vintages (great is such an overused and misunderstood term), they must release them from virtually every harvest. Readers of my newsletter have known of my love for Il Poggione for years; I rated their bottlings from 2002 and 2003 – two less than stellar years - as excellent. It’s easy for any producer to make a very good wine in a notable vintage such as 2004 (if you can’t, as they say, find another job!). But to me one of the best qualities about a producer such as Il Poggione has been their track record with Brunello. As I wrote earlier, how may estates have been at the top of their game for more than 40 years?

So for consumers, retailers or restaurant buyers who might be tempted to purchase a bottle or several of the 2004 Il Poggione Brunello based on Galloni’s review, please do the Bindoccis a favor and buy the wine when the 2005 is released next year – you will not be disappointed!

A few final notes: Antonio, congratulations again on getting it right. While no score was published with this review, I can only make an educated guess, but I’m sure the score will be in the mid to high 90s. If so, this is in contrast to James Suckling of The Wine Spectator, who awarded the wine 91 points. Some of you might be saying, “wait, 91 points is pretty good.” Well there’s a big difference between pretty good and stellar. The 91 from Suckling is a shrug on his part, letting us know he admires the wine, but isn’t wild about it. No surprise here, as the Il Poggione Brunello is all about elegance and harmony; it isn’t flashy enough for Suckling’s tastes.

So how nice that a major wine publication awards Il Poggione as among the very best of Brunello. But Antonio, two things. First, this mention of this wine “standing alone” among the 2004 Brunellos. While I’m sure that the Bindoccis are pleased, there are a dozen or so examples of 2004 Brunello that are first-rate including Sesta di Sopra, Pian dell’Orino, Talenti, Il Palazzone, Fuligni, Caprili and Uccelliera (read my February post on vinowire here). I want readers to know that there are other estates that made an outstanding 2004 Brunello and have been at the top of the pyramid of producers in Montalcino for several years and that all of these estates including Poggio Antico and Ciacci Piccolomini are to be commended as well for their recent Brunello releases.

So, Antonio, I’d rather you didn’t write that one wine stood alone among the 2004 Brunellos. It’s this type of wine writing that gives the business a bad name. It’s as though there has to be a best. Il Poggione is among the very best and has been for years. Let’s celebrate that. But let’s also remember another dozen or so producers that deliver the good every year.

Finally, I do have one more bone to pick with Signore Galloni, one that is far more serious than the one I just wrote about. That is in regards to his text about the Il Poggione where he writes that the wine was aged in French oak casks. This is accurate, but why write this? All this does is open up a can of worms.

Let me explain. To the average consumer that reads this, French oak aging for a Brunello will probably signify that the wine is made in a modern style. But nothing could be farther from the truth, as Il Poggione is a traditional Brunello producer, through and through. Yes, the oak happens to be French, but the casks are the large ones called botti grandi, which are the traditional ones that have been used to produce Brunello for more than a century; Fabrizio Bindocci made the decision a few years ago to work with new coopers, so his large casks are French oak and not Slavonian. The modernists, who prefer flashiness and ripeness over balance and subtlety, use the small barrels known as barriques (225 liters instead of the botti grandi, which range from 2000 to 6000 liters).

So Antonio, what is important about oak aging with Brunello is not where the wood comes from, but the size of the casks. This is something you need to communicate to your readers; it’s your responsibility to be accurate. Certainly, Galloni has heard of the scandal in Montalcino, where some producers have been accused of bypassing regulations, by including grapes other than Sangiovese. The big picture here deals with tradition versus doing what some people feel is right for the moment. Given that, it’s so important these days to let people know about traditional producers and how they view their work. Il Poggione is a traditional producer and one of the best.

Benvenuto Brunello

Montalcino seen through the trees on the hill path to the south


Here is the final installment of Bill Marsano's articles on the recent anteprime tastings held recently in Tuscany. Look for more articles from Bill soon! - Tom Hyland

Anteprime Part III:
Benvenuto Brunello
© 2009 By Bill Marsano
Photos by Bill Marsano


Come we now to Montalcino, belfry of Southern Tuscany, land of surprises.

Full many a first-timer in Italy heads straight for Chianti: Limitless media coverage has led him to believe that Italy is Tuscany and Tuscany is Chianti. Never mind: He benefits greatly from Italy's civilizing IV-drip of culture--landscapes that are the backgrounds of Renaissance portraits; vineyards in which, Ruskin said, "the vines with their young leaves hang as if they were of thin beaten gold"; meals that are emotional experiences.

Back home, his tuscanized soul goes into mourning. By winter, if his winter is not a season but a curse, he leans toward suicide. Rallying, he nips off to Barnes & Noble to buy the coffee-table likes of "The Tuscany I Love," "Hidden Tuscany," "Secret Tuscany" and "Enchanted Tuscany," plus two cookbooks and a calendar for lagniappe. These he lays by the fire, where soon thereafter he lays himself and a bottle of wine.

Begone, gray melancholy! Away dull care! By turning pages and sipping wine he is returned to Eden. Then something clicks and he asks himself "What Tuscany is this?" Vast horizons; gentle hills rolling like ocean swells; the hillock with its single lonely cypress are all so magnificent--but utterly unfamiliar.

Here's the surprise: Chianti is too hill-hedged for panoramas; it's southern Tuscany that gives grandeur and poetry to coffee-table books, and Montalcino is its portal. Go there soon as you can.


Low clouds cloak the barren vineyards below the town


I went for the anteprima, which is called Benvenuto [welcome] Brunello, and the wine returns the favor. There were 146 '04s to taste in a mere two days, plus a batch of '03 riserve, '07 Rosso di Montalcino by the long ton and '07 Sant'Antimos both red and white. More wines came from producers who hunted down journalist-victims (very willing ones, I might add) for lunches and dinners.

So many wines--so little time! So here I plead with the Consorzio: Add another day to this event, please!

How good is the ’04 vintage? Some Ilcinesi grumbled about Gambero Rosso's snub: Biondi-Santi got Brunello’s sole Tre Bicchieri gonfalon this year, and it was for an '03. Producers hereabouts have been used to collecting almost a dozen a year. Not to worry: '04 is good, very good and damned good. And after the disappointments of '02 and '03, a little hype (aggressive enthusiasm, maybe?) was inevitable and is excusable. Really, there was an awful lot to like at the Benvenuto.

Three bottles that took me especially are all from women producers--Giovanna Neri, Bruna Baroncini and Candace Máté.

Giovanna Neri, who is sister to Giacomo of Casanova di Neri, produces Col di Lamo, the newest of this trio (or is it triumvirate?). Brunello is in her blood, obviously, so her fine '04 Brunello should be no surprise. Still, it's only her second vintage. Surely that bodes well? Bruna Baroncini of Poggio il Castellare bids fair to become one of the leading women of Italian wine. She also owns Montepulciano's Il Faggeto, Quercia Rossa in the Maremma and Chianti Classico's Caruccio Barlettani--even an outpost in Georgia, where she blends Cabernet and the indigenous Saperavi grape. Candace Máté came to Tuscany in the late '80s wanting only to restore a farmhouse. She ended up making wine and, perhaps more important, learning, she says, to pretty much ignore what enologists tell her to do. Now she rests content without one, and her '04 says she's on the right track, as does her '03. (She even did pretty well in ’02.)

Donatella Cinelli Colombini, Argiano and Banfi also came up trumps. In a stroke of luck, so did several producers whose confusible names keep many of us guessing. For '04, at least, it's not critical to distinguish among Palazzone, Palazzo and La Palazzetta, or Ferrero from Ferro. Same goes for La Campana, Capanna, Capanne Ricci, Caparzo and Caprili; Col d'Orcia, Coldisole, Collelceto, Collemattoni and Il Colle; Siro Pacenti and Pacenti Franco-Canalicchio and Canalicchio di Sopra; and Le Chiuse and Gianni Brunelli-Le Chiuse di Sotto.

In the end, there was an embarrassment of riches: Pian delle Querci, Greppone Mazzi, Oliveto, Terre Nere, Tiezzi, Uccelliera, Ventolaio, Belpoggio, Bolsignano, Campogiovanni, Cantina di Montalcino, Casanuova delle Cerbaie, Casisano Colombaio, Castello Romitorio, La Serena, Castello Tricerchi, Castiglion del Bosco, Fattoi, Le Ragnaie, Fuligni, Il Marroneto, Il Poggione, Innocenti, L'Aietta, La Fortuna, Mastrojanni, La Gerla, La Lecciaia, La Magia, La Manella, La Velona-Monade 90, Lambardi, Le Gode, Le Ragnaie, Lisini, Marchesato degli Aleramici, Mocali, Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona, La Serena and Scopone.

Surely there are more: Colleagues applauded Niccolai-Podere Bellarina, Poggio Salvi, Abbadia Ardenga, Altesino, Castelgiocondo, Pianrosso, Donna Olga, La Fiorita and La Togata, and I really couldn't argue. This vintage is easy to like, and I include the above because I'd rather err on the side of caution. After all, we're judging infants, and under extreme conditions: again, so many wines, so little time. Then consider externals and mundanities: gossip and rumor; last night's too-long/too-wet dinner; the tanti expressi needed to restore life next morning. Is judgment affected by online peeks at the plummeting Dow? By a tasting tent so cold you could hang meat in it? A call from your divorce lawyer? Your wife's divorce lawyer?

Still, many writers manage to arrive at precise numerical ratings (even very precise: I saw one fellow using half-points!). That's an achievement, I’m sure, but I am nagged by the belief that a man who would rate wine would rate women and deserves neither.


The fortezza, with rainbow


As for visiting Montalcino, by all means, do. Its encircling walls and looming 14-Century fortezza are largely intact, there are several good restaurants and, about every 50 feet, a Brunello-packed enoteca. All in all, rather impressive for a town of only 5000 or so population.

Montalcino has dozed through most of its history, jolted awake only twice by events of moment. In 1260 a Florentine host of 35,000 swooped down toward Siena bent on conquest. Although greatly outnumbered, the Senesi and their allies triumphed at the battle of Montaperti. Montalcino, as one of those allies, was numbered among the victors, if only technically. The battle lasted all day but the Ilcinesi managed to arrive when it was over. Troops retiring from the field scoffed, shouting at them "Becca morti!"

That means "pick up the dead" or, freely, "undertakers." Even today Ilcinesi are sometimes called Beccamorti by those who are looking for trouble.

Then back to bed for nearly three centuries until, in 1255, "the Medici thief" led another Florentine attack on Siena. The government upped stumps and fled to Montalcino, where the Republic of Siena in Montalcino was declared. Besieged, the Ilcinesi held out until nearly starved out in 1259.

The fortezza, at the south end of town, gives glorious views from it ramparts and glorious glasses in its well-stocked tasting room; a few yards beyond is Sant'Egidio, a frescoed church containing remnants of the Republic's glory. Opposite is the town hall. One look at the distinct design of its slender tower tells you that Montalcino was--once--part of Siena.

There are hotels plain and fancy as well as affitta camere (one of them in a converted cantina) and, in the countryside, farms offering agriturismo. _There are two hotels just south of the town, the Bellaria and the (to me) unacceptable Al Brunello. For max luxe, keep going south to see the elegant rooms offered at Castello Banfi, which is just a few miles farther on a panoramic road (castellobanfi.com).

Nearby: the splendid abbeys of Sant'Antimo and Monte Oliveto Maggiore; Sant'Angelo in Colle, a jewel of a hilltown; Buonconvento (see its small but beautifully preserved northen end and you'll be one up on those—i.e., almost everyone else--who dismiss Buonconvento as entirely modern, ugly and commercial); and Paganico, a tiny walled town, hardly bigger than a castle, that still sits bravely astride the road to deter any enemy troops advancing from the west.

You might take a bottle Brunello and a picnic lunch to one of these sites. Or any of a hundred other.


Brunello—and the year 2009—are welcomed with a plea for peace

Fixing Brunello

Along with tasting the new releases of Brunello, one of the great pleasures in returning to Montalcino each February is meeting with my friend Mircko Giorgini, who I first encountered four years ago at the annual tastings. Mircko is a sommelier and a retailer who co-owns a first-rate enoteca in nearby Cerbaia. He’s been a great acquaintance, letting me know about many of the new producers of Brunello and offering his opinions on who he thinks makes great wines and who he thinks doesn’t. He seems to know just about every producer of Brunello, so he’s an invaluable source of information on this area’s wines.

So when I sat down to lunch with him at Al Baccanale in the town of Montalcino, the talk naturally turned to the recent problems with Brunello that have made news worldwide. Mircko talked not only about the obvious tribulations of certain producers who have been accused of adding Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon or other varieties to their Brunellos, but he also dealt with the bigger problem of where Brunello is headed. As there have been many opinons offered by American journalists as well as those from Italy (many of whom do not live in Tuscany), I was fascinated to hear the thoughts of someone who has first-hand contact with these wines on an everyday basis.

As for producing a Brunello that is not 100% Sangiovese, well as you can imagine, Mircko is strongly against this treatment. “I don’t want the greenness of Cabernet Sauvignon. I don’t want the color of Petit Verdot. Sangiovese is a great variety on its own, with garnet color and beautiful acidity.”

Continuing, he told me, “We’ve known that some producers have been adding other grapes for some time. You can tell it by looking at the wines or smelling them. This whole affair could have been ended very quickly if a local official would have stepped in and demanded to see the cellars. But you had people collecting big salaries who did nothing.”

For Giorgini, Brunello is about longevity, not trendiness. “We have to thank Giacomo Neri (the owner of Casanova di Neri, one of the most in-demand Brunello properties) for the 100 points he received for his wine a few years ago, because it has brought publicity to Montalcino. But many producers have tried to copy his wine in order to receive high scores from wine magazines. This has meant a change in the style of the wines.”

“Forget about the 95 or 97 points you might get today. What will the wines taste like in twenty or thirty years? This is what Brunello is all about. The great wines from the 1970s and ‘80s that are drinking well today. We need to remember these wines.”

Instant success is not what Giorgini is looking for in these bottlings. “A wine like Brunello really displays its terroir after eight years. Do the new style Brunellos do this as well?” He also thinks that some producers do not work as hard in certain less than successful vintages. “We have to strive to make great Brunello every year.”

For Giorgini, he sees his job as a salesman as someone who is an educator about Brunello; he believes he and his fellow owners of local enoteche have a special responsibility. “I think an enoteca is like a pharmacy. We need to give the customer the right medicine, so to speak. We have to make the right selection of wines. We have to sell the real Brunello.”