Montalcino is the modern wine miracle of Tuscany. Its signature red wine style, Brunello di Montalcino, was seldom exported during most of the 20th century. Until (relatively) recently, Montalcino’s viticulture was an insider secret. But it’s become an object of passionate desire among collectors, second only to Barolo. Let’s explore why.

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The Montalcino wine area

Hilltop vineyards have long surrounded the town of Montalcino, located about 80km south of Florence, in the province of Siena. However, the area’s wines were intended only for local consumption, reflecting the cultural framework of a nation segregated into many independent states and authorities. Even during the post-World War II economic boom, Montalcino had only one major producer: the now legendary firm of Biondi-Santi.

In the mid-20th century, the Santi family established a formula for producing a wine known as Brunello di Montalcino (Brunello being the local name for the Sangiovese grape). This involved a long period of ageing in wood, imbuing their wines with a formidable structure and longevity. Several leading estates follow this paradigm today, fashioning wines for patient oenophiles.

By the late 1970s, there were over 40 producers marketing a Brunello di Montalcino wine, although the style was still confined to the title of ‘local curiosity’. However, in the 1980s US firm Banfi decided to catapult Montalcino to global stardom. Their unprecedented investment (the brand now controls over 800 hectares of vineyards) coupled with relentless proselytising, ensured that Brunello di Montalcino found an enthusiastic audience in the US and elsewhere.

Awarded DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) status in 1980, Brunello di Montalcino has no shortage of acolytes. It is part of the top-tier DOCG club, which requires compliance with rules governing the permitted grape variety, yield and a minimum ageing period. Membership of the DOCG appellation has expanded significantly over the past 30 years. Both international and domestic capital has expanded the area under vine in Montalcino, and there are now approximately 200 winegrowers cultivating about 2600 hectares of vines. In 1960, there was barely more than 60 hectares. The area under vine extends from the town of Montalcino, situated south of Siena, to within a touching distance of the majestic Val d’ Orcia in the south-west.

Mirroring Chianti, the Montalcino region stakes its claim on topographical diversity. There are important differences in micro-climate, soil, altitude and aspect found across the zone. You’ll encounter concentrated and tannic wines, hand-crafted to last for decades, and bottles that are more approachable at a younger age.

In terms of climate, Montalcino is quite distinct from Chianti. The growing season is typically hot and dry, with less rainfall on average and higher summer temperatures than Chianti Classico. One of Montalcino’s secret weapons is the Amiata lava formation, which extends across the southern expanses of the region, protecting the vineyards from incoming storms. The best sites in the appellation are a viticultural paradise, combining dry/warm conditions with infertile rocky soils (vines thrive on poor soils, yielding small berries of concentrated fruit). In such conditions, you can produce wines of incomparable complexity and power.

Montalcino wine production

Unlike the Chianti Classico DOCG, Brunello di Montalcino only allows one grape variety in the bottle. Every vintage of this venerable style must be based on 100% Sangiovese. This is currently non-negotiable, although some growers would like the rules to be changed. Nevertheless, for now, Brunello stakes its reputation on the unadulterated magic of the Sangiovese grape.

Different producers have varying ideas on the best vessel for ageing (by law, the wines must be aged for a minimum of two years in oak) and the amount of bottle age. Some prefer to use French barrique, whereas others favour large Slavonian oak vats. Under the DOCG rules, Brunello must be aged for a total of four years (five for the Riserva tier) and the wines must be in bottle for at least four months prior to their commercial release. Some of the traditionalists like to age their wines for longer.

Yet within this diversity, you can spot unifying characteristics when sampling different Brunellos. A quintessential example is a red wine of great depth and intensity. Typically full-bodied, Brunello will balance its powerful structure with a pleasing freshness and racy acidity. In its youth, red and black fruit flavours dominate. With age, aromas of hazelnut, leather, truffle, chocolate and dried fig will emerge. Powerfully scented, older vintages of Brunello can take you on an unrivalled sensory journey. In the cellars of Biondi-Santi, you’ll find bottles from the 1950s which are still alive. There is an almost indestructible quality to the best vintages of Brunello di Montalcino.

Choosing a Montalcino wine

Each bottle of Brunello shines at the dinner table. Shin of beef, slow-cooked, was designed to complement top-quality Sangiovese. Roast lamb is another favourite choice and a ubiquitous staple of Montalcino’s hearty gastronomy. The local tradition is to serve Brunello with bistecca alla fiorentina. Tuscany’s landmark T-bone steak must be sourced from the indigenous Chianina beef, or so the purists argue. Hard cheeses like pecorino also match well.

Montalcino’s finest offering is undeniably Brunello, but there are other options if you desire a lighter wine style. The Rosso di Montalcino DOC was created in 1984, started as an experiment to widen access to the wines of Montalcino. It has been an enormous success. Produced from 100% Sangiovese and made in the same delineated geographical zone, Rossi di Montalcino nonetheless plays to a different tune. The wines are often made from younger vines and can be released after a short period of one year. They provide an affordable and fruit-driven alternative to the sometimes very tannic and expensive wines of Brunello.

Rosso di Montalcino allows consumers to experience Brunello’s charms but at a modern-day pace. Taste the two side-by-side and you’ll instantly discern key differences. Rosso will be lighter, softer and more accessible. The fruit profile will pronounce flavours of red cherry, strawberry and plum. There will be less tannin and the wines lack the longevity of Brunello. But they also work fantastically well at mealtimes. Rosso di Montalcino is ideal with pasta dishes, particularly tomato-based sauces like arrabbiata and puttanesca. It cuts through the tangy acidity with ease.

The Montalcino zone also plays host to a number of eclectic Super Tuscan wines. Often based on Cabernet Sauvignon/Sangiovese blends, these wines used to have only one thing in common: they could not belong to any DOCG or DOC appellation. In the eyes of the law, they were considered mere table wines until 1992. That year, the authorities introduced the Toscana IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) designation. It gave Super Tuscan producers their own, very respectable regulatory framework, while simultaneously protecting their right to use non-indigenous grape varieties.

The Toscana IGT allows winegrowers in Montalcino the freedom to experiment and test their creative mettle. The styles of wine produced under this banner can vary greatly; blends of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are certainly popular and usually delicious. According to the IGT rules, the wines must display the vintage year and producer name, and be made from at least 85% of one of several permitted red and white varieties. These include Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc. It is impossible to pigeonhole the wines you may encounter. We can only say that Montalcino Bordeaux blends tend to be full-bodied, expressive wines, bursting with flavours of chocolate, cassis, cedar and damson.

Every Italian wine region asks itself: should we focus exclusively on traditional grape varieties and time-honoured flavours, or embrace diversity and change? Montalcino demonstrates that you can do both.

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