What is Montalcino wine?

Brunello di Montalcino is a wine made with 100% Sangiovese with Italy's highest DOCG classification. Sangiovese is the wine that most wine critics cite to be the best in all of Italy. Whether or not it is the best is entirely up to you, but it's one of those wines to know and perhaps try… at least once in your life.

What is the difference between Montalcino and Montepulciano?

The reds from Montalcino are pure Sangiovese, whereas in Montepulciano a minimum 70% Sangiovese is stipulated for both the Vino Nobile and the Rosso. The other permitted grapes are Canaiolo (up to 20%), Colorino and Mammolo.

Is Montalcino a grape?

Montalcino is the warmest and driest area in Tuscany, which allows the sangiovese grapes planted there to achieve maximum ripeness.

What does Brunello wine taste like?

Compared to other Sangiovese wines, Brunello offers a fleshy texture with primary flavors of blackberry, black cherry, black raspberry, chocolate, leather and violets. Brunello wines usually have medium-to-high tannins, high acidity, high alcohol and a medium body.

Is Brunello the best Italian wine?

If you're looking for a knockout Italian wine, you can't do much better than Brunello. Brunello di Montalcino is one of Italy's most revered wines, and arguably represents the apex of what the Sangiovese grape is capable of.

Your Quick Guide to Brunello di Montalcino Wines

Is Brunello a Chianti?

Both wines are made from variations of the Sangiovese grape. In Chianti, the grape varietal used to produce wines is Sangiovese Piccolo. In Brunello di Montalcino, the grape varietal used to produce wines is Sangiovese Grosso, which is commonly known as Brunello.

Is Brunello expensive?

Brunello is the most expensive wine (1,085 euros per hectoliter), followed by Amarone and Barolo. The panorama of average prices at the origin of the main wine denominations of the Belpaese, in its production summit, shows a 2019 with many confirmations and some important fluctuations.

Is Brunello like pinot noir?

Brunello is often compared with the Pinot noir wines of Burgundy with its smooth tannins and ripe, fruit driven character. The high acidity of the wine allows it to pair well with food, especially grilled meat and game. A large portion of Brunello sold in the United States is purchased in restaurants.

Is Brunello similar to Cabernet Sauvignon?

Let's start with how the two wines are similar: Both Brunellos and Cabernet Sauvignons are rich, full-bodied red wines. Brunello is the name of a wine that comes from the Montalcino region in Italy's Tuscany; by law, Brunellos are made using 100 percent Sangiovese grapes.

How do you drink Brunello?

Always make sure to serve Brunello at the right temperature (cool it down for 30 minutes in the fridge when needed). Too hot or too cool wine can really destroy the taste. The best temperature to serve a Brunello is between 18°C and 20°C or 64°F and 68°F.

What is special about Brunello wine?

Noted for having thicker-skinned berries, and because of this, Brunello produces wines with exceptionally bold fruit flavors, high tannin, and high acidity. The fruit is a contributes to the enduring popularity of Brunello di Montalcino.

Is Chianti a sweet or dry wine?

Chianti Classico is a dry, red wine made only in a specific part of Tuscany in central Italy. Here's how to make sure you're getting the real deal. Specifically in central Tuscany, in the mountain-air-cooled hills between Siena and Florence by the Monti Chianti.

What is Sancerre grape?

Sauvignon Blanc is a white wine grape, while Sancerre is the name of a wine region in France's Loire Valley where the white wines from are made exclusively from Sauvignon Blanc. White wines from Sancerre are known for their vibrant acidity and flinty notes.

What is difference between Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino?

A big difference between the two wines is the blend. Chianti Classico allows a blend of up to 10% of other grape varietals besides Sangiovese, while Brunello's strict rules require it to be made with 100% Sangiovese grapes.

Is it better to stay in Montalcino or Montepulciano?

Montepulciano is larger and so has more restaurants, but with only 3 nights you will find plenty of good restaurants in both towns. Montalcino is less steep, and so easier to walk around.

Are Chianti and Sangiovese the same?

The main grape in both appellations is Sangiovese. In Chianti Classico, the wine must be made from at least 80 percent Sangiovese grapes. In Chianti, only 70 percent needs to be Sangiovese. And while Chianti Classico only allows red grapes, Chianti allows up to 10 percent white grape varieties.

What is the most popular wine in Italy?

What is the best selling wine in Italy?

Should Brunello be decanted?

Brunello di Montalcino wine should be served in ample shaped rounded crystal glasses, so as to gather its composite harmonious bouquet. It should be served at a temperature of 18°C-20°C. The very old bottles should be decanted into a crystal jug, in order to oxygenate them better and offer the wine in its total purity.

What is the Italian equivalent of Pinot Noir?

In Italy, where Pinot Noir is known as Pinot Nero, it has traditionally been cultivated in the Alto Adige, Collio Goriziano, Oltrepò Pavese and Trentino regions to produce Burgundy-style red wines.

Is Brunello di Montalcino a Cabernet Sauvignon?

It can be similar to a Cabernet Sauvignon but it is much more acidic which pairs well with tomato and vinegar-based Italian cooking. Brunello is one of the Italy's best-known and most expensive wines. It is fuller bodied and more tannic than most Sangiovese wines but it is similarly acidic and not very aromatic.

What Italian wine is most like Cabernet Sauvignon?

Lagrein is a very fascinating variety from Northern Italy in Alto Adige with black peppery notes and good acidity. It makes wines that have a striking resemblance to Cabernet Sauvignon.

Is a Brunello Merlot?

Rosso di Montalcino, the so-called baby Brunello, will continue to be made from 100 percent Sangiovese. Montalcino's wine producers have rejected two proposals that would have allowed blending other grape varieties—up to 15 percent—into the Tuscan wine.

Why are Brunellos so expensive?

One reason Brunello is expensive is it isn't made in large quantities, so any of these specific wines will likely be hard to find, though we found at least a couple of Brunellos in every store we visited. Good Brunello ages well for many years.

What is the difference between Rosso and Brunello?

Rosso e Brunello di Montalcino: differences

Rosso di Montalcino is a young wine and easier to drink, which combines a superb structure to great freshness. It is an extremely enjoyable wine, not based on powerness and body, very versatile in terms of food pairings. Brunello di Montalcino is an intense ruby red wine.