Banfi makes this on the southern side of Montalcino, in the warm hills that run down towards the Orcia river. It is Sangiovese and nothing else, aged long enough to soften the grape's grip without sanding it away. The 2018 growing season in Tuscany was even and unhurried, and the wines have a freshness that the hotter years do not always give.
- Sangiovese, the only grape allowed in Brunello.
- Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany.
- 2018, a balanced vintage in the region.
- Full body, high tannin, high acidity, dry.
- 14% alcohol, 750ml.
How it is made
Brunello di Montalcino must be 100% Sangiovese, and the appellation requires at least two years in wood followed by four months in bottle before it can be sold. The rules are strict because the zone is small, a ring of hills around the town of Montalcino south of Siena, warmer and drier than Chianti to the north. That warmth is what gives Brunello its weight and its darker fruit.
How it tastes
Sour cherry at the front, then dried herbs and leather as it opens. There is a balsamic note underneath, the sweet-savoury kind that shows up in Sangiovese from these hills. The tannins are firm and the acidity is high, so the wine stays lifted rather than heavy despite its size.
Good to know
Brunello was the first Italian wine to be granted DOCG status, in 1980. The name comes from the old local word for the grape, brunello, meaning brownish, after the colour the skins take as they ripen.
Contains alcohol.
