The best wines from Montalcino in Italy

Brunello di Montalcino. It is a concept for the wine connoisseur. Strong red wines from the Sangiovese grape from the municipality of Montalcino in Tuscany. Wines that can be stored for years before they are fully drinkable. But that reward patience with a lush spiciness and ripe notes of sweet tobacco.

Fifty years ago, the municipality of Montalcino had no more than 65 hectares of vineyards, on the border of the Chianti region and not far from the famous wine town of Montepulciano. The conditions for wine growing are exceptionally good in this Italian municipality. The Monte Amiata, which is more than 1700 metres high, protects the steep vineyards from heavy thunderstorms. There is an enormously varied soil that allows the winemaker to make 'blends' of the Sangiovese from their own vineyards. Because unlike in Chianti and Montepulciano, only the juice of the Sangiovese is used in Montalcino.

But just like the wine from Montalcino, Brunello had fallen into oblivion at the beginning of the 20th century. The legal regulations for making the wine - with very long maturation in large wooden barrels - lagged hopelessly behind developments in wine growing. This changed at the end of the nineties. Small barriques are permitted. The wine does not need to mature as long and can be sold earlier than before. And the latter is no problem for the winemakers these days.

Rosso di Montalcino

Despite the fact that the surface area of ​​the vineyards in Montalcino has increased 30-fold in half a century (to around 2000 hectares currently), the supply can barely keep up with the demand. That has driven up the price considerably. More and more wine lovers are therefore opting for a Rosso di Montalcino. The 'simpler version' of the Brunello. But often certainly interesting in terms of quality.