Picture a golden land of sun-kissed beauty, with temperate sea breezes and rolling hills as far as the eye can see. The hills are topped with charming villages, the streets are lined with cypress trees, and vineyards grace the hillsides. 

Of course, this is Tuscany, one of the most well-known and prolific wine-producing areas of Italy. It is home to three major regions: Chianti, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, and Brunello di Montalcino. 

The secret to this area of Italy may well be the climate, where the daily temperature variation is credited for maintaining the balance of sugars, acidity, and aromatics of the grapes.

One of the most prestigious wines produced in this area is Brunello di Montalcino. It is termed a DOCG wine, meaning Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita, or in English: Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin. 

According to Mary Gorman-McAdams of Kitchen.com, “The DOCG wine designation was created in 1980 to differentiate the top Italian wines… each wine must pass an in-depth technical analysis and tasting to receive the official DOCG seal of approval from the Ministry of Agriculture.”

The hilltop town of Montalcino lies just south of Sienna, Italy. The characteristic thick-skinned Sangiovese Grosso grapes grown on its slopes are the exclusive component of Brunello di Montalcino. 

On WineSearcher.com, Brunello di Montalcino is described as, “…typically garnet in color with aromas of red and black fruit with underlying vanilla and spice, and perhaps a hint of earthiness. The wines are usually full-bodied with alcohol levels around 14 or 15 percent abv [alcohol by volume]. Good tannic structure and bright acidity provides balance.”

Wine Revealed wine expert Marco Stevanonni has high praise for Brunello, calling it a “king of wines” and one of the most important wines of Italy. He suggests is as a special occasion wine, a wine of such high quality that it will help you to capture a very special moment. “Once you are drinking Brunello,” he adds, “you are drinking well.”

Marco advises that these are not cheap wines, and the lowest threshold for a good Brunello is $55, with the better ones coming is as $85 per bottle. This is due in large part to the work and cost that goes into making these wines. 

One of the amazing estates that was visited in the Wine Revealed series was Castiglion del Bosco, one of the founding estates of the Brunello di Montalcino consortium. Here we met with wine expert Cecilia Leoneschi. 

Castiglion del Bosco means “old castle in the woods,” and is an example of how Italian wines often take place names that are descriptive or identifying. Depending on the Vintage, the estate produces about 240,000 bottles per year, and is the fifth largest producer in Montalcino.

Asked about her own background, Cecilia says, “I was born into wine growing. My father was viticulturist, so for me it was easy.” She adds that women bring certain sensibilities to winemaking, while men bring practicality, and together they make the best product. 

Her favorite part of her work is being out in the vineyard, “staying in contact with the soil, and nature, and the vines.” Her next favorite part is aging, because, “it is the very quiet part of the life of the wine.”

Cecilia also enjoys being with people who are tasting Brunello wines for the first time. People note the finesse and elegance, the long finish, and delicate aromas of these wines. They know immediately that they are drinking something very special. 

The current vintage available for sale is the 2014. It is an approachable wine and ready to drink now. Cecilia suggests decanting and letting the wine breathe 2 hours before serving, a step which will refine the balance. Alternately, it can be stored and further aged for 5-10 years. In terms of pairing, she suggests meat, pasta with rich sauce, or cheese. 

Brunello can be described as a terroir wine, a term used to refer to the land and climate in which the grapes were grown, and their unique characteristics as represented in the wine. In other words, when you drink a terroir wine, you are experiencing the place that the wine came from. 

Like many terroir wines, Brunello is a direct reflection of the soil, minerals, altitude, sun and climate where it is grown. Cecilia explains that because of the altitude and the way the grapes face, they get ideal temps, especially as harvest gets closer in September. This is perfect for tannin ripening. Their wines use a lot of tannins in the aging process, so having just the right level of tannins is crucial. 

The long aging that these wines undergo in large casks allows for less wood contact and oxygenation than the younger, fruitier wines that are aged in smaller barriques, or French barrels. The long aging of the finest Brunellos develops an incredibly complex wine that is tannic and dry. 

Because the price point is high on Brunello di Montalcino, it is not something the average wine drinker will have on a daily basis, but, according to Madeline Puckette of Wine Folly, “it’s one of those wines to know and perhaps try… at least once in your life.” And if it takes you a while to get around to this one, no worries, she adds, “It’s worth the wait.”