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Italian wines: Brunello di Montalcino, all you need to know

Writer's picture: Luca BellavitaLuca Bellavita


Brunello di Montalcino DOCG

Brunello di Montalcino is an intense ruby ​​red wine.

Visually, it is clear and brilliant, with a lively garnet colour. It has an intense, persistent, broad, and ethereal aroma. It is appreciated for its hints of black cherries and berries, with tertiary notes of spices and vanilla due to ageing in wooden barrels.



Brunello di Montalcino comes from grapes grown in the Sangiovese territories and owes its name to the vine that has historically retained the name of Brunello. The territory is that of the Sienese hills, and the placing on the market takes place, as per tradition, on January 1st of the fifth year after the harvest. During this long period,

Brunello spends at least two years in barrels, rigorously made of oak wood, before moving on to the bottle and completing its level of refinement.


Brunello di Montalcino, therefore, represents the idea of a clear and lively wine, brilliant in colour and intense in aroma. It offers the palate a broad and persistent flavour, which continues to satisfy the palates of experts and connoisseurs.


In 1960, Brunello di Montalcino was the first wine awarded the DOC and achieved the DOCG in 1980. Its origin dates back to the second half of the 19th century when Ferruccio Santi di Montalcino selected and began to vinify grapes of a variety of Sangiovese known locally as "Brunello" due to their dark colour.


The maximum grape yield is 80 quintals per hectare, while the percentage established by the production specification is 68% for the wine yield. It is also permitted to specify on the label which area of the territory ("Vigna", for example) the grapes used for winemaking come from.


Brunello di Montalcino DOCG

It needs to age for five years in wooden barrels from the time of harvest before being released to the market (extended to six years for the "reserve" version), with at least two of those years in oak barrels and for a period of at least another four months in the bottle (six months for the reserve).


Brunello di Montalcino is a wine of great longevity and requires long refinement before reaching the top of its quality level. Examples of Brunelli aged for periods ranging from 10 to 30 years and more are available.


Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Caracteristics

  • Production area: Historical border of the Municipality of Montalcino Sangiovese.

  • Grape variety: (called, in Montalcino, "Brunello")

  • Maximum grape yield: 80 quintals per hectare

  • Grape yield in wine: 68%

  • Minimum ageing in wood: 2 years in oak

  • Minimum ageing in a bottle: 4 months (6 months for the Riserva type) Intense ruby ​​red

  • Colour: Tending towards garnet due to ageing

  • Odor: Characteristic and intense

  • Perfume: Dry, warm, slightly tannic, robust and harmonious flavour

  • Minimum alcohol content: 12.5% ​​Vol.

  • Minimum total acidity: 5g/lt

  • Minimum net dry extract: 26 g/lt

  • Bottling: Can only be carried out in the production area

  • Release for consumption: Cannot be released for consumption before 1 January of the year following the end of five years calculated considering the harvest year (6 years for the Riserva type)

  • Packaging: Brunello di Montalcino can only be marketed if packaged in Bordeaux-shaped bottles.

Serve it at room temperature (approximately 18-22°C) in large glasses with plenty of light, enabling the appreciation of its intricate and nuanced bouquet. For vintage wines, it is advisable first to decant them to allow proper re-oxygenation and to remove any sediment at the bottom.




Brunello di Montalcino was recognized as a CONTROLLED AND GUARANTEED DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN with Presidential Decree 1/7/1980. Subsequently, various changes were made. Below are the rules established by the current regulations as provided for by the Decree 19/5/1998. https://www.consorziobrunellodimontalcino.it/it/583/vini




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