Fine Wine: The Pinnacle of Sangiovese - Brunello di Montalcino 2019 Horizontal

Join us for a very special evening as wine school founder, Jimmy Smith, presents Brunellos from the wonderful 2019 vintage. This tasting will be a fascinating insight into Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany's ultimate DOCG wine, discovering its rich history, culture and all its grapegrowing and winemaking factors.

Brunello is the pinnacle of what the Sangiovese grape can achieve and is a global touchstone for the variety – and great red wines in general. The evening will feature eight hand-selected Brunello wines, all made from Sangiovese, as chosen by the head of the Brunello di Montalcino Consorzio, to reflect the diversity that is crafted in this iconic part of Tuscany. 

Brunello di Montalcino DOCG

One of Italy's (and the world's) greatest wines, Brunello di Montalcino is a small wine region in southern central Tuscany, producing particularly impressive wines from the Brunello grape – a local strain of Sangiovese. In Tuscany, its homeland, it ranks alongside Chianti Classico. On global markets, it seems to command even greater attention.

DOCG regulations require Brunello vineyards to be planted on hills with good sun exposure. Fortunately, the climate in Montalcino is one of the warmest and driest in Tuscany. Achieving full ripeness is consequently a rarely encountered problem for Brunello's grape growers. Naturally, microclimates vary between the different vineyard sites depending on their exposure. Grapes grown on the northern slopes tend to ripen more slowly, resulting in racier styles of wine. On the southern and western slopes, however, the grapes are exposed to more intense sunlight and cool maritime breezes, resulting in more complex and powerful wine styles. Top Brunello producers tend to own vineyards on all of the finest terroirs. This allows them to create base wines of both styles and to use those to create a blend in their desired style.

Brunello is typically garnet in color with aromas of red and black fruit, with underlying vanilla, spice and perhaps a hint of earthiness. The wines are usually full-bodied with alcohol levels around 14-15% ABV. Good tannic structure and bright acidity provide balance. They are often long and haunting on the palate.

Wines on tasting from the 2019 vintage:

• Brunello di Montalcino, La Magia
• Brunello di Montalcino, Casisano
• Brunello di Montalcino, Villa Poggio Salvi
• Brunello di Montalcino, Ruffino
• Brunello di Montalcino, San Polo
• Brunello di Montalcino, Tenuta Castelgiocondo
• Brunello di Montalcino, Caparzo
• Brunello di Montalcino, Capanna