Brunello di Montalcino

This is a Controlled and Guaranteed Designation of Origin (DOCG) red wine. Made with 100% Sangiovese grapes fermented in steel and aged in wood for at least 24 months.

Recommended ageing period: 5-10 years from the production specification release date, around 50 months from the harvest.

– Alcohol by volume: 14% Vol.
– Made throughout the Montalcino area in the zones identified in the production specifications.
– Store in the cellar at a constant temperature of 11 to 15 °C for several years; at room temperature only for a few weeks.
– Serve at 18°C in large glasses with a slightly flared rim to favour decanting.

Characteristics (visual, scent, flavour):
Ruby red with garnet highlights. Its aromas range from red berries to plum jam, blood orange, and wilted violet with spicy notes of cinnamon and cloves. Mouth-filling with energetic, noticeable tannins but pleasantly smooth.
The wine’s structure is a perfect match for the characteristics of this extra mature Grana Padano. In particular, the wine’s intensity and finish harmonises with the aromas of the cheese both in scent and taste, while the savouriness of the cheese is well balanced by the wine’s alcohol and tannins content.

Curious facts
One of the first wines to be awarded DOCG status, in 1980. In 1999, the American Wine Spectator journal ranked Brunello di Montalcino in the 20th century’s top 12 wines and in 2006 a Brunello di Montalcino ranked number one in the world.
There is also a Riserva, for which the minimum ageing period is over 60 months.
It is fairly easy to source in both wine shops and at large-scale retailers.

Other full bodied red wines recommended with extra-mature Grana Padano:
– Barolo
– Barbaresco
– Sforzato di Valtellina
– Amarone della Valpolicella
– Romagna Sangiovese
– Torgiano Rosso Riserva
– Taurasi
– Aglianico del Vulture