Collection: Brunello di Montalcino DOCG

Brunello di Montalcino DOCG is one of Italy's most prestigious appellations, native to southern Toscana around the town of Montalcino in the province of Siena. It is a full-bodied, structured red wine and one of the great Tuscan expressions of Sangiovese. Every bottle in this selection comes from precisely this delimited appellation, whose origin is established by law.

Brunello is made exclusively from Sangiovese, here in the locally identified Brunello clone historically associated with Sangiovese Grosso. It is not generic Sangiovese, but precisely this clone that the rules prescribe, and it is a meaningful part of the appellation's identity. The grape gives the wine its powerful tannin structure and remarkable ageing potential.

The ageing requirements are among the appellation's most distinctive features. A standard Brunello di Montalcino DOCG must age at least 5 years from harvest, of which at least 2 years in oak barrels and at least 4 months in bottle, and can be released no earlier than 1 January of the fifth year after harvest. A Riserva must age at least 6 years, of which at least 2 years in barrel and at least 6 months in bottle, with release no earlier than 1 January of the sixth year. The barrel ageing can take place either in large, traditional barrels of Slavonian oak or in smaller French oak barrels, and the rules do not prescribe a particular type.

In the glass you meet a wine with forest-floor, smoky nuances and a characteristic note of black cherry in both aroma and flavour. It is an expression that rewards patience, and one that pairs well with an unhurried meal, where you have time to let the wine unfold. If you are looking for the younger, earlier-released version from the same zone, Rosso di Montalcino DOC is the obvious counterpart.

If you want to explore the Tuscan context further, we also carry a broader selection of wines from Toscana and from the rest of Italien, where Sangiovese shows itself in many different forms. Brunello di Montalcino stands as one of the most striking, and the rolling landscape around Montalcino is part of the story of the wine.