Regarding background stories on grape names, Blood to one of the most impressive of all because it comes from Latin Blood Thursday or Blood of Jove, who refers to the Roman king of the gods, better known as Jupiter. And when it comes to the most beautiful region of Tuscany (or all of Italy) for Sangiovese, DOCG Brunello di Montalcino reign supreme. Largely considered to be the house of the most beautiful expression of the grapes, it takes its name from a dark colored clone called Sangiovese roughly which is locally known as BruneloWhich means brown. The Brunellos 2020 arrived on our banks and after sampling a large selection of what the region has to offer, we are very enthusiastic about the vintage.
We all remember 2020 as a period of crisis, but many winegrowers of the northern hemisphere have a different impression. “We had time to look at the vineyards very closely and essentially to polish all the leaves of the trellis,” explains Antonio Zaccheo, owner and export director of Carpineto, referring to a summer and harvest season during which life seemed to take place. “Apart from that, it was a five -star vintage because time has cooperated very well.” The rains at the beginning of the summer brought good water reserves in the region and helped feed the vines through hot days in August. Fortunately, it has never become too hot, and things were cooled at night, especially in the vineyards which reach up to 1,900 feet above sea level, allowing optimal maturation and great freshness in the grapes.
In addition to being a formidable year for the growth of blood, the 2020 vintage is also known for the introduction of Bruelllo shape, A new vintage assessment model for Brunello. Until 2021, the consortium Or the authority of the local wine has awarded a star note which gave between one and five stars to the global vintage. This note was awarded and published at the Benvenuto Brunello Show each year, held only four months after harvest. The system was interrupted in 2021 to offer an opportunity for “reflection and innovation”. The Brunello Forma structure includes examining the meteorological database on 39 weather stations throughout the region, an analysis of the Brunello sample on wines already in bottle and finished – not wines that had just been introduced to a barrel – and tasting by an international panel of wine masters.
Time in 2020 was ideal.
“I believe that the 2020 Brunello is a kind of turning point in the history of Montalcino,” explains Gabriele Gorelli MW Robb report. “It was a warm, but never warm vintage, interpreted by producers in a particularly refreshing way in the glass.” The host of a series of press and trade in the 2020 press and trade tastings in the United States, Gorelli, the first Master of Italian wine, worked with the Consorzio during the vintage assessment. “The 2020 vintage has delivered wines that are undoubtedly ripe, attractive, accessible and balanced,” he said. “They amply demonstrate the heat and complexity of the climate of this year, but also reflects the exuberance and energy of Brunello.”
Accessible is a word that many winegrowers and cellar owners do not want to hear, in particular from an inherited region which is considered very collectable and worthy wines. We have tasted a large selection of vintage wines and found the word generously dispersed throughout our tasting notes, which means that wines are ready to drink now. Yes, they will mature free of charge if they are stored properly, but many wine lovers, especially the youngest, do not have a dedicated cellar or cooler of wine and buy wine to taste in the present rather than an indefinite point on the road when it reaches the perfect point of drinking. The flavors, textures and tank levels varied from one bottle to another, but through the table, we noted flavors of black cherry, raspberry and pomegranate with notes of spices and vanilla and sweet touches of leather and terror. The tannins ran on the polished side and succulent rather than diving or softness, and acidity tended to be at the live and luminous end of the spectrum.
While the vintage initially received five stars in spring 2021, the Brunello Forma system sums up 2020 as “captivating, brilliant and delicious”. Gorelli explains that “captivating” refers to the “ability to be simultaneously attractive and intriguing” of wine, while “brilliant” indicates its “freshness, dynamism and liveliness”, and the keyword “succulent” is a sign of head. He thinks that his friendly profile “will command it in restaurants a joy”, and he is not alone in this belief. Brian Leider, sommelier in Oceans in New York who attended Gorelli's tasting, said: “With the 2020s, the future is now”, adding that it is a “vintage that I would recommend the table with tannins which already well and flexible”. Irene Justiniani, who is a sommelier in New York Torrisi, called this a large vintage overall – “The wines are fresh and open but with a large structure.” While she will serve the 2020s as soon as they arrive, Justiniani also plans to store a few bottles to see how they evolve.
Justiniani particularly appreciated the pian of Querci and Collemattoni, while Leider checked Sasso Di Sole and the Fornace. Among the bottles we have tried, we understand Castel Giocondo, Argiano, Banfi, Col d'Orcia, Carpineto, Mocali, San Polo, San Lorenzo and Silvio Nardi. With 209 vineyards and 5,189 acres of vines dedicated to the production of Brunello di Montalcino, this beautiful region centered on a medieval Tuscan city offers wine enthusiasts a wide range of 2020 options, who drink very well now.
