Mama Mia, it's Brunello !

Brunello di Montalcino is a pretty "recent" creation, having been invented by Biondi-Santi in 1888. Indeed he was the 1st one to bottle it and give it a distinctive name. The production area is a rather small one, delimited by the valleys of the Orcia, Asso and Ombrone rivers. Its shape is almost circular with a diameter of 16 Km. One of the most important features is the climate around Montalcino (110km south of Florence): warmer and drier than the Chianti zones, leading to a hefty alcohol level.
The production zone can be split in two. The Northern part, on galestro (friable rock, marl like) soil, has higher altitude vineyards when the southern part is warmer and heavier soil (clay). As a result, wines from the southern part are fuller and more forward than the northern wines which are usually more delicate (everything is relative though) and aromatics.

Brunello really exploded in the of the 20th Century. Until 1960, there were only 11 bottlers. In 2010, they are over 200 ....Yes, Brunello is trendy and selling, especially here in the US.
2 different Brunello can me made:
-Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
-Brunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCG

Because of the economic pressure, the time the wine must spend in wood (which is the same for the regular and Riserva) has been reduced to 2 years (42 months in 1980) . Ironically, many producers felt obliged to use small barrique to mark even more, and faster, their wines with disgusting oaky flavors. Well, at least, it seems to work for Suckling.

Of course, the only grape the allowed is the Sangiovese Grosso but apparently some producers forgot about it in the famous brunellogate when many of them were caught blending some cabernet sauvignon in...Why? I guess they did not think their wines were dark and big enough...Ha, isn't beautiful to sell more crap....

Anyway, before this tasting, I was a little scared to get only beefed up versions, oaked to death and with Port like aromas... Well, at the end, it did not turn out so bad.

All wines tasted blind then enjoyed over some nice duck confit and oeuf cocotte a la truffe.

2001 Fattoria di Fèlsina Berardenga Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia
Classic Italian funk on the nose with some cocoa and oak. Some dark cherry and prune. This is quite tight but powerful and on the palate there's not one fruit standing out in particular. Rather lowish in acidity, this is shutting down quickly. Too forget in the cellar for years.
The pirate in our tasting and totally Brunello like. The estate is located in the most south-eastern part of the Chianti Classico zone, very close to Siena and therefore very close to the Brunello zone. It also shares the same galestro soil. All this could explain its Brunello like profile.
2004 Collemattoni Brunello di Montalcino
First thing jumping at your nose is oak. A lot of it. Then, classic dark cherry with licorice and a hint of earthiness.
Full body, low acidity. Very nutty. Some heat. Tannins are smoother than in the Felsina Rancia but I guess that's because of the oak treatment.
I don't know where this is going. Will the fruit still be alive when the oak is integrated? Right now, this is an oaky mess and heavy.
1995 Poggio Antico Brunello di Montalcino
Right off the bat a different style than the Collemattoni and Rancia.More red fruits and more acidity. This is more about finesse than power.
Still, this bottle was showing some TCA signs. Too bad...

1982 Il Poggione (Proprietá Franceschi) Brunello di Montalcino
Very savory nose. At some times, I felt I was digging my nose in a bloody mary with all this celery salt, worchestire sauce. Different on the palate with sweet fruits. Bacon on the finish.
Still very much alive!
1999 Giovanna Ciacci Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta di Collosorbo
Licorice with some cherry, floral and earthy notes. Still a touch of oak (not obtrusive but still there). Ripe fruits, darker than red, with blackberry, burlat and some strawberry. Tannins have started to smooth out but this wine will benefit from a few more years. Absolutely no rush to drink. Overall a well balanced wine and very Brunello like. A good compromise of modern/traditional producer.
2005 Podere Loreto (Mastrojanni) Brunello di Montalcino
Very good. Nice elegant nose with plenty of red fruits, cherry with a touch of savory note (salami). Good acidity, intense on the palate but maybe the more feminine Brunello of our tasting. Firm tannins. Needs a few more years. Very good.

Good to see that in such a small appellation, size wise, there is a lot of different styles. Of course, our tasting was a very small batch of what's available but except for the Collemattoni, the oak was somewhat restrained and wines showed different faces.

To me, Italian wines have that "Italian Funk", that smell that leads you to Italy right from the first sniff. Luckily, most of those Brunello has this funk, wrapped in a light oaky licorice sweetness. But that's what Brunello is about: burly, more often masculine than not, full body with plenty of dusty cherry notes that screams for venison.

The next years will be interesting to see if the market, especially the American, is still hot for those over oaked and over ripe versions or if a shift in style, just like it happened for Chardonnay, will take place. And hopefully it will !