The hidden gem of Tuscany

ITALY! With more than 20 wine-growing regions, aficionados are truly spoilt for variety and choice. Loosely grouped into north, south and central, each of the country’s regions brings their own distinctive characteristics. 

Tuscany, located in central Italy and famous for its scenic beauty, is home to the Sangiovese grape.

With its high level of acidity and tannin, the red grape is late to ripen and needs the kind of warm climate that Tuscany is known for. Expect aromas of red cherries, plums, licorice and dried herbs to fill your senses. 

Brunello di Montalcino is the red wine made in the commune of Montalcino in Southern Tuscany. 

Brunello is the local name for the Sangiovese grape, and Montalcino is where some consider the finest expression of Sangiovese can be found.  

The vineyards in Montalcino sit at an altitude of between 160 to 600 m, and experience a warm climate. The cool maritime breeze from the south-west helps to moderate temperatures. 

Wine from Brunello di Montalcino must be made entirely from the Sangiovese grape, and have to undergo a minimum ageing of five years (with two years in oak) before they can be sold.

Riserva wines require six years of ageing after the harvest.

Younger bottles will exhibit strong tannins, while those with a bit of age will show a more refined and polished tannin profile. The wine’s high acidity helps to keep the tannins from overpowering the palate and provides a fresh and vibrant finish. 

SEE ALSO

Locals toil as experts toast Turkish wine renaissance

Brunello wines come at a wide price range, making it a highly recommended choice for all wine lovers.

Food pairing

As an Italian wine, Brunello di Montalcino naturally pairs well with Italian cuisine.

However, the next time you have your Peranakan meal, bring along a bottle of Brunello di Montalcino with you.

Chef Oscar Pasinato, chef/owner of Italian restaurant Buko Nero, enjoys a youthful Brunello with ayam buah keluak. Babi pongteh and popiah also pair well. 

Vincenzo Donatiello, director of operations for the Mirko Febbrile portfolio, adds that the Brunello di Montalcino is a mix of elegance and power, with minerality that makes it hard to compare with the other terroirs that produce Sangiovese. 

To enjoy Brunello at its best, he recommends pairing the wine with peposo (a classic beef stew from Montalcino) or pici/pinci pasta served with wild boar ragout. He particularly enjoys drinking them young.

He notes that with global warming, the wines produced today will not have the same longevity of the wines from the 1970s and the 1980s, as the acidity, tannic and structure have changed.  

Wines tasted

Biondi – Santi Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2012

The 2012 was the last vintage overseen by the late Franco Biondi Santi.

Rich with a perfumed nose, this bottle at 12 years of age was still in its infancy, and savoured over a tempura dinner. The wine had lovely aromas of black plum, licorice and a hint of spice. On the palate, the tannins were firm, yet soft and elegant.  

Produced only in outstanding vintages, the wines undergo three years of ageing in Slavonian oak barrels of various sizes.  

Biondi Santi is the only Italian estate to have continually produced Brunello di Montalcino, since its invention in the late 1800s.

Case Basse di Gianfranco Soldera 2009, 14% 

Seductive aromas of cherry, chocolate and dried herbs, together with an elegant mouthfeel, immediately greet you on the nose and palate. 

Started by Gianfranco Soldera (who passed away in 2019), the legendary house of Soldera is today managed by his daughter Monica.

What makes Soldera unique is the ageing period – 48 to 75 months versus the minimum 24 months. This extended elevage gives the wine time to breathe and develop complexity. 

Gianfranco did not practise cane cutting because he believed the depth of the roots was equal to the cane’s length. They are allowed to grow as long as they can. He had the vines cordon-trained and spur-pruned, instead of cutting them.

It is also thanks to him that Brunello is (still) 100 per cent Sangiovese. 

A vote in 2008 by local growers to permit introducing international varieties was successfully put down with Gianfranco’s help. This has ensured that all Brunello di Montalcino today must be made only from the Sangiovese grape.

If you can lay your hands on the 2012 vintage, grab it. 

In December 2012, a disgruntled ex-employee opened the taps on ten oak botti, causing two-thirds of the wine to be lost. Six vintages (2007 to 2012) worth of wine were wasted, making the 2012 a coveted vintage. 

Luce Brunello di Montalcino 2016, 15%

This bottle was bought off the wine list at a restaurant in Singapore. It was a delightful wine that carried us from appetiser till the main course. 

Fruit-forward with aromas of blackberries, black cherries, spice, chocolate, earth and soft tannins with an elegant mouthfeel, this wine paired very well with European-inspired dishes. 

Requiring little breathing time, it was ready to be enjoyed the moment it was decanted. The wine paired well with our modern European menu, which included a lovely dish of blue prawns served with prawn head bisque.

The history of Tenuta Luce – with its distinct label that features the sun – stems from the partnership between Vittorio Frescobaldi and Napa Valley legend Robert Mondavi.

The tie-up ended in 2005, with the Frescobaldi family – producing wines since 1300 – now in full control.

La Serena, Brunello di Montalcino 2001, 14.5%

A beautiful wine with aromas of crushed red fruit, tobacco, plum, prune with dried flowers greet you. For its age, there was still a lovely crunch of red fruit on the palate, together with lively acidity.

Secondary and tertiary flavours were already evident. This was a full-bodied wine with a long, velvety finish.  

Produced by Andrea Mantengoli – who has been at the helm of La Serena since 1997 – this family-run estate was established in 1934. La Serena is proudly organic and uses biodynamic methods.