Brunello is the name of one of the most important and internationally recognised Italian red wines. Montalcino is the name of a small village in Tuscany and is the ‘capital’ of Brunello DOCG area. In order to create Brunello di Montalcino, the grapes must come from Brunello area.
Montalcino is a beautiful town in the province of Siena, in the heart of Tuscany, surrounded by an enveloping and intact natural landscape. The visit to Montalcino can be full of charm and a magical union between man and nature. Life in Montalcino spins around work in the countryside and time spent in the woods and the fields. The best image of Montalcino is certainly linked to the most precious gift of its land, hard and generous at the same time: "wine".
Pian delle Querci is a family-run winery located on the hills adjacent to the Municipality of Montalcino, cultivates its vineyards on a mixed clay soil, very rich in loam skeletal, at an average height of 250 metres above sea level.
The wine is made by a highly experienced winemaker Vittorio Pinti. In the cellar no yeasts are used, the fermentation is very long and is conducted in steel vats at very low temperatures. Afterwards the wine is placed in large 50 Hl Slavonian oak barrels to age and develop.
Pian delle Querci extends over 50 hectares of which 8.5 hectares are planted with vineyards, 6 of which are Brunello D.O.C.G. with an annual production of 38,000 bottles; and 2 to Rosso di Montalcino D.O.C. with an annual production of 14,000 bottles.
Thanks to the experience of the Pinti family that has been in the world of agriculture for four generations, the Pian delle Querci farm can proudly make Brunello di Montalcino D.O.C.G. that the whole world now appreciates.
Brunello di Montalcino was born towards the end of the nineteenth century. Today, as in the past, it is the result of a tenacious passion, kept with love and due care for years to age in the cellar before presenting itself to the world.
Once the wine was made in the traditional Tuscan way with the so-called "governo", a centuries-old winemaking practice of adding must of selected grapes to the new wine to initiate the second fermentation. The vinification of Sangiovese alone and its subsequent aging for several years in wooden cask led to the birth of Brunello: an intense and velvety red wine that in no way was similar to other reds once aged. In 1963 Brunello was recognized as DOC and in 1980 as DOCG.
Brunello di Montalcino is made exclusively from Sangiovese grapes (locally called “Brunello”) from the municipal area of Montalcino. Vinification is done with a medium-long maceration on the skins with frequent and very intense pumping in the initial phase of fermentation, always at controlled temperature. Brunello Pian delle Querce ages three years in new medium-toasted Slavonian 50 hectolitres oak barrels and afterwards refines in the bottle for at least 10 months.
This wine has an intense ruby red colour with garnet hints, the nose is ethereal and complex, with fruity notes blended with hints of wood. The wine has a soft and persuasive flavour, with an important structure and tannins.
Served at a temperature of 20° C., Brunello is an excellent wine for red meats. It can also be perfectly paired with cheeses (Tuscan pecorino, spicy gorgonzola, parmeggiano Reggiano) and with meat based international dishes with structured sauces or accompanied by mushrooms and truffles.
Brunello is also referred to as a "meditation wine" especially when it comes to great vintages, well preserved and at the peak of its qualitative evolution.
Brunello di Montalcino Riserva D.O.C.G.
The other excellent wine is Brunello di Montalcino Riserva D.O.C.G., a limited production. The best samples of Brunello are selected from new 50 hectolitre barrels and left to age, following Brunello regulations, for one year longer, to become Brunello Riserva.
The goal of Pian delle Querci is to make Brunello Riserva only in best years to represent the wine of the highest quality and complexity.
You can read the original article of the website of Pian delle Querci winery.
