Montalcino Report

Brunello vote results final: no changes to appellation

Results of the open voting have been counted and no changes will be made to the "disciplinare" for Brunello di Montalcino. We are very pleased and glad to see that Brunello will remain 100% Sangiovese.

Here are the results of today's vote at the Assembly of the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino (the number of votes are based on the number of hectares planted to vine and the number of bottles produced and quantity of wine produced of each winery member of the Consortium. Some wineries did not vote on all "quesiti" or propositions):

Proposition 1: are you in favor of changing the ampelographic basis for Brunello di Montalcino?

662 NO

30 YES

Proposition 2: are you in favor of changing the ampelographic basis for Rosso di Montalcino?

540 NO

162 YES

Proposition 3: are you in favor of making other changes to the appellation rules? For example, changing the maximum yields for Brunello di Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino, Moscadello, and Sant'Antimo? Or allowing for the use of concentrated rectified must?

474 NO

228 YES

Proposition 4: are you in favor of grouping all the current appellations, except for Sant'Antimo, in a single Montalcino appellation?

684 NO

6 YES

Proposition 5: are you in favor of grouping all the current appellations, except for Brunello di Montalcino, in a single Montalcino appellation?

572 NO

118 YES

Results not final but large producers in favor of Brunello made from pure Sangiovese

My father attended the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino assembly today for the vote on whether or not to change the "disciplinare", the laws that govern the production of Brunello di Montalcino. 

The vote was cast and we should know the results shortly. In the meantime, my father Fabrizio told me that even though a "secret vote" was proposed, the vote was carried out as an "open" vote. 

He also told me that during the meeting, the major Brunello producers expressed their conviction that Brunello should remain 100% Sangiovese. These included Biondi Santi, Il Poggione, Col d'Orcia, Frescobaldi, Banfi, and Antinori.

We believe this is a very good sign and we should know the results shortly.

Statement for Brunello regulations to stay intact

The winery that my father and I work for, Il Poggione, and six other Brunello producers published this statement on Tuesday. The translation was made by Vino Wire. On Monday, the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino will hold a vote on whether or not to change the "disciplinare" or regulations for production of Brunello. Il Poggione believes that Brunello should be made only from Sangiovese in purity.

On Wednesday, October 15, the signatures of 149 (of 248) members of the Brunello Consortium were presented to the Consortium President. The signatories have requested a meeting of the body to establish once and for all that article 2 of the Brunello di Montalcino appellation regulations must not be changed (article 2 requires 100% Sangiovese). The 149 signatories represent roughly 60% of the votes of Consortium members.

Perhaps for the first time in modern agriculture, and certainly in the world of fine wine, a crowded group of producers — and markedly diversified among them — has united to undersign a document intended to protect their wine and its authenticity.

The facts. The owners of seven estates in Montalcino have become concerned by possible assaults on the appellation regulations for Brunello. Word of such assaults has been denied by authorities by has been confirmed by the evidence of the facts and by their underlying urgency. In the light of the upcoming meeting to be held on October 27, they have united and are working together to gather the signatures of the other producers who, like them, cherish the substance, authenticity, and reputation of their wine.

Nothing of the kind has ever happened before. Historic wineries, indigenous growers, and even business-owners who are not part of Montalcino and its environs, have worked side-by-side to defend Brunello — a true star "made in Italy." And they have proven successful.

They have gathered 149 signatures of member wineries and 4 non members, representing 59.44% of the producers and 59.61% of the votes. The signatories have undersigned a document intended to demonstrate their will to maintain INTACT the appellation regulations. This document requires the appellation regulations be publicly respected.

Beyond the legal obligation of said document, it is a declaration with profound ethical and moral meaning, in the context of Montalcino and its environs — where the signatories operate — and in support of enthusiasts of Brunello and the land that produces it.

By defending the identity of Brunello di Montalcino, these producers are acting to support all authentic "made in Italy" products. In this moment of global financial straits, these products can help our country if they are supported in deed.

This document was presented to the President of the Brunello di Montalcino Consortium, the Mayor of Montalcino, and the Italian Minister of Agriculture on October 15, 2008

Montalcino, October 21, 2008

For more information, contact the sponsors of the petition:

Tenuta Il Greppo – Biondi Santi: +39-0577-848087
Tenuta Il Poggione: +39-0577-844029
Tenuta Col d’Orcia: +39-0577-80891
Fattoria dei Barbi: +39-0577-841111
Tenuta Le Potazzine:+39-0577-846168
Az. Agr. Tiezzi Enzo: +39-0577-848187
Az. Agr. Caprili: +39-0577-848566

153 Brunello producers have now signed the letter to keep Brunello 100% Sangiovese

The seven sponsoring wineries, including Il Poggione (the winery my family works with), issued the following press release this afternoon. 153 Brunello producers have now signed the letter urging Minister Zaia and the Brunello Consortium to keep Brunello 100% Sangiovese when consortium members vote on Monday.

PRESS RELEASE "153 BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO PRODUCERS COMBINE THEIR EFFORT TO SAFEGUARD THE TYPICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS GREAT WINE OF ITALY"

Sincerely,

Tenuta Il Greppo – Biondi Santi
Tenuta Il Poggione
Tenuta Col d’Orcia
Fattoria dei Barbi
Tenuta Le Potazzine
Az. Agr. Caprili
Az. Agr. Tiezzi Enzo

Svinatura: drawing off or vatting off

We finished the harvest on Thursday last week. The quality is very good although there is a small decrease on the quantity. We are lucky to have excellent indigenous yeasts that bring all the alcoholic fermentation smoothly to the end. Some alcoholic fermentation is still going but for the most part, it has ended.

When fermentation ends, we do the so-called svinatura, the drawing off or vatting off. We save the pomace to be used to make grappa and the fermented wine is moved to another tank for the malolactic fermentation.

You can see the svinatura in the video I made below.

Letter on the traditional Brunello signed by 149 Brunello di Montalcino producers

“The wine with Controlled and Guaranteed Denomination of Origin “Brunello di Montalcino” must be obtained from the grapes sourced in the estate located vineyards, exclusively with the Sangiovese grapes (called, in Montalcino, “Brunello”)”.

This is the preface to the letter sent to the President of the Brunello di Montalcino Consortium Patrizio Cencioni, to the Mayor of Montalcino Maurizio Buffi and to the Minister of Agriculture Luca Zaia and signed by 149 producers of Brunello that together are the majority of the votes and of the wineries registered with the Brunello Consortium.

According to the petitioners, the Brunello di Montalcino must remain the traditional wine that brought us to the excellence worldwide.

This is an important message that really shows what is the interest of the majority of the producers: using 100% Sangiovese grapes for the production of the Brunello di Montalcino. Among the petitioners, that we can’t reveal for privacy reasons, Tenuta Il Poggione, great supporter of the Brunello di Montalcino made according the traditional method, has signed the letter.

Havest comes to a close

Harvest is coming to a close in Montalcino and we are very pleased with the results.

That's Elio Vincelli in the photo above. He and his family moved to Tuscany from Calabria in 1995 and he, his wife, and his four children all work with us at Tenuta Il Poggione — a true "family affair". Even though he comes from the South, he and his family feel perfectly at home in Tuscany working with us. At Il Poggione, we have always believed that working together is about family and it is great to have Elio and his family as part of ours.

Fabio Guerrini, cellar master and pillar of Il Poggione

In the photo above, my father Fabrizio Bindocci (left, the director of Tenuta Il Poggione) and Fabio Guerrini (our cellar master and manager) are tasting the new wine as fermentation begins. This tasting is just as important as chemical analysis because it allows us to monitor the evolution of the wine during the fermentation itself. Here at Il Poggione, we taste all the vats every day to check the wine during every phase of fermentation.

Fabio is one of the oldest employees at Tenuta Il Poggione and we call him the "colonna portante", the "pillar" or "backbone" of our cellar. All of the workers in the cellar look to him for guidance. He is in charge of the cellar and chemical analysis and the experience that he has acquired over the years at Il Poggione allow him to do excellent work here.

Sunday good weather allowed us to begin harvesting again

Sunday was dry and temperatures rose to about 64-66° F. Thanks to the warmer temperatures and dry weather, we were able to begin harvesting on Monday when we began to pick the highest vineyard site on the estate, the Vigna di Fabbrica, one of our best growing sites, where the grapes ripen even more slowly thanks to the cooler temperatures of the higher altitude. The weather was good today, Monday, and temperatures reached about 59°, ideal for harvest.

Rain on Saturday stopped harvest

Saturday started out well but we had some rain in the afternoon and in the evening. So we had to stop harvesting on Sunday, as the grape bunches are still quite wet. We are hoping the rain will stop and that we will get some wind, so the grape bunches can dry.