Montalcino Report

Requiescat in pace: Giuseppe Quintarelli

We are very sorry to have learned that one of the greatest winemakers of Italy has expired yesterday, Giuseppe "Bepi" Quintarelli, the grande maestro of Valpolicella. 

Our thoughts and wishes go out to Bepi''s family and dear ones.

My father Fabrizio Bindocci remembers Giulio Gambelli

A few days ago, Giulio Gambelli passed away. He was a historical figure in Tuscan enology, with a great palate and innate ability as a taster, a talent he refined over the course of many years.

A highly capable man but at the same time a paragon of modesty who believed in the potential of Tuscan wines produced using only Sangiovese. He always said that winemakers are the ones who make the wines together with the land and the vine. He was a simple taster who gave his advice to winemakers on what to do in the cellar without forcing them to denaturalize their wines.

He made his first visit to Montalcino in the early 1970s when the Consortium of Brunello di Montalcino asked him to visit all of the producers in the appellation. He drove his famous Renault 4 from winery to winery, tasted the wine from the barrel or vat, and then he would patiently and phlegmatically explain the importance of cleanliness in the cellar, precision in vinification, the importance of racking, etc. But always with the humility typical of the greats in the world of wine.

When he came to visit us at Il Poggione, we liked to have him taste from cask. After our tasting, we would head over to the Trattoria Il Pozzo where we would continue tasting wines from bottle paired with classic Tuscan dishes.

I was proud to know him and our friendship was the source of great joy. Every year, we would speak to catch up and wish each other happy holidays. But this year, season's greetings didn't arrive. He was in the hospital. My thoughts and wishes go out to Giulio's family and dear ones.

Fabrizio Bindocci

Requiescat in pace: Giulio Gambelli

Photo from the Lavinium.

Necrology by the Decanter Magazine.

Giulio Gambelli, one of the giants of Tuscan wine, has died at the age of 86.

Gambelli – who was known as Bicchierino (or ‘Little Glass’) – was celebrated as one of Italy’s greatest connoisseurs of Sangiovese, and recognised as a superb taster.

He was born in 1925 in Poggibonsi in Siena, and joined Enopolio de Poggibonsi, which was then one of the largest wineries in the region, at the age of 14 as a cellar hand.

At Enopolio his tasting skills came to the notice of its director, Tancredi Biondi Santi, who took him on as his assistant in the company’s laboratory, where Gambelli started a lifelong study of Sangiovese.

In a career spanning nearly 70 vintages Gambelli's most renowned consultancies were with the Brunello di Montalcino of Soldera and Chianti Classico of Montevertine, but his importance was as an unwavering proponent of the use of the Sangiovese grape as a monovarietal at a time when Tuscan wineries were busily experimenting with blending Sangiovese with international grapes.

In this he was far ahead of his time. The importance of Sangiovese, in its own right, is now undisputed in Tuscany, and, arguably, it was Gambelli's work that led to that recognition.

Among many plaudits he received, Le Pergole Torte of Montevertine, on which he consulted, featured in Decanter's 2008 list of Italy's 50 Greatest Wines.

Journalist Carlo Macchi, who published a biography of Gambelli in 2007 (pictured) described him as ‘the last Sangiovese butterfly [that] for the past sixty-five years, instead of flying off, has been creating wines that make you feel lighter’.

Macchi quoted Gianfranco Soldera of Soldera in Montalcino, for whom Gambelli consulted, saying that ‘Giulio tastes what others do not, there’s no-one like him’.

Tributes have been pouring in on social media, with Italian wine lovers the world overlamenting his passing.

'Gambelli's legacy is a strong belief in Sangiovese - as one of Italy's undisputed great grape varieties’ one tweet said, while others referred to him as' Sangiovese’s most important protagonist'.

Most simply paid tribute to a man they described as ‘il grande maestro del Sangiovese.’

Jancis Robinson: "Montalcino votes for modernism"

Yesterday, after we had posted the results of the election for president of the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino, we have found this post by Mrs. Jancis Robinson, who included a mention of our blog Montalcino Report. We are very grateful to Mrs. Robinson for her words and her generous mention.

After dramatic last-minute machinations, it has just been revealed that the secret ballot to elect the new president of the Brunello di Montalcino consortium revealed that arch-modernist Ezio Rivella of Banfi garnered most votes and will now direct the fortunes of this controversial wine.

Until very recently it looked as though the most prominent woman in Montalcino, Donatella Cinelli Colombini, would win, but at the eleventh hour, in a move that took many by surprise, she withdrew her candidacy and threw her weight behind Rivella. Concerned that this would be the final nail in the Brunello coffin, and that Piemonte-born Rivella would encourage the use of grape varieties other than Brunello (Sangiovese), veteran winemaker Fabrizio Bindocci of the respected estate Il Poggione declared his own bid for the presidency yesterday.

In an open letter sent to and published by Italy's leading wine blogger Franco Ziliani, traditionalist Bindocci asked his fellow council members for their support, having previously endorsed Cinelli. An English-language version of the letter can be found on his son Alessandro Bindocci's blog, MontalcinoReport.com, where the result of the ballot has just been published.

It seems as though the juggernaut rolling towards the likes of Syrah di Montalcino is unstoppable.

Gori on Il Poggione Brunello 2005: "who could ask for more?"

At Tenuta Il Poggione, we were very pleased to hear one of Italy's top sommeliers, Andrea Gori, of Trattoria da Burde, say of our 2005 Brunello di Montalcino, "Color perfect and flawless, enchanting and refined nose... Drinkable and full-bodied, yet elegant, who could ask for more?"

"Rainy vintage but in Sant'Angelo in Colle rainfall decreases abruptly almost always. Color perfect and flawless, enchanting and refined nose with all that must have a Brunello, floral, dried violet and lavender, cherries in alcohol, balsamic and spicy and tertiary. Mouth slightly shaggy but tannin full and convincing, great balance in a wine that will be after the summer charming but now let them drink that is a pleasure incredible. Drinkable and full-bodied, yet elegant, who could ask for more?"

Here is the video, in Italian, of Andrea tasting with my father Fabrizio Bindocci.

Benvenuto Brunello 2010 Day 2: the tile of Yuko and Shin Kibayashi

The higlight of Saturday's Benvenuto was the press conference with the evaluation of the vintage 2009 (4 stars) and the pose of the tile (above), which is posited in the wall of the municipal office of Montalcino each year.

This year the tile was designed by the Japanese artists sister and brother Yuko e Shin Kibayashi, creators of the famous wine related Japanese manga "The drops of God".
 

Patrizio Cencioni the president of Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino helped them to post the tile.

 

  

Tasting 1967 Il Poggione and 1969 Col d'Orcia Brunello di Montalcino before the Benvenuto Brunello

Thursday evening we have organized the press dinner for some journalist, in cooperation with Col d'Orcia. Chef Roberto Rossi from Ristorante Silene was cooking and the following wines have been served:

Il Poggione Lo Sbrancato Rosé with the aperitif

Rosso di Montalcino 2008 Il Poggione and Col d'Orcia

Brunello di Montalcino 2005 Il Poggione and Col d'Orcia

Brunello di Montalcino 2004 Riserva - Vigna Paganelli Il Poggione

Brunello di Montalcino 1999 Riserva Col d'Orcia

Brunello di Montalcino 1967 Il Poggione

Brunello di Montalcino 1969 Riserva Col d'Orcia

Moscadello di Montalcino Il Poggione and Col d'Orcia

Also Leopoldo Franceschi (owner of Il Poggione, left) and Francesco Marone Cinzano (owner of Col d'Orcia, right) attended the dinner.

 

"This is my land" new book by Franco Biondi Santi

 

The great Franco Biondi Santi is the father of our Brunello di Montalcino. He is one of the great pioneers of our appellation and his wines are a model and a benchmark for the rest of those who produce this great wine.

On the Friday of the last week, was presented the new book about Mr. Biondi Santi, "Questa è la mia terra. Franco Biondi Santi, Montalcino, and il Brunello", "This is my land. Franco Biondi Santi, Montalcino, and the Brunello".

The book is composed itself of six chapters: the Tree of the Biondi Santi, the Greppo and the Production of the Brunello, A Special Wood for the Brunello, The Ancient Reserves and the Rite of the Topping Up, The True Moscatello di Montalcino, From the Normandy to the Rebirth of Sant'Antimo.

This important book is a landmark will be in the stores in the next few weeks.

I have made a search in Google and have found this video about the topping up of the ancient riserve. 

The great Franco Biondi Santi "Sommelier ad honorem"

The great Franco Biondi Santi was made the "sommelier ad honorem" by the Italian Sommelier Association yesterday at the Eccellenza di Toscana tasting in Florence. He is a great man and has done very much for the patrimony of Brunello di Montalcino.

Today I pour our wines at the Eccellenza di Toscana tasting in Florence

Today I pour our wines at the Eccellenza di Toscana tasting in Florence. The 2004 Brunello di Montalcino of Il Poggione was awarded the 5 "grappoli" award from the Duemilavini guide of Italian wine.

There are hundreds of sommelliers, trade people and consumers gathered in Florence for this big tasting of Tuscan wines.

Later on they will give to Franco Biondi Santi the honorary sommellier diploma and tastevin.