When it comes to background stories on grape names, Sangiovese has one of the most impressive of all, as it comes from the Latin sanguis Jovis, or blood of Jove, which refers to the Roman king of the gods, better known as Jupiter. And when it comes to the finest region in Tuscany (or all of Italy) for Sangiovese, DOCg Brunello di Montalcino reigns supreme. Widely considered to be the home of the finest expression of the grape, it takes its name from a dark-colored clone called Sangiovese Grosso that is locally known as Brunello, which means brown one. The 2020 Brunellos have arrived on our shores and after sampling a large selection of what the region has to offer, we are very excited about the vintage.
We all remember 2020 as a time of crisis, but many winemakers in the northern hemisphere have a different impression. “We had the time to watch the vineyards very closely and basically polish every leaf on the trellis,” says Antonio Zaccheo, owner and export manager of Carpineto, referring to a summer and harvest season in which life seemed to unfold in slow motion. “Apart from that, it was a five-star vintage as the weather cooperated very well overall.” Early summer rain brought good water reserves to the region and helped nourish the vines through warm August days. Fortunately, it never got too hot, and things cooled down at night, especially in vineyards that reach as high as 1,900 feet above sea level, allowing for optimal ripening and a good deal of freshness in the grapes.
Besides being a terrific year for growing Sangiovese, the 2020 vintage is also noted for the introduction of Brunello Forma, a new vintage evaluation model for Brunello. Until 2021, the consorzio or local wine authorityhad assigned a star rating that gave between one and five stars to the overall vintage. This rating was assigned and released during the Benvenuto Brunello trade show each year, held just four months after the harvest. The system was interrupted in 2021 to offer an opportunity for “reflection and innovation.” The Brunello forma structure includes examination of weather data base on 39 weather stations throughout the region, Brunello sample analysis on already bottled and finished wines—not wines that had just been introduced to barrel—and tasting by an international panel of Masters of Wine.
While the world was locked down in 2020, winemakers kept plugging away in the vineyards.
“I believe that 2020 Brunello is a sort of a turning point in the history of Montalcino,” Gabriele Gorelli MW tells Robb Report. “It was a warm, yet never hot, vintage interpreted by the producers in a particularly refreshing way in the glass.”The host of a series of press and trade tastings of the 2020 releases in the United States, Gorelli, Italy’s first Master of Wine, worked with the consorzio on the vintage evaluation. “The 2020 vintage delivered wines that are undoubtedly ripe, enticing, approachable, and balanced,” he says. “They amply demonstrate the warmth and complexity of this year’s climate but also reflect Brunello’s exuberance and energy.”
Approachable is a word that many winemakers and winery owners don’t want to hear, especially from a legacy region that is considered to make highly collectible, age-worthy wines. We tasted through a large selection of wines from the vintage and find the word liberally scattered throughout our tasting notes, meaning the wines are ready to drink now. Yes, they will mature gracefully if stored properly, but many wine lovers, especially younger consumers, do not have a dedicated cellar or wine cooler and are buying wine to enjoy in the present rather than some indeterminate point down the road when it reaches the perfect point of drinkability. Flavors, textures, and tannin levels varied from bottle to bottle, but across the board we noted flavors of black cherry, raspberry, and pomegranate with notes of spice and vanilla and soft touches of leather and earthiness. Tannins ran to the polished and luscious side rather than grippy or chewy, and acidity tended to be on the vivid and bright end of the spectrum.
While the vintage was originally awarded five stars in the spring of 2021, the Brunello forma system sums up 2020 as “captivating, bright, and succulent.” Gorelli explains that “captivating”refers to the wine’s “ability to be simultaneously attractive and intriguing,” while “bright” points to its “freshness, vibrancy and liveliness,” and the tactile keyword “succulent” is a nod to the “integration of supple tannins in energetic tension with the juicy fruit core.” He thinks that its friendly profile “will make ordering it in restaurants a joy,” and he is not alone in that belief. Brian Leider, a sommelier at Oceans in New York City who attended Gorelli’s tasting said, “with the 2020s, the future is now,” adding that this is a “a vintage I would recommend table- side with tannins that already fine and supple.” Irene Justiniani, who is a sommelier at NYC’s Torrisi called it a great vintage overall—”the wines are fresh and open but with great structure.” While she will be serving the 2020s as soon as they come in, Justiniani also plans to put some bottles away to see how they evolve.
Justiniani especially enjoyed Pian delle Querci and Collemattoni, while Leider name-checked Sasso di Sole and La Fornace. Among the bottles we tried, standouts include Castel Giocondo, Argiano, Banfi, Col d’Orcia, Carpineto, Mocali, San Polo, San Lorenzo, and Silvio Nardi. With 209 wineries and 5,189 acres of vines dedicated to the production of Brunello di Montalcino, this beautiful region centered on a medieval Tuscan hilltop town offers wine lovers a wide range of options from 2020, all of which are drinking beautifully right now.
