Italian aged Barolo & Barbaresco are wines that many of you are probably familiar with. This time, we're introducing another iconic Italian wine region, Brunello di Montalcino, which offers vintages ranging from 1978 to 2000. Over the past thirty years, this rapidly developing wine region has been located around Montalcino, south of Siena. The wines are primarily crafted from Sangiovese grapes, known locally as Brunello, and they are characterized by their balance, richness, and ability to age gracefully over the long term.
Typically, these wines are released five years after the harvest, with a minimum of two years of aging in oak barrels. Riserva wines require an even longer aging period of six years before release. They are renowned for their persistent aromas, harmonious and elegant body, and spicy flavors. The tannins and acidity of Brunello di Montalcino contribute to its longevity, allowing the wine to reach its perfect state after ten years or even longer.
Amarone and Recioto, on the other hand, hail from a different region. They are categorized as sweet Recioto and dry Amarone. Generally, sweet Recioto has a fermentation period of 20 days, where fermentation is halted before all the sugar is completely converted into alcohol. On the other hand, Amarone requires a longer fermentation period, typically 40 days or more, to convert all the sugar into alcohol. However, it is considered dry, with a complex structure and rich fruity flavors.
Recioto has existed since Roman times when it was rare to taste sweetness unless you were a noble who had access to fruits and honey. With industrial advancements, sweetness became less rare, and a new style emerged with a "bitter" taste, which was Amarone. Amarone was actually a fermentation mistake of Recioto, where one day the complete fermentation of all the sugar in Recioto occurred accidentally. This fortunate mistake led to Amarone gaining more fame than Recioto, becoming the most representative wine of the Valpolicella region. Early labels would display "Recioto Amarone Della Valpolicella" since Amarone was still living in the shadow of Recioto and had not yet established itself independently. In 1968, Recioto was granted the DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) status and became Recioto Amarone Della Valpolicella DOC / Recioto Della Valpolicella DOC. It was not until 1990 that Amarone finally broke free and was granted Amarone Della Valpolicella DOC status. Since then, its reputation has soared, and in 2009, Amarone and Recioto were both elevated to the prestigious DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) status. This time, Recioto is a classic Amarone that has undergone many years of bottle aging, and it arouses great curiosity about its transformations over time.
