好酒, 就是要慢慢的細細品味!!!

<Brunello di Montalcino 簡介>

One of the first records of "Brunello" was a red wine that was made in the Montalcino area in the early 14th century. In 1831, marcheseCosimo Ridolfi (who was later appointed Prime Minister of Tuscany by the Grand Duke Leopold II) praised the merits of the red wines of Montalcino above all others in Tuscany. In 1865, an agricultural fair in Montalcino noted that the prize winning wine of the event was a "select red wine" known as a Brunello.^[2] In the mid 1800s, a local farmer named Clemente Santi isolated certain plantings of Sangiovese vines in order to produce a 100% varietal wine that could be aged for a considerable period of time.^[3] In 1888, his grandson Ferruccio Biondi-Santi-a veteran soldier who fought under Giuseppe Garibaldi during the Risorgimento-released the first "modern version" of Brunello di Montalcino that was aged for over a decade in large wood barrels.^[1][4][5]

By the end of World War II, Brunello di Montalcino had developed a reputation as one of Italy's rarest wines. The only commercial producer recorded in government documents was the Biondi-Santi firm who had declared only four vintages up to that point-1888, 1891, 1925 and 1945. The high price and prestige of these wines soon encouraged other producers to emulate Biondi-Santi's success. By the 1960s there were 11 producers making Brunello, and in 1968 the region was granted Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) status. By 1970 the number of producers had more than doubled to 25, and by 1980 there were 53 producers. In 1980, the Montalcino region was the first Italian wine region to be awarded Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) designation. By the turn of the 21st century, there were nearly 200 producers of Brunello di Montalcino, mostly small farmers and family estates, producing nearly 330,000 cases a year.^[3]

In 2008, Italian authorities confiscated four producers' 2003 Brunello on charges that the producers had committed fraud by including foreign varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the wine that they then fraudulently labeled as Brunello di Montalcino, which by law may only contain Sangiovese grapes.^[6] Laboratory tests later confirmed that the confiscated wines were in fact Brunello except for a small portion that remained inconclusive.^[7]

Brunello di Montalcino is made 100% from Sangiovese. Traditionally, the wine goes through an extended maceration period where color and flavor are extracted from the skins. Following fermentation the wine is then aged in oak.^[5] Traditionally, the wines are aged 3 years or more "in botte"-large Slavonian oak casks that impart little oak flavor and generally produce more austere wines. Some winemakers will use small Frenchbarrique which impart a more pronounced vanilla oak flavor and add a certain fruitiness to the wine. There is a middle ground where the wine is aged in small barrique for a short time and then spends a longer sojourn in the traditional botte.^[3]

Most producers will separate their production between a normale and riserva bottling. The normale bottles are released on the market 50 months after harvest and the riserva are released a year afterward. The current aging requirements were established in 1998 and dictate that Brunellos are to be aged in oak for 2 years and at least 4 months in a bottle before release.^[8] Winemakers who intentionally stray from these rules and regulations can possibly receive a conviction of commercial fraud accompanied by an imprisonment sentence of up to six years.^[9]

The Sangiovese grape is the most widely planted grape in the Montalcino region and is the only permitted grape in the Brunello di Montalcino DOCG. The particular clones of Sangiovese are unique to the Montalcino region and have developed in adaption to that area's specific terroir. The altitude and climate of the Montalcino region has provided an area where Sangiovese ripens more fully and consistently than anywhere else in Tuscany. These factors contribute to the body, color, extract and tannins commonly associated with Brunello di Montalcino.^[3] In contrast to Chianti, the other famous Sangiovese based wine of Tuscany, Brunello di Montalcinos have a more fleshy texture with common aromas and flavors of blackberry, black cherry, black raspberry, chocolate, leather and violets.^[1]

Brunello is often compared with the Pinot noir wines of Burgundy with its smooth tannins and ripe, fruit driven character.^[8] The high acidity of the wine allows it to pair well with food, especially grilled meat and game. A large portion of Brunello sold in the United States is purchased in restaurants. The wine has become particularly popular in America with nearly 1 out of every 3 bottles of Brunello di Montalcino being sold in the US.^[13] Brunello di Montalcino are known for their ability to age with well made examples from exceptional vintages often showcasing development for several decades. Master of WineMary Ewing-Mulligan notes that most Brunellos often need at least 10 years before they shed their youthfulness and start to harmonize their flavors.^[3]

<10/07/2010>

希望過一陣子開來喝時, 可以感受到,

像是跟 Victoria's Secret 花仙子精靈們一起,

在森林裡散步般的悠閒和舒服~~~   

(請打開喇叭, 配樂還蠻輕快柔和的, 好聽!)

<10/30/2010>

一開瓶, 哇, 好濃的莓果味 (草莓, 藍莓, 覆盆子)!!!   

香氣: 非常濃郁的莓果味首先撲鼻而來, 差點以為一大籃新鮮莓果剛切開擺在面前,

          加上相當柔順的黑醋栗味, 但似乎略顯單調, 不過十分鐘後, 越來越多的紫羅蘭,

          玫瑰, 薰衣草香氣, 越變越繁複, 半熟瓜果 (紅肉西瓜, 哈密瓜, 美濃瓜) 香氣也

          越來越濃郁, 邊聞著香氣邊看著 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, 真是享受啊. 

口感: 不若香氣那麼濃烈, 非常柔順的些微單寧酸為先, 黑醋栗味緊接在後, 淡淡的

          白胡椒和羅勒葉味讓口感多了些起伏, 但整體來說, 仍覺得蠻羞澀的, 還沒醒吧?

          把倒在酒杯裡的喝完, 軟木塞蓋回去後, 整瓶酒就先在冰箱蔬果層罰站到明天吧.

<10/30/2010>

好奇心使然, 酒在冰箱罰站二小時後, 倒一些出來嚐看看:

香氣: 仍舊濃郁繁複, 無明顯改變.

口感: 多了點巧克力味, 但依舊羞澀, 好吧, 看樣子要到明天了.

<10/30/2010>

半小時後, 恢復到室溫 .....................

香氣: 莓果味稍微變弱, 花香依舊, 半熟瓜果味轉淡, 黑醋栗味增強.

口感: 單寧酸轉弱許多, 變得較不明顯, 黑醋栗味增強, 薑汁味呈現, 與白胡椒和羅勒葉味,

          帶出更明顯的黑巧克力味, 些許礦石味 (但不鹹), 一點橡木切片味.

<10/30/2010>

酒在冰箱再罰站三小時後, 倒一些出來嚐看看:

香氣: 原本的香氣仍濃郁繁複, 無明顯的改變.

口感: 酸澀味明顯減少許多, 柔順的黑醋栗味增強 , 中段以薑汁和羅勒葉味為主.

          甘而不苦的黑巧克力和礦石味出現在後段, 尾韻額外增加了些類檀木香味.

          放置了約五小時後, 整體的口感變得有些濃厚, 但似乎仍缺乏些什麼 .........

<10/31/2010>

經過約一天的靜置, 來嚐看看風味如何吧.

香氣: 原本的莓果, 花香, 果香仍濃郁繁複, 無明顯的改變, 但似乎較柔和些.

口感: 單寧酸澀味已消失, 如絲絹般柔順的黑醋栗, 莓果, 無花果, 紫羅蘭, 青梅, 青椒,

          淡黑巧克力, 礦石味, 類檀木香味, 悠悠長長的. 哇, 一天後, 很不一樣喔, 好喝!!!

餘韻: 均衡柔順的香氣和酒氣在喉頭纏綿, 讓人想再倒一杯來享受這酒的美好.

初步結論: 第一次喝這款酒, 剛開瓶後的香氣確實讓人驚豔, 而口感在經過長時間後,

                  越變越怡人討喜. 如某大大所言, 可以打趴不少 Chianti 酒款. 不過個人覺得,

                  再睡個一二年後, 表現應會更讚喔.    

查理大都自己獨自享受,

讓我在電腦前只能拿水桶~~收集口水!

查理大都自己獨自享受,

讓我在電腦前只能拿水桶~~收集口水!

黃上大, 會有機會一起享受啦.

我之前曾喝過Brunello Di Montalcino 2001，相當的不錯，我也很喜歡barbi的酒...

不過我最喜歡的還是他們家的Morellino di Scansano，尤其是06年~優雅、均衡、雖不強烈卻總有些細微誘人之處，借了幾張朋友的圖片，當天他也是最喜歡這款酒...

的風格

查理大都自己獨自享受,

讓我在電腦前只能拿水桶~~收集口水!

黃上大, 會有機會一起享受啦.

我希望那機會趕快來!

查理大

實驗精神令人佩服

長達一天的品飲

相信你對這支酒很有信心

嘿~~嘿~~~, 李鄰跨麥都哉.

查理大都自己獨自享受,

讓我在電腦前只能拿水桶~~收集口水!

黃上大, 會有機會一起享受啦.

下次希望我也有機會...........

查理大都自己獨自享受,

讓我在電腦前只能拿水桶~~收集口水!

黃上大, 會有機會一起享受啦.

下次希望我也有機會...........

OK!!!

查理兄:

不同凡響啊!