In Depth

Sampling the Vino

Brunello di Montalcino exudes the smell of mossy, damp earth and musky berries. It tastes of dark, sweet fruits and dry vanilla. It's also the backbone of Montalcino's economy. As the deep ruby liquid mellows to garnet, the wine takes on its characteristic complex and slightly tannic aspect. Brunello is one of Italy's mightiest reds, a brawny wine that can tackle the rarest bistecca alla fiorentina. It's also the perfect accompaniment to game, pungent mushroom sauces, and aged cheeses.

Though Montalcino has produced wine for centuries, its flagship Brunello is a recent development, born out of late-19th-century sangiovese experiments to concentrate the grapes through very strict cultivation methods. By the 1960s, Brunello was becoming known as one of Italy's finest reds, and it has found its way to discriminating cellars around the world -- Queen Elizabeth II is fond of a quaff, and President Reagan toasted his 1980 inauguration with a Brunello. Most Brunellos are drinkable after about 4 to 5 years in the bottle, and the complex ones are best after 10 years or so (few last beyond 30). The best recent vintages are '85, '88, '90, and especially '95 and '97 (but steer clear of the '89 and '92); Brunellos from '91, '93, or '94 aren't bad, either. Bottles of '98, '99, are good, and 2000 and 2001 are excellent. Heavy rains in 2002 hurt that harvest and 2003 was a scorching summer throughout Europe, and so producers like to talk about how that translates into low-quantity but high-quality grapes. Montalcino's wine consortium (tel. 0577-848-246; www.consorziobrunellodimontalcino.it) is inside the Palazzo Comunale at Costa del Municipio 1, and staff members are happy to answer your questions and provide you with information on area vini.

In town, the best informal introduction to the deep-red liquid is a few hours spent at the Enoteca La Fortezza (tel. 0577-849-211; www.enotecalafortezza.it), inside the fortress. The stone-and-brick vaults are filled with excellent wines and grappa, as well as prosciutto, salami, pecorino cheese, biscotti, and Montalcino's famous honey. The enoteca came under new management in 2003, but rest assured: The new staff is as adept as the old one at helping you and the wine get better acquainted, and glasses start at 1.50€ ($1.95). The Brunello is 3.50€ ($4.55). The enoteca is open the same hours as the fortress .

On the town's main square, the 19th-century cafe Fiaschetteria Italiana, Piazza del Popolo 6 (tel. 0577-849-043), offers more imbibing pleasure, open Friday through Wednesday from 7:30am to midnight. A glass of wine can range anywhere from 4€ to 12€ ($5.20-$16).

If you prefer to go right to the source, the following Brunello wine estates welcome visitors. Poggio Antico (tel. 0577-848-044; fax 0577-846-563; www.poggioantico.com) is 4km (2 1/2 miles) south of town along the Grosetto road (right-hand road at the fork). Its Brunellos, especially the riserve, are consistently voted among the top 100 wines in the world by leading oenological magazines -- and they often hold the number-one spot among Brunello wines. Their elegant and velvety elixir deserves to be at least one of the bottles you bring home. Cantina visits should be reserved at least a day in advance (more in summer), but the direct-sales store is open daily to drop-ins from 8am to 5pm. Poggio Antico also has an excellent restaurant.

Banfi (tel. 0577-816-001 or 0577-840-111; www.castellobanfi.com) above Sant'Angelo Scalo, 10km (6 1/4 miles) south of town (right-hand road at the fork), is part of an American-owned exporting empire, an enormous ultramodern vineyard with a massive cantine. The riserva wines are precisely balanced Brunellos. Banfi also makes Moscadello and various non-Montalcino wines and runs a small museum (2.50€/$3.25 admission) on the history of glass and wine in its medieval castle. This place has a highly developed commercial end. The huge enoteca sells books, ceramics, packaged local foods, and all the Banfi wines. This is also where you go for tastings; your first glass is free, but after that prices range from 2€ to 6€ ($2.60-$7.80) per glass. The enoteca and museum are open daily from 10am to 7pm (until 6pm Oct-Mar). Call ahead for an appointment (best at least a week in advance) to take a free guided tour of the cellars at 4pm Monday through Friday. They also run an osteria for light snacks and a ristorante for pricey full meals with multiple wine tastings. In 2005, the estate opened a group of guest villas and began offering cooking classes.

Fattoria dei Barbi (tel. 0577-841-111; fax 0577-841-112; www.fattoriadeibarbi.it), 5km (3 miles) south of town on the road to Castelnuovo (middle road at the fork), makes a mean Brunello di Montalcino riserva, Vigna del Fiore. The cantina also sells Moscadello and vin santo and is open Monday through Friday from 10am to 1pm and 2:30 to 6pm, Saturday and Sunday from 2:30 to 6pm. The slightly refined taverna (tel. 0577-841-200) serves good traditional meals off a seasonally changing menu using their own farm products (olive oil, cheeses, and, of course, wine) at a middlin' price, open Thursday through Tuesday from 12:30 to 2:30pm and 7:30 to 9:30pm. Free cantina tours and wine tastings are given Monday through Friday hourly at 11am, noon, and 3, 4, and 5pm. You can buy their delicious cheeses weekdays from 9am to noon and 1:30 to 5pm (closed 4pm Fri).