BENVENUTO BRUNELLO: WITH THE 2010 VINTAGE, MONTALCINO LAUNCHESAN EXCELLENT YEAR

Today is the first day of the 2015 edition of Benvenuto Brunello.

For many, this is one of the best vintages ever.

Presentation of the 2010 vintage of Brunello and the 2013 vintage of Rosso di Montalcino

Montalcino, 20 February 2015 – Today is the greatly anticipated first day of the new edition of Benvenuto Brunello, during which the 2010 vintage, one of the new year’s most expectantly awaited wines, is going to be presented.

Judging by the American previews and the comments of experts from all over the world, the 2010 Brunello confirms the excellent state of health of the Montalcino system.

«We are presenting a vintage that has everything it takes to be classed as memorable – says the Chairman of the Consortium, Fabrizio Bindocci. This will be confirmed by wine lovers and the market. The signs in that sense are all extremely positive. But what matters most, is that the Montalcino system is developing the capacity to maintain ever higher standards of excellence. The elements necessary for an exceptionally high-value 2010 were all there and we made sure that they were developed to the full. We sell our wine all over the world because Brunello is unique, immediately recognisable. This territory has now reached a level at which it is, and can expect to continue to be, considered one of the best international expressions of wine. We have taken Sangiovese to incomparable heights of quality and elegance – continues Bindocci. This is now the stable perimeter within which all producers have to remain, because this is how we are able to assess our work. Every vintage is a point of reference to start from». 

The comments received from the other side of the Atlantic over the past few weeks, following the American preview of Benvenuto Brunello in New York and San Francisco, where over 1,600 wine masters, journalists, restaurateurs, sommeliers and importers tasted Brunello 2010 and Rosso 2013, are confirming the expectations.

According to Dwight Casimere, "thewinedoctor", responsible for the food & wine pages of the Times Weekly, "2010 is a ‘food-friendly’ wine which expresses the taste of the region it comes from”, while for Joe Campanale, executive manager for the beverage sector of the prestigious Epicurean restaurant group, “Brunello 2010 will have wide opportunities for consumption, excellent young but with an acidity which will make it pleasant also in time”.

For journalist and speaker, and also Master of Wine since 2011, Christy Canterbury, "Brunello 2010 is outstanding. I know few aged wines that are already this ready to be tasted. The fruit is smooth and ripe and the tannins are ready". For Ryan Smith, of Enoteca La Storia (California) “2010 is a fantastic vintage for American consumers and probably the absolute best for Californians. The most important characteristic of this vintage is the maturity of the grapes, which were perfectly ready during the harvest”.

This year, to celebrate such a prestigious vintage, the Consortium has also organised an event within the event, which will involve some of the restaurants, in Italy and the world, to which the Leccio d’Oro prize has been awarded over the years. It will be a unique opportunity to toast to Brunello 2010 all together!

Another innovation this year is the location: the important renovation of the Sant’Agostino Complex, achieved thanks to a public and private cooperation, with the strong commitment of the Municipality of Montalcino, the Curia and the Bertarelli Foundation, has made it possible to recover the spaces which are hosting Benvenuto Brunello this year. «We are grateful to the Archdiocese of Siena for having granted us the use of these remarkable rooms – said Deputy Chairman of the Consortium, Francesco Ripaccioli – which will convey even greater prestige to our event. The Consortium has undertaken, together with the Municipality and the Foundation, to sustain the recovery of the Complex, which will be left to the town and will enrich its already important historical and cultural heritage».

The figures:

Brunello’s good health is confirmed by the export figures, which account for 67.5% of the entire production, with the USA leading the field with over 30% of exports, followed by Europe (led by the UK, Germany and Switzerland) at 20%, the Asian markets (China, Japan, Hong Kong, etc.) accounting for 15%, Canada (12%) and Central and South America (8%). The remaining 15% is occupied by other markets.

As regards the market, production is on the up again, with 13,193,000 bottles released onto the market in 2014 (+3.60% compared with last year), divided as follows: 8,400,000 of Brunello (+4%), 4,500,000 of Rosso (+5%), 260,000 of Sant’Antimo and 33,000 of Moscadello.

The turnover of the winegrowing sector in Montalcino is also up 2% compared to last year, reaching 168,250,000 euros. Alongside the sales from activities linked with wine, which obviously represent the main revenue for the local estates, there is also an important figure which has been growing in recent years: that of the wine tourism sector, which has exceeded 30 million euros. Over one million tourists visited Montalcino in 2014, recording a rise of 17.5% in overnight stays in hotels and other tourist accommodation structures and of 16.5% in the number of visitors compared to the same period last year. «From 2011 to 2014, the increase in turnover in the wine tourism sector has been almost 10% - commented Francesco Ripaccioli – proving that investments in renovation and the restoration of top level accommodation structures is the right direction for enhancing the value of the territory also from the hospitality point of view. In Montalcino, farmers and producers have become businessmen over the years, capable of reinvesting the resources earned through years of work in the territory. This process has created a virtuous circle which is being transformed into a tourist industry».

Tomorrow, in addition to the tastings, the appointment is at 11 a.m. at the Church of Sant’Agostino in Montalcino for the assignment of the stars to the 2014 grape harvest, the laying of the celebratory tile of the 2014 vintage, traditionally set on the outer wall of the Montalcino Town Hall, and the assignment of the Leccio d’Oro 2015 awards, conferred every year by the Consortium to those venues, both in Italy and abroad, which have a wine list with a broad and representative range of Brunello and other wines from Montalcino.