Consorzio del Vino
Brunello di Montalcino®

BENVENUTO BRUNELLO: 50 YEARS AFTER OBTAINING THE "DOC" DESIGNATION, BRUNELLO IS A HUGE SUCCESS ON FOREIGN MARKETS

 

19/02/2016

The 2011 vintage of Brunello was presented, along with the 2010 Reserve and the
2014 vintage of Rosso di Montalcino

 

Montalcino, 19 February 2016 – Today marks the opening of the new edition of Benvenuto Brunello, as the Consortium celebrates the 50th anniversary of attainment of the “DOC” designation. During the event, the 2011 vintage, which was assigned 4 stars, will be presented.

 

Of the many key moments in the century-old history of our wine commented the Chairman of the Consortium, Fabrizio Bindocci – this is without a doubt one of the most important ones. Not only because it was an official certification of the quality and excellence of the wines produced in this territory, but especially because it became the starting point for a cultural growth that made Brunello one of the strongest and most appreciated brands in the world of wine and of products made in Italy”.

 

In order to properly celebrate this important anniversary, the Consortium, together with Enrico Mattei from Vehicle Projects, kicked off an artistic project that will climax with Benvenuto Brunello, with the presentation of a work by five famous Italian artists of international renown, called to interpret the meaning of the term “star” in its different connotations.

 

Judging from the American previews and from the comments of the experts gathered in the past few months, the Brunello “star” keeps on shining all over the world.

 

According to Walter Speller, author of Jancisrobinson.com “2011 will be a very positive year for the restaurant industry. The 2010 Reserve is top quality, the likes of which I have not seen in a long time”. Excellent opinions were also expressed by the authoritative American magazine “Wine Enthusiast” which, in the last days, speaking through Kerin O’Keefe, assigned its score to the wines sampled during the preview: “Their best property is their ability to resist, and quite a few wines with unexpected complexity”.

 

Jeff Porter, Beverage Director of the Hospitality Group Batali & Bastianich, tasted the 2011 vintage during January’s tour in New York and had this to say: “it has the potential to become a great vintage for ageing. At present, the wines show the structure, acidity and balance that I look for in a Sangiovese from Montalcino, and I firmly believe that they represent the terroir, which to me is the most important thing”.

 

“This year wine producers participate in Benvenuto Brunello on the strength of a success, obtained in 2010, that was one of the best ever declared the Chairman, Bindocci. The wine cellars have been literally emptied out, and the 2010, 2009 and previous vintages sold like hot cakes. This has given a new push to the producers and has renewed confidence in a system that has settled by now on a standard of excellence. Last year’s market performance confirms this; suffice it to think that, during the month of December 2015 alone, the number of bottles produced increased by 20% compared to the same period of the previous year, which was already very successful“. 

 

As shown by a recent survey conducted by Winenews on the eve of Benvenuto Brunello, the success of the 2010 grape harvest has resulted in the prices of unbottled wine, practically inexistent, to almost € 1,000 per quintal, and the land value to € 500,000 per hectare.

 

The location of the Complex of Sant’Agostino, is once again confirmed for this year’s edition. As from the end of the year, this location will host the new Consortium offices, covering a surface area of over 800 m². In order to cover the renovation costs, the producers of Brunello have invested in a project worth € 1 million, thanks to an agreement entered into with the bank Monte dei Paschi di Siena.

 

As usual, the event is scheduled to start tomorrow at 11:00 am, at the Church of Sant’Agostino for the assignment of the stars to the 2015 grape harvest, the laying of the celebratory tile of the 2015 vintage, which will be affixed, following the tradition, to the outside wall of Montalcino’s Town Hall, and the presentation of the Leccio d’Oro 2016 awards, which, as is the case every year, the Consortium assigns to those venues, located in Italy and abroad, featuring a Wine List with a wide and representative range of Brunello and other Montalcino wines.

 

The figures:

 

The export sector continues to grow, settling at 70% of the total production (the year before it was 67.5% of the total). The United States are driving the market, with over 30% of the export volume, followed by European countries (with the U.K. still growing, while Germany and Switzerland are in the lead) with 20%, Asian markets (China, Japan, Hong Kong, etc.) with 15%, Canada (12%) and Central and South America (8%). The remaining 15% is taken up by other markets.

 

As far as the market is concerned, production is on the rise once again, driven by the extraordinary performance of Brunello, with 14,620,000 bottles released for sale in 2015 (+11% compared to last year), subdivided as follows: 9,800,000 bottles of Brunello (+17%), 4,500,000 bottles of Rosso, 300,000 bottles of Sant’Antimo and 20,000 bottles of Moscadello.

 

In 2015, the turnover of the vine-growing and wine producing sector in Montalcino increased by more than 10% compared to the previous year, going from € 168 million in 2014 to over € 187 million, mainly due to an increase in sales of Brunello.

 

In 2015, there was a tourism boom in Montalcino, with an increase of more than 20% compared to the previous year, when there were 1 million tourists. The higher number of visitors is proven not only by the increase in hotel stays, but also by an increase in visits to Montalcino’s historical places: visits to the Fortress, for example, posted an increase of 9.52% compared to 2014, confirming the fact that the increase in tourists, driven by the food and wine sector, generates a beneficial effect for all related industries.