WINE (BENVENUTO BRUNELLO): CRACCO DESIGNS THE 30TH TILE FOR THE 2021 HARVEST BINDOCCI (PRES. CONSORZIO): THE RESTAURANT SECTOR IS THE NATURAL TESTIMONIAL OF OUR BRUNELLO REVOLUTION IN THE ASSIGNMENT OF THE STARS

(Montalcino - SI, 20 November 2021). An egg, the symbol of life; set against the backdrop of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, the heart of Milan and home to Carlo Cracco's starred restaurant. The iconic tile of the 2021 vintage of Brunello di Montalcino, created by Carlo Cracco and unveiled this evening on the wall of the Town Hall of the medieval Tuscan town during Benvenuto Brunello (19-29 November), is an ode to Italian cuisine. In the words of the president of the Consorzio del vino Brunello di Montalcino, Fabrizio Bindocci, “Carlo Cracco is the symbol of an Italian style in the kitchen that has always been the testimonial of our Brunello in Italy and throughout the world. For the thirtieth tile dedicated to a harvest that is undoubtedly extremely interesting, we really wanted to emphasise the special alliance with the restaurant industry, our historical and natural channel that, last year alone, lost almost 40% of its turnover in Italy due to the Covid pandemic, equivalent to approximately 38 billion euros. The innovations linked to the new positioning of Benvenuto Brunello undoubtedly include the analysis of the new vintage, without the indication of merit given by the stars from this year. The judgement of the new vintage has been brought forward to November for the first time: hence the impossibility of assessing a product that does not yet exist. Consequently, the stars for the 2021 vintage will be awarded after a year of ageing, during the 2022 anteprima”.
For the creator of the historic tile, who also directed the gala dinner, Carlo Cracco: “The egg has always been an ingredient that I am very fond of. Apparently so simple, in actual fact it embodies so many different meanings: from the meaning of life, of birth, through to the image of the perfection of perspective. I have worked a lot in the kitchen over the years, trying to build value around this special ingredient, which is not only a small part of so many recipes but can also play a leading role on the table”.
An assessment of the harvest – and not of the wine – was presented today by oenologist Maurizio Castelli and agronomist Massimo Achilli, according to whom the 2021 Brunello will achieve a very high potential, with important differences compared to previous vintages. For the experts, the 2021 will be a “good vintage” because the producers of Montalcino succeeded in managing, from the vineyard to the cellar, the climatic change underway even in this microcosm which is perfect for wine. After a very hot March, in which the vines started budding sooner than usual, only to be abruptly interrupted by April frosts, and the subsequent summer drought, the ripening process of the vines for the 2021 vintage returned to normal.
Carlo Cracco, the Lombardy Region's ambassador for Expo 2015, is now president of the non-profit association Maestro Martino, the primary aim of which is to promote fine cuisine and local excellence. Since 2018, Ristorante Cracco has moved to Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan, where it occupies a 1200-square-metre venue with over 2500 labels. In Montalcino, 11 days of tastings planned with 119 wineries to celebrate the release of Brunello 2017, Brunello Riserva 2016 and Rosso di Montalcino 2020 together with wine lovers and operators. On 22nd November, 85 sommeliers from Italy’s high-end restaurants are expected for the tastings.

Carlo Cracco.
Creator of the tile of the grape harvest of the 30th edition of Benvenuto Brunello