Wednesday Wine Rant - 03/26/08 - Brunello, Brunello - say it ain’t so.

I LOVE BRUNELLO. You all are aware that Brunello di Montalcino is one of my favorite wines. The “Brunello” grape is a specific clone of the Sangiovese grape that is unique to the area surrounding Montalcino (Tuscany), having first been planted in the 1800’s by the Biondi Santi family. Today, Brunello di Montalcino is one of Italy’s most prized wines made by over 200 producers, all who have to stick to the basic formula:

• 100% Brunello clone of Sangiovese
• Normale Bottling: released 50 months after harvest (minimum 2 years aged in wood, 4 in bottle)
• Riserva bottling: released 62 months after harvest (minimum 2 years aged in wood, 4 in bottle)

The result of this process is a beautiful developed wine with concentrated, ripe fruits when young and delicate tannins with age. (Image taken this past November of downtown Montalcino, from the fortress!).

No one likes a cheat. It seems like some Montalcino vinters aren’t playing by the rules. Wine Spectator’s James Suckling blogged on the topic last week, mentioning the allegations that some winemakers are adding other grapes to their Brunello blend to make it more fashionable for todays wine consumer. He noted that this was merely allegations and no formal accusations were made towards any one vineyard.

Well today, our friends at Vinowire.com have reported that they have direct confirmation from the president of the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino, Stefano Campatelli, stating that the allegations are in fact under investigation and it appears there is some truth to them. I have contacted the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino for further comment and will update you when I hear anything.

From Vinowire: “Stefano Campatelli, who has confirmed that “irregularities” have been found in wines labeled as Brunello produced by at least twenty producers in Montalcino. According to outside sources who have requested anonymity because they were not permitted to speak publicly about the investigation, that number could be as high as 80 or 90.”

Please, say it ain’t so…

For more on the topic, check out the story on Vinowire.com. I’m almost afraid to follow this story to find out which of my beloved Brunello producers are guilty of this terrible crime. More reading and initial report here: Vino al vino

A Great Pairing: Outstanding Austrian Wine and World-Class Architecture

The time? 1985. The place? The Republic of Austria, a small European country who had been making quality white wines for a long time. The crime? Winemakers decided to add a touch of ethelyne glycol to their wines to add body and texture. The punishment? Immediate decline in sales in 1986 to 1/8th the level of 1985, almost two decades of a bad reputation and a struggle to overcome the shame of their actions.

The result? Youthful winemakers, some too young to remember much about the scandal, others to ambitious to care, are now taking over the winemaking industry and bringing to it New World techniques and Old World tradition. Even more exciting, this new group of vinters has established personal and professional relationships with some of the best architects in the world and together they are creating outstanding vineyards, wineries, and most importantly, wines.

In a country known for it’s beautiful landscapes, world-class skiing, outstanding sweets, and history of great classical composers, this generation of Austrian winemakers is working hard to etch its way into stone as being the generation that made Austrian viticulture into something special . I recently had the opportunity to sit down with some of the winemakers, architects, and other professionals involved in this transformation at an event co-sponsored by the Austrian Tourism Office and Austria Airlines, termed the Austrian Wine Salon in New York City.

My friend Carlos Lafourcade joined me on the train ride up to NYC. Upon our arrival at the Austrian Cultural Forum we were greeted with a great Austrian Sparkling wine and a tour of the beautiful facility. We joined roughly 40 other guests in the tour which showcased two main galleries featuring detailed scaled models of many beautiful Austrian wineries. Stories about the wineries were told while guests enjoyed their sparkling wine and listened in on a brief lesson on the amazing history of viticulture in Austria. Following the 20 minute walk-through, we made way to a large open conference room where a slide-show presentation on one of the more amazing Austrian wine and architecture projects was beginning.

The focus of the a presentation was one of the newest projects of world renown architect Steven Hall, with oversight by project architect Christian Wassman (seen in the model to the left). The project, the Loisium Hotel and Spa Resort with Wine Center, is located in the town of Lagenlois, one hour west of Vienna. The spirit of the design is to capture magnificence of the vault system using three dimensions, under, in and over the ground. Everything down to the materials used for each part of the design was meticulously thought out and incorporated to provide the ultimate architectural sensory experience. This project captures the essence of the collaboration of youthful wine makers and architects, giving tourists and wine lovers a unique and exciting experience in Austrian Culture.

The meal was built around traditional cuisine such as smoked trout, a delicious Wiener schnitzel with potato salad, and a venison ragout with Austrian dumplings was elegant and quite the crowd pleaser. The wines, of which the tasting notes are below, had good character and were great compliments to the fare. In total we had four wines: two whites, a red, and an Icewine (no notes taken) that was paired with a Chocolate cake.

The evening has me really excited about the future of Austrian viticulture. It’s exciting to taste wines from up-and coming areas of the world; watching the wines of specific vineyards develop year after year into great wines. The passion of these young winemakers, the beauty of the landscape from which the wines are extracted, and the collaboration with visionary architects is on display as artwork for all the senses. This has inspired me to plan a visit to Austria in the next year to witness first hand this metamorphosis from traditional wineries and wines, to novel and contemporary works of art. From what I’ve seen so far, I recommend you do the same.

More information can be found on the website of the Austrian Culture Forum NYC. The forum is open to the public and free, and I highly recommend stopping by if you’re in New York City (11 E. 52nd St.) and keeping up-to-date on their exciting events.

Tasting Notes:

Ploder Rosenberg Grauburgunder 2006 (Pinot Gris) : Lovely nose with minerals, tropical fruits, pear, cut grass. Butter and citrus notes stand out with the medium acidity and refreshing, complex finish. My rating: 89 pts.

Weingut-Steininger Gruner Veltliner Loisium 2006: Apple, banana, grapefruit. A bit of structure to it, with very nice mineral notes and good balance. My rating: 91 pts

Umathum Ried Hallebuhl Zweigelt 2003: Exceptional dark ruby color. Aroma’s of cherry, dark berry, smoke, vanilla and cedar. Medium bodied wine with good character and a finish that has good length. My rating: 88 pts

Highly recommended are the red wines of Anton Iby (Read more here).