2010 Brunello di Montalcino: A Promise Fulfilled

Two thousand ten has turned out to be a superb vintage for Brunello di Montalcino, Italy's most popular high-end red. The wines capture all the potential I sensed when I started tasting them from tank in the months following the harvest. At their best, the 2010 Brunellos offer gorgeous Sangiovese purity, tons of site specificity and high quality across the board, all signatures of a classic Montalcino vintage. Readers who want to take a look back at my early impressions might enjoy this article from May 2011. In short, after the uneven 2008s and the underwhelming 2009s Montalcino has come back big time with the striking 2010 Brunellos, wines that show just how compelling Sangiovese can be here.

Le Potazzine, one of Montalcino’s most promising young wineries

The 2010 Growing Season

Mother Nature was much kinder to growers in 2010 than she was in 2009. Most of the complications came early in the way of rain during flowering, which delayed the early part of the vegetative cycle and also lowered yields in some places. Summer was largely dry and on the cool side, with no extreme heat events. Showers arrived in late August, which set up the vines for a leisurely final phase of ripening under clear skies and perfect September weather of warm days and cool nights. The Sangiovese harvest at most properties took place between the end of September and the first week of October, which was anywhere from normal to late by 7-10 days, depending on the estate.

The 2010 Brunellos

The 2010 Brunellos are mid-weight, translucent wines with tons of Sangiovese character, expressive aromatics and silky tannins. As such, they will hold considerable appeal for readers who enjoy Nebbiolo and Pinot Noir. I noted a very evident return to a more traditional style of vinification and aging, which only serves to exalt the purity of Sangiovese as seen through the myriad facets of Montalcino. The 2010s are atypically open and quite delicious today. Readers expecting a huge, powerful vintage along the lines of 2006 will be surprised. Above all else, the 2010s speak to finesse. While there are a few wines that absolutely demand cellaring, the Riservas in particular, most of the 2010 Brunellos will drink well pretty much right out of the gate. The best wines also have the potential to develop beautifully for many years to come.

It is a shame the members of the producers’ Consorzio continue to vehemently resist any attempt to define the zones that make up Montalcino’s approximately 2,500 hectares (6,200 acres) of Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino vineyards, because 2010 is a vintage in which the signatures of the macro-zones are quite evident. What are the key attributes of Brunellos from Montosoli, Canalicchio, Pelagrilli, Sesta and Piancornello (to name just a few areas)? Vintage 2010 holds the keys to unlock all of that information. Make no mistake about it, sooner or later, these hillsides and vineyards will be mapped, but it will take someone from the outside who has the strength and independence to not bow to the immense pressures that will accompany the task.

An original planting in Mastrojanni’s Vigna Schiena dell’Asino, Castelnuovo dell’Abate

The Market for Brunello di Montalcino

The market for 2010 Brunello di Montalcino has already reached a frenzy the likes of which I don't think I have ever seen. Much of that reflects a rebound from the underachieving 2009s. At the same time, those who have been tasting and following the 2010s in the cellars have known about the potential of these wines for some time. But what we are seeing is also the classic Brunello syndrome, where the market’s appetite is virtually insatiable in strong vintages, but historically much weaker in average or challenging vintages.