7. Montalcino

                                   “And so we opened another bottle of Brunello…”

Those were the unforgettable and slightly irritating words from Frances Mayes’ novel ‘Under the Tuscan sun’ that I always like to remember as I’m pulling a cork out of this very expensive wine. This is the book that inspires thousands of American tourists to visit Tuscany every year and come and block our driveway trying to take photos!

That was probably the first time I’d heard of this prestigious wine, although at the time I don’t think it really meant anything to me. So after a month of being exposed to Chianti Classico and seeing this rather expensive ‘Brunello’ everywhere, I decide to go and see what all the fuss is about and that means our first trip to the place where it is grown, Montalcino.

The drive south on the Chiantigiana, through to Siena is one of the most spectacular roads I’ve ever driven on, it’s the spine that runs through the heart of the Chianti and now right on our doorstep! A coffee stop in the pretty town of Asciano gives us some energy and we continue on through the gentler rolling hills of southern Tuscany. As we approach our destination signs at the side of the road let us know we are driving through the ‘road of the wines of Brunello di Montalcino.’

The vines are pretty empty though, having just been harvested. The 2001 harvest will be a 5 star year, although we won’t be able to taste it quite yet, as Brunello wines by law have to be barrel and bottle aged for 5 years prior to sale!!!

The small town of Montalcino is perched high on a hill overlooking the Val d’Orcia.We park up and enter the medieval walled town through the ‘Porta Romana’ which joins onto the huge fortress and houses, surprise surprise... a wine shop/museum!

Inside there are hundreds of bottles lining the walls. Where to begin? On the counter they have half a dozen bottles and ask us if we would like to taste some? Sure! why not? So we are treated to some Brunelli from 1996 and the latest vintage 1997... very nice! Austere, ripe dark fruit and full-bodied, a bit like Barolo. We dig deep into our pockets and decide to buy a bottle of the ’96 San Carlo, which cost 36,000 old lire, which is about 18 pounds. Quite pricey for poor English teachers with not much work yet!

We enjoy a stroll through the narrow, winding streets, which all seem to be lined with wine shops selling Brunello. It’s like

Disneyland for wine lovers! Unfortunately it’s getting late and we have a long drive home, but rest assured...

I will return!

(Original journal entry 1/12/01)