It’s a who’s-who of Brunello’s greatest producers: Il Poggione, Camigliano, Fattoria dei Barbi, Canalicchio di Sopra, Caparzo, Carpineto, Castel Giocondo, Banfi… and the list goes on and on.
All of these legacy producers of Brunello and many, many others will be in Houston on January 19 for Benvenuto Brunello 2017.
Click here for participating wineries.
Click here for registration info (trade only).
Benvenuto Brunello (“Welcome Brunello”) is Montalcino’s premier tasting event and one of the most important dates on the wine trade’s calendar each year. And this year, the walk-around tasting is coming back to Houston for a second time (New York is the only other U.S. city that where the event will be held this year).
Since it first began to rise in popularity in the U.S. in the early 1990s, Brunello di Montalcino has become one of Americans’ favorite luxury-brand wines and one of Italy’s most successful appellations.
A series of super vintages in the 90s didn’t hurt the wine’s popularity among wine writers and top collectors. And the epic 1997 vintage sealed the deal when it delivered a number of wines that were rated 100 points out of 100 by some of the leading wine critics in the U.S. (including James Suckling and Robert Parker, Jr.).
First produced in 1888, Brunello di Montalcino is made from 100 percent Sangiovese grapes grown in Montalcino township (Siena province). It’s widely recognized as one of the world’s greatest “aging” wines, in other words, wines that can be cellared for decades with spectacular results.
Depending on the producer and the vintage, the wines are generally made in a tannic, “austere” style. When grown in Montalcino’s volcanic and limestone subsoils, Sangiovese achieves one of its supreme expressions: Powerful in terms of its structure (i.e., tannin) yet elegant and graceful in its nuanced fruit, herbal, and earthy aromas and flavors.
One of the things that’s so fantastic about the Benvenuto Brunello tasting is that guests have the opportunity to sample wines from a wide range of Montalcino terroirs and microclimates. Aside from the Benvenuto Brunello tasting held in Montalcino proper each year, there is no greater gathering of Brunello producers. And winemakers from many top wineries will be on hand to pour and talk about their wines on January 19 in Houston.
We look forward to seeing you on January 19! See links above for participating wineries and for registration info (and please note that the walk-around tasting will be open to the public at 4 p.m.).