Brunello di Montalcino: the wine that ages 5 years

Brunello di Montalcino is the Italian red wine with the strictest aging rule: five years minimum in the cellar before it can leave, two of which in oak barrel. For comparison, Rosso di Montalcino is released after one year; Chianti after nine months; a house wine whenever you want. This patience is not a marketing gimmick: it is written into the DOCG regulations and defines everything that Brunello is.

Brunello di Montalcino in five numbers

• 5 years: minimum aging from January 1st following the harvest
• 2 years minimum in oak barrel (Slavonian large cask or French barrique)
• 6 years for the Riserva version
• 100% Sangiovese Grosso: no other grape allowed
• 1980: year of DOCG certification, among the first in Italy

The history: Ferruccio Biondi-Santi and 1888

The Brunello we drink today was born at the end of the 19th century at Tenuta Greppo, above the village of Montalcino. Clemente Santi, a doctor and landowner, began in the 1860s to experiment with a particular clone of Sangiovese: small berries, thick skin, high tannin. His grandson Ferruccio Biondi-Santi continued the work, and in 1888 he released the first commercial vintage labelled "Brunello".

The name is not a brand: in Tuscan dialect it means "the little dark one", referring to the berry of the Sangiovese Grosso, the clone from which Brunello must be made 100%. No Merlot, no Cabernet. For those used to denominations that allow blending (Chianti permits up to 20% other grapes), this rigidity explains much of the wine's character.

DOC recognition came in 1966; DOCG, the highest tier of Italian classification, in 1980, among the first Italian wines to receive it.

The DOCG regulations

| Type | Total aging | In wood | In bottle | |---|---|---|---| | Brunello | 5 years minimum | at least 2 years | at least 4 months | | Brunello Riserva | 6 years minimum | at least 2 years | at least 6 months | | Rosso di Montalcino DOC | 1 year | not required | not required |

In practice, a 2020 vintage cannot reach a table before January 2026.

During those five years the wine loses its primary fresh-fruit aromas and develops others: earth, leather, tobacco, undergrowth. The tannins integrate, the colour shifts from ruby to garnet. What you drink after five years is the adult version of the same wine bottled five years before.

Served at 16-18°C, in a wide Bordeaux-style glass. Uncork half an hour before for young vintages; for Riserva or older vintages, decant.

Brunello and Bistecca alla Fiorentina: the canonical pairing

Brunello di Montalcino and the Bistecca alla Fiorentina were born in the same piece of land. They come from the same earth, they share the same robustness, the same intolerance for compromise. When they arrive at the table together, they need no intermediary: the tannin of the Brunello cuts the fat of the Chianina, the salt and char of the Fiorentina soften the structure of the wine. They finish each other.

If you are searching for "what wine to drink with bistecca alla fiorentina", this is the historically correct answer.

Our Brunello on the wine list: Tenuta Ricci at €20

Our Brunello di Montalcino on the wine list is from Tenuta Ricci, and we serve it at €20 a bottle. For those used to seeing Brunello at €50-80 in downtown Florence restaurants, the price raises an eyebrow. It is not a launch offer, there is no trick: it is the price we set so that a Brunello at the table could actually be drunk, not just admired.

A Brunello Tenuta Ricci, a Fiorentina from the grill included in the €29.99 of the All You Can Steak, under €50 per person, wine included. Book a table to try the pairing.

Frequently asked questions about Brunello di Montalcino

How many years does Brunello di Montalcino age? Minimum five years total from January 1st following the harvest, at least two of which in oak barrel. The Riserva version requires six.

What is the difference between Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino? Same grape (Sangiovese Grosso), same area. The aging differs: five years for Brunello, one for Rosso. Brunello is more structured; Rosso is more immediate.

What pairs with Brunello? Red meat from the grill (Bistecca alla Fiorentina in particular), game, braised meats, aged cheeses, truffle.

How much does a bottle of Brunello cost at a restaurant? In downtown Florence restaurants it starts at €50-60 and easily reaches €100-150 for great vintages. At All You Can Steak in Sesto Fiorentino, the Brunello Tenuta Ricci is on the wine list at €20.