Vintage stars in Montalcino
The commemorative tile or plaque for Montalcino's most recent, 2020 harvest confirms another five-star, SUPERSTAR vintage!
It was exceptional wine that put Montalcino on the world map in the 1980s, and wine production is a distinctive feature of the hill, since many vineyards line the roads that take you into the hilltop town of Montalcino.
Wine is also a distinctive feature within the town, where hundreds of bottles of Rosso and Brunello di Montalcino are on display and can be sampled in the many specialty shops in town.
The Consortium is also located in one of Montalcino's main roads, just 200yards from the main square. Founded in 1967, its role is paramount for the preservation and promotion of the wine production in Montalcino. The flagship event has always been Benvenuto Brunello, an event that allows the producers to present the new vintages released to market at the start of the new year. The event has always welcomed Italian and foreign journalists, people in the wine trade and wine enthusiasts, normally able to taste wines in the presence of their producers. Normally held over a few days in Montalcino in February each year, this year Benvenuto Brunello Off was held behind closed doors, to ensure that the social distancing restrictions due to Covid19 would be respected, over a series of distanced days with only a limited number or participating journalists and trade specialists.
Benvenuto Brunello is also the chosen event for the announcement of the Vintage Stars given to the most recent Brunello harvest. Every year the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino classifies the new wine production and communicates the information regarding the Montalcino harvest and its wines
Brunello di Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino, Moscadello and Sant’Antimo.
The evaluation takes place at the start of every year, with wine samples of
the latest harvest undergoing chemical and organoleptic analyses. The Tasting Committee is made up of 20 technicians operating in Montalcino with extensive experience, and the evaluation is expressed in stars, from an insufficient, one-star vintage to an outstanding, five-star vintage.
The declaration of the evaluation in stars assigned to the vintage takes place during the Benvenuto Brunello, and is formalized with the laying of the commemorative plaque or tile on the wall of the historic Town Hall of Montalcino. The Consorzio commissions a commemorative tile to place on the Town Hall's wall in one of the main squares, created by people from the world of art, sports and show business, by Italians and foreigners alike. The tiles are ceramic, measure 30x30 cm and include the reference year and the number of stars assigned.
Every visitor to Montalcino cannot fail to see the tiles and to become aware of the quality of each vintage from 1992 onwards, including the 2010, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2020 superstar vintages in this past decade alone. And now Federica Pellegrini's 2020 harvest tile has also been added to the wall, with the Olympic swimmer's quote: "At each harvest the rebirth of a myth"
Join us on a visit to Brunello wineries and the hilltop town of Montalcino to see the Vintage Star Tiles with your own eyes! Participate on our full-day Brunello Wine Tour from Siena with visits to three different wineries, Montalcino and the Abbey of Sant'Antimo on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays anytime between March and December!