Wine scandal a result of seeking bigger market for brunello

"Brunellogate" is what some are calling the Italian wine scandal that was reported in the Chicago Tribune and other newspapers around the world last spring. The general public, however, barely raised an eyebrow at the claims that some major producers of brunello di Montalcino were spiking their wine with other grape varieties. That's a big no-no in Italy, where law requires that brunello be made only with the sangiovese grape.

Even when the U.S. government got into the act, threatening to halt brunello imports unless the wine could be guaranteed as genuine, Americans mostly stifled yawns — even though the U.S. market drinks 25 percent of the brunello produced yearly.

At a time when wine is being created with an increasingly international accent, it's especially important to embrace and protect regional styles of winemaking like brunello di Montalcino.

So why the disconnect? Was the wine too expensive or too unfamiliar? Was the accusation too minor or obscure? Or were American minds focused on something more pressing, like hustling up enough money to fill the gas tank rather than the wine glass?

"We've got enough problems here," said Tom Hyland, a Chicago writer who focuses on Italian wines. "A winemaker in Tuscany said they were calling it a scandal. It's got 5 percent merlot. How is that a scandal? They didn't put poison in the wine, or antifreeze."

Hyland said the problem began when some winemakers wanted to make brunello "round and soft with forward fruit" to meet what they see as consumer demand.

"They wanted to make a more international wine," he said, "so by adding merlot, for example, will soften some of the angular acidity of the sangiovese. It's a question of tradition versus modernity."

I have to admit that I find the question of tinkering with tradition to be disturbing, because brunello di Montalcino is considered one of the best red wines of Italy.

Brunello di Montalcino is made from a sangiovese grape clone called brunello, or "little dark one," according to The New Wine Lover's Companion. The wine is made from grapes grown around the town of Montalcino in southern Tuscany, in one of Italy's denominazione di origine controllata e garantita regions. This DOCG designation, Italy's best, specifies which grapes can be used and how the wine must be made. For example, a brunello di Montalcino must age for four years, five if it is a riserva, and for at least half that time, the wines must be stored in wooden barrels.

"With brunello, we look for fresh and dried red fruit flavors and red flowers, balanced by the liveliness sangiovese carries naturally," said Mike Baker of Chicago's Wine Discount Center.

Good brunello di Montalcino can be expensive, upwards of $50. Many Chicago wine merchants have noticed that the sagging economy is dampening sales of such higher priced wines.

To get the most brunello di Montalcino for your buck, Doug Jeffers of Binny's Beverage Depot suggests focusing on better vintages, such as 1999 or 2001. e_SDHpRatings can help, but he suggests talking to a trusted wine merchant to pick just the right wine.

Tom Benezra of Sal's Beverage World said the too-hot summer of 2003 did not create the most memorable brunello di Montalcino. There is a silver lining, he said, because the weather made for softer wine that's more drinkable early.

"Many of these 2003 brunellos will be at or close to their peak upon release," Benezra said, "unlike classic vintages, which don't peak until eight to 10 years from the vintage."

Meanwhile, the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino, a group of producers, rejected a proposal to allow other grape varieties in brunello di Montalcino. For the foreseeable future, brunello di Montalcino will remain sangiovese.

Here are some things to consider.

Four bottles of brunello di Montalcino, all from the 2003 vintage, were the focus of a recent blind tasting conducted by the Good Eating tasting panel. The wines had been opened roughly 30 minutes and were poured into the glasses about 10 minutes before the tasting. Some tasters went back to sample the wines again about an hour later; no notable changes were reported.

2003 Altesino: Tied with the following wine. Its black-cherry color practically aglow in the glass, with a fruity wood-scented nose touched with a whiff of the sea, this brunello was ample yet disciplined, fruity yet high both in acid and tannins. Serve with roasted pheasant or braised short ribs. 3 corkscrews, $69.

2003 La Gerla Vigna gli Angeli: First thing you notice is the knockout aroma of spice and black pepper, then the dark velvety purple color. The flavor is young, a tad rough, but it builds on notes of tobacco, smoke, clove and black pepper into an interesting wine. Serve with roast beef, risotto with porcini mushrooms, or crown pork roast. 3 corkscrews, $75.

2003 Casanova di Neri Tenuta Nuova: A strong, well-muscled wine, with lip-smacking acidity and what tastes like a pinch of unsweetened cocoa on the finish. Lively tannins, full berry flavor. Serve with roasted soy-lacquered duck, braised rabbit or prime rib. 3 corkscrews, $75.

2003 Canalicchio di Sopra: Look for a quick and unexpected note of caramel on the nose, quickly followed by lots of berry and black pepper. The wine is astringent but lively, too, with plenty of fruit notes. Serve with roast turkey and trimmings, or venison. 3 corkscrews, $60.