The holidays are over and for us at Social, that means it is time keep working.… and keep drinking and serving the juice. There are no breaks in the F & B biz and that’s how we like it. Eye on the Prize. Eye on the Prize.
In Charleston, we live in a lovely moderate climate where we experience cold weather for about 4 weeks a year (for those readers who are based in the North, you would laugh at our version of cold btw). Well, it hasn’t broken 50 degrees in a few days and is supposed to continue through the end of the week (told you that you would laugh!), so it’s time for BIG, BOLD REDS- the soul-warming kind that heats your body from the inside out. Or maybe it’s just the naturally higher alcohol content of these wines numbing your senses. Doesn’t matter- you don’t notice your frostbitten toes either way.
So onto the juice…there are way too many varietals and wines to discuss in just one entry, so we are going to break this topic up into digestible blocks by writing about whatever varietal I feel like writing about (we apply a highly structured and scientific method to how we go about this obviously).
Part 1
Today’s inspiration is Brunello di Montalcino!!!
I tasted a Brunello over the weekend and was reminded by how much I love these wines. This might be my favorite brawny wine in the world- more so than great Bordeaux or certain super-Tuscans. Define brawny you say…well how about medium + to full-bodied wines with obvious tannins that show a darker fruit profile. Examples include Cab Sauv, Merlot, Syrah/Shiraz, Malbec, Tempranillo, etc…
Back to the Brunello…These wines are based on one of the hundred mutations of Sangiovese, local to Montalcino and must be aged for at least 4 years before release. The most notable occurrence from the region is the controversy regarding the ‘03s where certain producers were caught blending in Cab Sauv and Merlot to their Brunellos (by law, it must be 100% Brunello). Like all good scandals, the big boys were busted and punished and the little guys were heralded for staying true to the traditions of the land. You know, like Braveheart but the hero isn’t tortured to death and the little guys retain their freedom. Alright, it’s nothing like Braveheart but that movie kicked ass.
So why do I love Brunello? Simple, for the same reason why I love the wines I do: complexity, transcendental aromatics, proper balance and structure, long, soulful finish, age worthiness and most importantly, uniqueness. Great examples of Brunello incorporate every single one of these aspects. These full-bodied wines with aggressive tannins, particularly when young, have a flavor profile that remind me of yes, Dr. Pepper. One could say that DP’s 23 flavors are a testament to the complexity of Brunello. Regardless, every time I drink Brunello, I am transported back to my childhood, sipping on my favorite soda (this could account for my partial fascination with it) because being a kid again, even for a hot minute, rocks. I could wane on with a painful descriptive tasting note but you are going to have to trust me and a majority of the world’s wine aficionados that there exists nothing else like awesome Brunello, so drop the $50-$100 (retail) and prepare to be overwhelmed by its awe-inspiring aromatic and flavor profile, while slowly slipping back into your budding, adolescent state. Time for a game of tag.
Ballstein
One Note: Brunellos need to be decanted.
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