Brunello di Montalcino, alongside Chianti, is arguably the most prestigious of all Italian wines. It certainly holds the top rung in Tuscany, despite its relatively short history. It is made exclusively from Sangiovese grapes grown in Montalcino – a classic Tuscan hilltop village 20 miles (30km) south of Siena. Brunello translates roughly as ‘little dark one’, and is the local vernacular name for Sangiovese Grosso, the large-berried form of Sangiovese which grows around Montalcino.
