Brunello di Montalcino: Understanding and Appreciating One of Italy’s Greatest Wines
Author: Kerin O’Keefe
Publisher: University of California Press
Edition: First Edition
Publication Date: 2012-04-18
Language: English
Paperback: 312 pages
ISBN-10: 0520265645
ISBN-13: 9780520265646
Book Description For fans of Italian wine, few names command the level of respect accorded to Brunello di Montalcino. With their earthy, wild-cherry sensations and full structure yet smooth textures, top Brunellos have the body and finesse of the most prestigious world-class bottlings from Bordeaux, Burgundy and Piedmont. Expert wine writer Kerin O’Keefe has a deep personal knowledge of Tuscany and its extraordinary wine, and her account is both thoroughly researched and readable. Organized as a guided tour through Montalcino’s geography, this essential reference also makes sense of Brunello’s complicated history, from its rapid rise to the negative and positive effects of the 2008 grape-blending scandal dubbed “Brunellogate.” Brunello di Montalcino helps wine lovers maneuver their way among Montalcino’s minefield of diversity by breaking the vast commune down into seven distinct subzones, ranging from the highest reaches around the town of Montalcino, which yield austere, elegant wines destined for lengthy aging in cellars; down to the lower plains in the deep south around Sant’Angelo Scalo, home to immediate, muscular Brunellos with higher alchol and lower acidity; and to all the other fascinating areas that lie between those two geographical extremes. O’Keefe also provides in-depth profiles of 58 carefully chosen wineries, big and small, famous and unknown, who produce excellent Brunellos that best express the quintessential chracteristics of both Sangiovese and the various subzones in Montalcino.
List of Illustrations Preface Introduction. Brunello: A Modern-Day Phenomenon of Made in Italy
Part One. The Place, the Grape, the History, and the Wine 1. Montalcino 2. Temperamental Sangiovese: Location, Location, Location 3. Birth of a New Wine 4. Brunello Comes of Age 5. Boom Years and the Loss of Tipicità 6. The Brunellogate Scandal 7. Brunello Today and Tomorrow: The Return to Tipicità, or Business as Usual?
Part Two. Leading Producers by Subzone 8. Montalcino 9. Bosco and Torrenieri 10. Tavernelle 11. Camigliano 12. Sant’Angelo 13. Castelnuovo dell’Abate
Part Three. Beyond Brunello: Other Wines and Local Cuisine 14. Montalcino’s Other Wines: Rosso di Montalcino, Moscadello, Sant’Antimo, Chianti Colli Senesi and IGT Toscana 15. Brunello, Rosso, and Food Pairing
Appendix A. Vintage Guide to Brunello Appendix B. Brunello at a Glance Notes Acknowledgments Glossary Bibliography Index
Review
“Kerin O’Keefe’s authoritative book on Brunello is in the Broadbent/Coates tradition. …written in a brisk, informative style. …we need a guide we can trust; and those once seduced by the delicate complexity of a perfect Brunello could hardly do better than O’Keefe’s book”, Prof. Tim Crane, Times Literary Supplement
“And so it should be: forthright, trenchant, spirited, anything but bland. Would that more wine books were like yours”, Michael Edwards,
The Finest Wines of Champagne
“…it’s refreshing to read the work of an author who not only knows her subject in great detail, but one who is opinionated and tells her story in an engaging fashion. …this book is highly recommended.”, Tom Hyland,
Learn Italian Wines
“Kerin O’Keefe’s
Brunello di Montalcino is not simply an enjoyable wine book; it’s one of the rare wine books that is truly important.”, Evan Dawson, Palate Press
“…O’Keefe’s Brunello di Montalcino is an argument in favor of classicism…it gives the appellation something that it has deserved for some time: a critical voice that writes about Brunello with the affection and focus ordinarily reserved for the likes of Burgundy…”, Keith Levenberg,
World of Fine Wine
“She has an easy, absorbing writing style that’s packed with information without being dry and witless. This is a very good read for the enthusiast and a useful one for the wine student.”, Sally Easton MW
,WineWisdom
“…fascinating, well-written take on Brunello di Montalcino, and one of the books of the year”, Paul O’Doherty,
JancisRobinson.com
“An absolutely essential wine guide for the connoisseur wishing to learn about the wine or the wine traveler seeking advice on where to go and which wineries to visit.”,
International Wine Review
“This book is a great gift for that person in your life who simply can’t get enough of Italy and its wine, or a wonderful investment if you’re planning a trip to Tuscany soon.”, Anthony Dias Blue,
Blue Lifestyle
From the Back Cover
“Kerin O’Keefe is undoubtedly the English-speaking world’s most passionate advocate of the wines of Montalcino. Every page of her book reflects her expertise and long experience, and what’s more, she’s a good writer. How often have we been presented with detailed knowledge wrapped in turgid language? Not here! This is a page-turner if ever a wine book was one.” –Nicolas Belfrage M.W., The Finest Wines of Tuscany and Central Italy: A Regional and Village Guide to the Best Wines and Their Producers
“Kerin O’Keefe’s book is the best thing I have read on Brunello di Montalcino–period. The research is the most thorough, and the coverage of the key aspects of the Montalcino situation–origins and history, legislation, zonal variations, producers–is the most complete and rigorous I have encountered anywhere.” –Tom Maresca, contributor to
Decanter, Wine & Spirits and Quarterly Review of Wines
About the Author
Kerin O’Keefe writes about Italian wine for Decanter, The World of Fine Wine, and formerly for Wine News. She is the author of Franco Biondi Santi: The Gentleman of Brunello, a recipient of the Gourmand World Cookbook Award.
