We just received word via the Brunello Consortium that the Ministry for Agriculture published a circular (number 6858 – 19 April 2013) clarifying that irrigazione di soccorso (emergency irrigation) is permitted for DOCG, DOC and IGT wines when this is not mentioned in their disciplinaries. In recent years the combination of increased temperatures and decreased rainfall all over Italy has made this specification necessary.  The article recognises that emergency irrigation is by definition an extreme measure that, when used correctly, is to safeguard a harvest. There is no risk of it being used to increase the yield of grapes (thus impacting quality) in so far as DOCG, DOC and IGT wines already have legislation in place that limits yields (to guarantee quality).

We have all noticed the rise in temperatures and so this new possibility of intervention is welcome news in Montalcino. In 2012 for the first time it was possible to insure vineyards for the devasting effects of heat spikes, a concrete illustration of how widespread the issue of heat damage has become.  Concern has often been voiced by Fabrizio Bindocci, current president of the Consorzio. Over a year ago his son posted an eloquent explanation of why emergency irrigation ought to be contemplated.

We are already bound by the disciplinary to respect a yield of 8.000 kg. per hectare  (and here at Il Palazzone we stay well below that yield) so there is no chance of using watering to increase quantity and dilute quality. What it means is that from 2013 onwards producers may be able to partially  mitigate the effects of scorching heat -  2011 and 2012 were ”hot” vintages. This is relevant  for the south-facing low-lying vineyards of Montalcino – and we have one of these.

In principle emergency irrigation seems like a simple solution but it is definitely has to be a rare intervention in vintages characterised by extreme and prolonged drought. In these years monitoring every vineyard and timing will be extremely important since watering when the vines are already in difficulty is counterproductive and heat-spikes are unpredictable. The recent trend of ever-increasing ABVS for Brunello’s in general will not necessarily be inverted. This is another complex matter since increased levels of sugar are also connected with vineyard management (specifically the frequency and timing of cimatura - topping) which affects hours of direct sunlight, the incidence of new leaves and of the feminelle (lateral secondary offshoots). In addition, in ”normal” vintages some level of stress idrico is acceptable and can even be positive.

When welcoming visitors to the estate I often cite the weather rule as something that further increases already existing differences between vineyards due to position/elevation/soil … it remains to be seen what will be different in 2013. Not least is the amount of water necessary – as our agronomer Massimo Achilli points out – who has 300-400 cubic metres of water per hectare?

And for the record, right now it’s raining.

Don’t forget… you heard it here first! Vines do grow – and quite fast too. Here is Sangiovese at our highest vineyard, Le Due Porte on 11, 18 and 29th April 2013.

Budbreak, 11th April 2013

Sfarfallamento – 19th April 2013

Onwards and upwards – 29th April 2013

As people around the world celebrate Earth Day today, I am spending this day thinking about all the things over the past year that have  gone on at Il Palazzone and the decisions we have made in our efforts to nurture and celebrate the land that provides so much for us.

For one thing, we joined 1% For the Planet last year, a network of companies that pledge to donate 1% of their total sales to organizations that help promote sustainability and environmental issues.  This year, the search was on for a charity that was in line with our views and position on farming.  As we do not use chemical pesticides, and the few treatments that we make in the vineyard are base metals allowed by the EEC directive that governs organic farming, it seemed like a great fit to donate 1% of our revenue to Pesticide Action Network – North America  (PAN).  PAN is a wonderful organization that lobbies against and educates about alternatives to chemical pesticides commonly used in farming.  Besides seeking policy change, they act to engage the community about how pesticides are detrimental to health and dispel the myths about pesticides.

One such campaign they are working on is to understand the complexities of “Colony Collapse Disorder” (CCD), which is essentially when bees disappear and abandon their hives.  Montalcino, being la città del miele after all, takes particular interest in the health of bees and their role as pollinators.  As the UN reported, of the 100 crops that provide 90% of the world’s food, over 70 are pollinated by bees.  A major suspected cause of CCD are neonicotinoids, a toxic pesticide known to be particularly dangerous to honey bees and which nevertheless has taken over the global insecticide market since the 1990s.  Fortunately, Italy has already acted to ban these pesticides, but PAN continues to work and lobby governments around the world to take action to save the bees, who as pollinators, play such an important role in the world’s food supply.

Besides our commitment to 1% For the Planet, Marco has recently sourced vinco, or offshoots of willow trees, which is a traditional method of tying back the vines, used before the invention of plastic ties.  The dual benefit, besides using what the earth has already provided, is that the vinco are much gentler on the vines, as they simply snap when the vines outgrow them.

Completing construction on our new cellar just before the last harvest, we went to great lengths to implement green practices in its design and construction, from sourcing stones from an on-site quarry to adding cisterns to collect and purify rainwater to re-use for washing.   Though it may seem cliche, this Earth Day, I am happy to celebrate the earth year round.

Our three vineyards are separated by a total of 15 km (9 miles) and have different elevation, soil composition, vine-age and exposition. These photographs were all taken on a gloomy afternoon on 11 April 2013. Same day, same clone of Sangiovese… At Le Due Porte, where our cellar is, the fuzzy nubs of the new leaves are just visible whereas at our Castelnuovo dell’Abate vineyards, significantly lower in altitude and south/south west facing we are at least a week ahead, close to full sfarfallamento. I have written about this before (and here) but these tangible examples of terroir always astound me. The debate about officially recognising Montalcino’s subzones continues but for anyone visiting Montalcino their existence is more than evident.

Budbreak is later for us this year than recent years (at Le Due Porte it was on 22nd March in 2012 and on 1st April in 2011) but actually the timing this year is what was once considered normal. Of course, there is no actual correlation between budbreak and harvest date; this is just the starting pistol for a long race and it’s anybody’s bet whether 2013 will resemble the tortoise or the hare. In fact in the four days since I took the pictures, la natura has started to recover lost time. Spring has finally made a grand entrance, after a first trimester with twice as much rainfall than usual. Temperatures have jumped 10° C in a matter of days. We are now luxuriating in 25°C (77° F) during the day with blue blue skies. Minimum temperatures have also more than doubled. Our winter clothes have been relegated to boxes, the irises are peeking out of their purple sheaths and Tuscany is looking good.

In their online exclusive Brunello Bonzanza, Monica Larner of Wine Enthusiast also talks about our 2008 Brunello.

Il Palazzone is a beautiful estate with a bright future ahead. Its 2008 Brunello is marked by lush fruit tones of cherry and blackberry followed by dried ginger, chopped mint, spice and pressed rose petal. In the mouth, it shows that telltale acidity of Sangiovese Grosso.  — M.L. (5/1/2013)

On arrival at Montalcino there is a roundabout with a mosaic on it just below the medieval Fortress.

Drive around the roundabout and past the Parafarmacia (green cross).

Exit immediately on the right in between the BAR TERRAZZE / PARAFARMACIA and the CARABINIERI police station.  The road is marked Via del Poggiolo.

Follow this road past a new block of flats and the cemetery.  Ignore Via del Renaio on the right.

It becomes a “white road”: a bumpy dirt track.

Keep driving and follow the signs that say IL PALAZZONE VENDITA DIRETTA OLIO E VINO.

Do not take the first right turn.

After less than a km on the right there is a tall house with an archway. Turn off to the right (you will see the estate mail box), and take the next right turn. 

There is wooden sign that says IL PALAZZONE.

Turn right here and drive downhill. Within seconds you will reach the UFFICIO.

Directions to Montalcino from FCO- Rome Airport

- Exit the airport heading northwest to the exit for route A12 toward Civitavecchia (65 km)
- Continue onto E80/SS1 (103 km)
- Take the exit E78/S S223 toward Roselle/Grosetto Centro/Siena
- Continue for approximately 21 km until the exit for Paganico
- Continue straight through the roundabout, onto Via del Cipressino
- Turn left onto Via Bellaria (at this point, you will see signs for Montalcino as well)
- Turn left on Via del Poggiolo, before you reach the roundabout.  If you get to the roundabout in Montalcino with the mosaic, go through it and follow the directions above.

We are now tying up the vines and this year Marco “sourced” some vinco from our neighbour’s garden. Those of you who know him can probably imagine the exact scenario. Offshoots from willow trees were used all over Italy for this purpose before being replaced by bright green plastic cord.

Prosecco producer Luca Ferraro is also using this method at one of his vineyards and writes lyrically about his own memories of tying as a child here . Typically for Italy, every region has their own name; strópe up in Veneto and bekve in Istria (see here another great post with step-by-step tying instructions).

The beauty of vinco is that doesn’t strangle the vine in the way that non-degradable synthetic ties do. It just simply breaks off under pressure from the swelling vine.

Flexible, biodegradable, sturdy, locally sourced, free…  bravo Sassetti!

This week the vines at Le Due Porte started to weep. This was not a reaction to the latest chapter of the Brunello wars  or a comment on the lack of a government, but a much-welcome sign that Spring is finally on its way and the linfa has started to flow. The soil warms and osmotic forces push water, containing various substances, up from the root system of the vine. This water is then expelled from the cuts (or “wounds”) from when the vine was pruned at the end of January.

“My good friend said I should hug an olive tree / She claimed that dreams come true when you do”

Who knew? Let’s hope it works with Tuscan olive trees too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Inuuxz3CPLQ

From Polish singer-songwriter Basia‘s 1994 album The Sweetest Illusion

The tile that commemorates the 2012 vintage was designed by Cruciani, an all-Italian company behind the colorful macramé lace bracelets that apparently are a global phenomenon thanks to celebrities such as Psy and Paris Hilton. It will be cemented into the wall today… The question is, how many stars will 2012 vintage receive? The vintage evaluation is an much awaited part of the second day of Benvenuto Brunello. Place your bets here.

With the tents erected and the invitations sent out, Montalcino is busy preparing for Benvenuto Brunello this weekend, the traditional release of the current vintage, where press and wine lovers alike will get their first tastes of the 2008 Brunello.

As has been a tradition at Benvenuto Brunello since 1992, along with the vintage evaluation, the Consorzio also reveals a tile created by an influential celebrity of the time.

In 2008, this honor was bestowed upon Alessandro Grazi, an artist born and living in Siena.  His tile, at left, beckons everyone to “Dai una mano alla Pace!” or Give peace a chance.

Grazi became linked with the Palio in Siena in 2007.  Held since Medieval times (twice a year since the 1700s when a second race was added in August), the Palio pits ten horses from different contrade (Medieval districts) and their bare-back riding jockeys on a race around the Piazza del Campo.  While the goal is obviously to win (and it can be noted that the loser is the horse that comes in second, not last), there is almost as much jubilation when a rival contrada loses as when the contrada’s horse wins.  Rivalries run deep.

The winning contrada is awarded the drappellone, or flag, which is designed by a different artist each year.  There are very rigid rules with the design of the drappellone and what was must included, like including iconography of sacred symbols, the insignia of the city and the symbols or colors of the ten contrade racing in that year’s Palio.  The drappellone also serves as a piece of history, depicting the government at the time, from the Grand Dukes to the Republic.

In 2007, Alessandro Grazi, a modern painter with a sort of abstract style, similar to that of Joan Miro, was chosen to design the drappellone.  Grazi’s groundbreaking version was very different from all those that came before it.  While still including all the necessary images associated with a centuries-old event, Grazi modernized the drappellone to much fanfare and a warm welcome that helped the Palio embrace the future while maintaining its long held traditions.

Following Grazi’s stunning debut of his modern drappellone at the Palio in 2007, the Consorzio enlisted him to design the 2008 tile.

If you are curious to see the banner in person and are in Siena, you can head to the Museum of La Oca (the goose), the contrada who won the July Palio that year.

To see Grazi’s art in Montalcino, you can head over to the Land Art walk at the estate of Cinelli Colombini, where Grazi has three playful elves greeting you as you start your walk.

Question: Can you really climb in there to clean the barrels?

Answer: Yes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yafLo3I1KC0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UH-cJGN-ETs

Anyone who has dined out on Italian food in Vancouver has heard of the legendary Umberto Menghi, the renowned Tuscan chef who arrived in Canada after studying in kitchens throughout Rome, London and Paris starting at the age of 16.

In 1976 he opened Il Giardino in Vancouver, and is credited not only for introducing fine Italian dining to western Canada, but also in contributing to Vancouver’s place as a destination for fine dining.  It quickly became one of the premier restaurants in Vancouver, and propelled Menghi to write 5 cookbooks, create a tv series, Elegant Appetite, and open 10 additional restaurants where he served everyone from movie stars to politicians.

Sadly, this Vancouver institution will serve its last dinner this spring, after 37 years in business.

If you can’t make it to Vancouver before Il Giardino serves its last dinner this spring, you can try your hand at Menghi’s recipe for roasted leg of lamb, which he suggests pairing with a bottle of Il Palazzone 2005 Brunello.

Cosciotto d’agnello arrosto – Roast Leg of Lamb

Ingredients

1 leg of lamb bone in, approximately 4 – 5lbs (1 – 2.2kg)
2 cloves of garlic
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 lbs (1kg) medium potatoes, peeled and quartered lengthwise
Juice of one lemon
2 Large onions, thinly sliced
2 cups(500ml) chopped peeled tomatoes
2 Bay leaves
2 Sprigs of oregano or 1tsp (15ml) dried oregano
Small piece of cinnamon stick broken
2 TBS(25ml) butter
1 cup (250ml) classic meat broth (see page 159) or water
½ cup (125ml) white wine

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375° F (190°C)

Trim fat from the leg of lamb. Cut garlic in slivers. Make slits all over the lamb with the point of a knife and insert a garlic sliver in each slit. Season the lamb generously with salt and pepper. Place lamb in large roasting pan, leaving room to accommodate the potatoes. Roast for 45 minutes.

Arrange potatoes around the lamb in the roasting pan. Sprinkle them with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Top the potatoes with onions and tomatoes. Add bay leaves, oregano and cinnamon. Dot the vegetables with butter and add the broth and wine.

Return the pan to the oven and roast for a further 45 minutes, turning the lamb occasionally so it will brown evenly. At this point the lamb should be rare. Roast it longer if you prefer it medium or well done. When the lamb is roasted to your liking, transfer it to a carving board or platter and keep it warm. Let it rest for at least 10 minutes before you carve it.

Test the potatoes. If necessary, roast them longer. When they are tender, carve the lamb. Serve it with the potatoes, tomatoes and onions on the side. Serves 6 – 8.

Reprinted with permission from Umberto Menghi’s cook book – “Toscana Mia – The Heart and Soul of Tuscan Cooking”

Visit all of Umberto Menghi’s Restaurants: Il Giardino in Vancouver, Il Caminetto and Trattoria in Whistler

Montalcinonews has just released details of the latest cultural head-count in Montalcino. The number of nationalities has gone up to an astonishing 51 in our community of just 5.278 inhabitants.

In spite of the increased influx of stranieri – in 2011 we numbered 783 and in 2012 825 – the actual number of Montalcino residents is still waning overall. The town is down 16 people down from last year which must be due to the high incidence of elderly ilcinesi.

The country-to-country breakdown is listed in the article in Italian here. Maybe it’s just me, but the numbers are intriguing; I am particularly struck by the 24 female Bulgarians and their 3 male counterparts….

The unimagined effects of the advent of the DOCG for Montalcino’s gene-pool have yet to be researched.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drgrvDypOjA

Mercifully the eating festival that started on 24th December is nearly over and we can finally take down the Christmas tree and dismantle the nativity scene complete with mossy hillocks that the cat has been sleeping in (and not just sleeping in, unfortunately).

The 6th of January is the Epiphany, the day La Befana is celebrated in Italy.

Legend has it that La Befana is an old crone who delivers sweets on the night between 5 and 6 January, going down chimneys and filling stockings (something that Father Christmas DOESN’T DO IN ITALY). As a myth she has her roots in pagan and/or Roman traditions, later conflated with Christian tradition. Apparently the whole Befana business was initially limited to central Italy but its spread was encouraged during fascism as part of the “Romanisation” of the whole country. So either she’s commemorating the gifts the Magi brought to Jesus, or she’s Mussolini’s vision of national unity, or a representation of the old year, appearing on the winter solstice, and inaugurating the new year with presents…. Whichever way it’s a good deal for children who get their last dose of tooth-rot and magic.

La Befana offers a quick cross-dressing moment for young men all over Italy. In Montalcino’s central square there will be four or five of them, shinning up and down the clock tower on pulleys (details here). They will be throwing sweets at over-excited children, wearing fake noses, petticoats with holes in them and brandishing broomsticks. It’s quite a sight. They are all fire-fighters and strapping men but they will be unrecognisable even to their own daughters.

La Befana signals the end of the Christmas break, the fizzling out of the holidays and that life is about to crank back into action. It’s a national holiday and another family meal (lasagne). Nearly all offices and businesses will only be fully operational after La Befana, school starts back on the 7th and everyone comes to terms with being in 2013.

In Montalcino it’s an important date since we can pick up the DOCG strips that certify Brunello after the 6th January…. 2008 Brunello is about to make its grand entrance and a new business year is starting up.

Bring on the sweeties and the drag witches! I can’t wait to get going.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSj0fUlla64

Happy New Year, to all you FOPS out there!!

2012 ended on a terrible note in Montalcino, with an atrocious act of wine vandalism. During one night at the beginning of December 600 Hl of cult Brunello was poured literally down the drain at Case Basse, the wonderful estate of Gianfranco Soldera. The culprit, an ex-employee, has been apprehended and all Montalcino is waiting to see what kind of justice will be served. News of a copycat crime in Sicily just after Christmas has shocked the wine-world once again.

For us here at Il Palazzone, 2012 goes down in our history as the year in which the new cellar was completed. It marks a new and exciting chapter in our wine-making, and the chance for our cellar-man, Jacopo Ferretti, to really show his mettle. 2012 was the year a soprano broke into song in the fermentation room, the year we heaved and hoved eight 50 HL fermentation casks and as many 40 HL aging oak barrels up our legendarily difficult hill. A year of hard work and huge satisfaction.

The last few days have been heart-stoppingly beautiful. A sea of fog is quickly replaced by the brightest blue skies. The persimmons are still on the trees, looking like forgotten Christmas decorations; improbable orange orbs. In the late afternoon the long shadows of the cypress trees stretch out across the vineyards and the silvery olive groves. Monte Amiata is powdered with snow, the vines are in repose – and so are we – readying ourselves for this new year. May 2013 be kind to us all. Bring it on!

Olive oil has long been a staple in Mediterranean cooking, and is often praised for its exceptional health benefits.  There are studies linking olive oil, full of polyphenols and antioxidants, with prevention of everything from cancer, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis and arthritis, often with those health effects being seen by eating as little as two tablespoons of olive oil per day.

However, all olive oil sold on the shelves of your grocery store are not created equally.

Like any fruit, olives are better when they are freshest.  Because of its molecular structure, all olive oil starts to oxidize over time.  While there are things that help slow down this process, such as protection against extremes in temperature and limiting its exposure to light, olives start to break down from the minute that they are harvested, with the health benefits beginning to decrease about 9 months after that.

How to tell if olive oil is fresh?

The most obvious way is to check when the olives were harvested.  Walking through a grocery store in America, it is rare to see a bottle with a harvest date on it.  Because of the amount of time it takes to go through all the channels involved in getting the oil from its bottling to the grocery store shelf, many  producers shy away from advertising the harvest date.  Any producer that puts a harvest date on their label is making a strong commitment to quality.

Another way to judge freshness is by smell.  The oil should smell fresh and bright, with hints of nuttiness or freshly cut grass or hay, which are indicators of high polyphenol levels.

The taste should be slightly bitter and peppery, which is often a shock to those used to eating olive oil that is not fresh, but it soon grows to be a taste that people crave.

Like grapes that go into wine, olives also have their own terroir and are impacted by growing conditions.  At Il Palazzone, we pick our olives very early in the season.  While this produces a lower yield, the olives themselves are much more concentrated and flavorful.  Each and every olive is picked by hand, which prevents bruising and ensures that only the best olives go into the oil.  The olives are then rushed to be pressed within hours of being picked, which prevents damage due to changes in temperature or accidental bruising.

We package the oil in green bottles, which filters out light (be wary of oil sold in clear bottles!)  It is often hard to find truly fresh olive oil outside its country of production, and this year will be no exception.  With storms early in the year that damaged many olive trees around Tuscany, the yield of olives this year will be lower in years passed.

One way to guarantee a shipment to your home of our olive oil is through Club 100, where you get to adopt an olive tree on the estate.  Along with your name painted on a beautiful plaque designed by a local Montalcino artist and hung on your personal tree, you will receive 3 bottles of olive oil within a month of its having been pressed, the absolute freshest oil you can get without being in Italy.

This week we have been transferring the 2012 Brunello from the wooden fermentation tanks into its final resting place, gorgeous 3700 litre oak barrels, lined up in the quiet of the ageing room at the very back of the cellar. This room is 10 metres underground and there is a lovely quiet feel to it. Entrance is through an upcycled 18th century convent door with great rattling iron bolts and two enormous keys. All of our wines spend over 40 months ageing so the 2012 will not be emerging until the end of 2016, with the possibility of coming on the market in 2017.

Before we moved it, we separated the wine from the skins and pressed using a manual wooden press. This year contact was 22 days at a stable temperature. The skins were great; compact and free of laceration and the extraction during maceration was excellent. The colour is beautiful. We have just requested permission to use the marcs on the property and expect to begin spreading next week.

A defining characteristic of 2012 is the low yields both in terms of what we harvested, but also in the transformation of grapes to wine. Many of the grapes themselves, particularly from the Castelnuovo dell’Abate vineyards, were smaller than usual because of the extreme heat of the summer and as a result yielded less actual juice.

Our cellarman, Jacopo, is happy with his first harvest in the new cellar. Although the 2012 is only at the beginning of its journey, it is already showing all the signs of developing into a complex and structured wine.

When designing our new cellar, which experienced its first harvest this fall with the 2012 vintage, architect Marco Pignattai needed to take many things into consideration.

First and foremost, of course, was how he could create the ideal environment to ferment, age and store our wine.  After that, he truly embraced Il Palazzone’s philosophy of agricoltura responsabile and set about to design a building that would have as little impact on the environment as possible.

You may visit the cellar and still never know of the efforts undertaken to create a “green” cellar, as so many of them have been so seamlessly incorporated into the design.  Some techniques that were used in order to reduce our carbon footprint include:

*Thermal insulation of the entire building to maintain its interior temperature
*Cisterns that collect both rainwater and water from cellar use, which will eliminate our need for fresh water for the gardens and other cellar related purposes
*Thick, deep perimeter walls that prevent the cellar from getting warm in the summer
*A high efficiency air exchanger/inverter that provides cool air in the summer and warm air in the winter
*Wood frames and double glazed windows that reduce the heat loss and air permeability
*External wooden doors that prevent direct solar heat
*Stones that create the outer wall are sourced locally, from a quarry less than a kilometer from the cellar
*90% of the bricks used in the roof and parts of the walls have been reused
*Stones for the external square in front of the cellar and the retaining walls were from an on-site quarry
*The marble sink that greets visitors as they enter the aging room is Carrara marble, local from Tuscany
*The door, made of beautiful antique cherry wood, is an antique, and originally from a Piemontese convent in the 1700s

Soon, we hope to install an additional 100 square meters of photo voltaic panels, which should cover the annual electricity needs of the cellar, as well as 12 square meters of solar thermal panels, which will produce hot water for washing the cellar and the equipment.

Within the cellar, cardboard has replaced foam and we’re gearing up to use recycled materials for packaging.  From the 2006 vintage onward, we switched to lighter weight bottles to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide.  Our proud membership in 1% For the Planet also has us committed to donating 1% of our total revenue to non-profit organizations that promote sustainability.