On our last day in
Tuscany, eight of us headed to Montalcino in two cars for the day. Mark and I
had been invited by Laura Gray at Il Palazzone for a tour of the vineyard and a
tasting of their Brunello, … And we were told to bring friends.
Brunello di Montalcino,
if you aren’t familiar with it, is an Italian red wine produced in the
vineyards surrounding the town of Montalcino located about 70 miles south of
Florence. Brunello, roughly translated as “small dark
one” in the local dialect, is made solely from hand-picked Sangiovese
grapes and then aged in oak barrels. Most producers separate their
production between a normale and riserva bottling, releasing the normale bottles four years after harvest
and the riserva anther year after that. In
1980, the Brunello di Montalcino was awarded the first Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) designation
and today is one of Italy’s best-known and most expensive wines.
So, off we went to get
there for our 11:00 tour, arriving pretty much on time. Il Palazzone isn’t far
at all from the “villa” we rented in Montalcino in 1998 (a converted
monastery called I Cappuccini) – a trip with many of the same folks who were here in Tuscany with us this
year. Memories of that earlier trip flowed freely in our car; it was a magical time.
Laura greeted us, let
us stretch, and offered us water before taking us on a tour of the property.
The tour included a walk through the vineyards, olive groves, past the pool,
into a boschetto (we sampled warm and sticky figs fresh off the tree),
and up to the new wine cellar, which is nearing completion!
Il Palazzone has a
program called Club 100 through which one can sponsor an olive tree and get their wonderful olive oil delivered to one’s doorstep! For information, click here to contact Laura and
she will be able to help you.
We returned to the
tasting room where we sampled the 1995 and 2005 Brunellos from the estate,
starting with the 2005. It was truly a lovely wine – I wish I had taken notes
that day – great fruit, with a very bright and clear finish. My taste buds
started asking for a good steak!
 |
| Laura Gray coating each glass with some Brunello to prepare them for the tasting. |
We moved on to the
1995, and the difference that came with an extra 10 years in the bottle was
pretty stunning. The wonderful flavor of the 2005 was there but the
intensity was three times that of its younger sibling. It was dark and
mysterious; visions of mushrooms and complex herb combinations came to mind.
What a treat to taste these two wines side by each, so close in physical
proximity yet so far from one another in taste.
As we got ready to
leave Il Palazzone, we purchased several bottles for dinner later that evening – a
mixed grill of homemade sausage, pork and chicken. What a treat! Our many thanks
to Laura Gray – and to owners Richard and Laura Parsons – for their generous
hospitality and a wonder-filled tour! Please do check out Il Palazzone online and, when in
Tuscany, visit their new tasting room (contact them first to check on dates and times) and at least make sure you try some of their Brunello; the prices are
extremely reasonable and the flavor is incomparable. Also, Laura Gray writes a great blog to help us keep up on seasonal happenings in Montalcino!
It has been many years
since I have had a Brunello di Montalcino, and it reminded me of a braised beef
recipe that calls for Brunello, although I often will use its poor cousin for
the recipe – Rosso di Montalcino – saving the Brunello for drinking with the meal!
Here is the Brasato di Manzo recipe; it is the perfect dish to make on a chilly autumn day – it warms the kitchen and the aromas are heavenly. Enjoy this with your prized bottle of Brunello. In the case of Brunello, it is the food that accompanies the wine, not the other way around! Happy tasting!
– David
Brasato di Manzo
1 3-pound boneless beef
chuck roast, well marbled
2 tablespoons extra
virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, peeled
and sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 large carrot, peeled
and sliced
2 6-inch sprigs
rosemary
4 fresh bay leaves
1-2 tablespoons peppercorns
1 bottle Brunello or
Rosso di Montalcino
Salt and freshly ground
pepper
1/2 cup brandy
Early in the morning,
place the meat, vegetables, rosemary, bay leaves and peppercorns in a large
ceramic or glass container. Add the bottle of wine, cover and place in
the refrigerator to marinate.
About 2 hours before
serving preheat oven to 300°F, remove the meat from the marinade and pat it
dry. Set aside. Strain the marinade, reserving both the wine and
vegetables. Place the wine in a saucepan and bring to a boil; reduce by
half – about 10 minutes – and
remove from the heat.
Generously salt and
pepper the meat. Heat oil and butter over medium-high heat in a Dutch
oven large enough to hold the meat. Sear on all sides – about 12 minutes.
Add the brandy and ignite.
(For safety, I turn off the heat when using a gas stove to avoid getting
burned.) When flames subside, add
the reserved vegetables and pour the reduced marinade over top.
Bring to a boil, then
cover and place in the preheated oven. Braise for 2 hours hours. Remove
the meat from the pan and tent to keep warm.
Remove the rosemary
sprigs and bay leaves and discard. Using a slotted spoon, remove
vegetables from cooking liquid and puree in a food processor. Return the
puree to the cooking liquid and mix well. Slice the meat thinly and serve
with the sauce on the side.
Serves 6.
Towny
October 30, 2011 at 4:52 pmHi David. Again, I have made the mistake of reading your latest Post before eating! Thanks to you, I am now starving and hankering for a plate of Brasato di Manzo with a glass of Brunello! The recipe looks wonderful and the wine sounds sublime. I will have to look for it. While my wine knowledge leans to French wines, I am eager to learn more about wines from Montalcino. Thanks for sharing.
Susan Manfull
October 30, 2011 at 10:19 pmIt's pretty chilly here in New England, following our historic snowfall yesterday and into this morning…. A perfect day for such a sublime meal! Had I only picked up the chuck roast and Brunello yesterday! It sounds SO SO good! I love the idea of sponsoring an olive tree, too! Your posts always transport me to places I'd like to be and meals I'd like to enjoy! Thanks so much!
Cocoa & Lavender
October 31, 2011 at 4:46 amSusan and Towny – my faithful friend and readers! So sorry to hear about your weather – but glad you are having good soups and hearty food! Towny, bonne chance with everything in Lourmarin this week; Susan, bon courage with the snow, winds, ice and sleet! By the way, I know you will both love Brunello – we must try some WHEN you come to visit!
Anonymous
October 31, 2011 at 12:45 pmI was in this region 11 years ago in the Fall. Just reading your post brought me back there. Thanks for the mini mental vacation – I needed that!! 😉
Karin
Cocoa & Lavender
October 31, 2011 at 1:43 pmWhere were you 11 years ago? We were there then, too. Glad you had a nice mini-vacation with out the jet lag!
Anh
November 2, 2011 at 9:49 pmSuch a lovely region! it's so far from my corner of the world, so it's great to enjoy your virtual tour!
Cocoa & Lavender
November 3, 2011 at 1:08 amGlad you enjoyed it, Anh! You are in a lovely corner of the world, too!
Kirsten Honeyman
November 7, 2011 at 2:37 amI just put the meat in the wine to marinate for tomorrow night's dinner. I hope a few extra hours in the wine isn't a problem. Will let you know how it turns out!
Cocoa & Lavender
November 7, 2011 at 2:42 amKristen – I don't think the extra time can hurt! Enjoy! Next week I head to Mexico for some chiles en nogada!