"WELCOME BRUNELLO": AS WINENEWS ANTICIPATED, "THREE STARS" FOR THE 2014 HARVEST CELEBRATED ON THE TILE DESIGNED BY THE FOUNDER OF SLOW FOOD CARLO PETRINI, WHO WROTE " EARTH WISDOM FUTURE” AND THE WINE MARK, SYMBOL OF HAPPINESS

Carlo Petrini, testimonial extraordinaire for Brunello, designed the commemorative tile with the "3 stars" (out of 5) assigned to the 2014 harvest of Tuscan red from the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino, as WineNews had already anticipated. The handwritten words “Earth Wisdom Future” are on the tile created by the founder and president of Slow Food, which was “planted” in the "open air gallery" that narrates the quality of its harvests, on the wall of the fourteenth century Palazzo Comunale di Montalcino.
He is the only Italian that the British newspaper "The Guardian" inserted among the 50 people who "could save the planet".
Carlo Petrini said, “The history of Slow Food and its precursor, Arcigola, is deeply tied to Montalcino. It's always nice to come back, because every time I am amazed that the exponential growth of the denomination has not upset the agricultural landscape, which remains one of the most beautiful and cared for in our country. The commercial success of this red wine contributed to achieving a balance and harmony that are rarely found in other countrysides. Then there are many wine makers and sustainable, organic and biodynamic agricultural production methods, which must be a source of pride for all the people in Montalcino. It is extraordinary”, continued Carlo Petrini, “that they continue to preserve forests, roads, some pastures and cultivatable land. The quality of wines is on the rise and the rethinking that took place in the early 2000s has benefited the denomination. The wines have gained in territoriality and proximity to the original vine, Sangiovese that proves to be, here in Montalcino, one of the noblest grape varieties in the world”.
Petrini, referring to the celebratory image, explained that "the wine, poetry of the earth and witness of an entire culture, brings together men, dissolves disagreements and warms the atmosphere of a convivial table, leaving its mark on the tablecloth that recalls the joy experienced. This is the idea behind the tile I designed. It is symbol of conviviality, the primary value of the farming culture and the way to transmit knowledge among generations”.
It was a complicated harvest from the very beginning – the summer was rainy and cold, but the work of careful and even more specific selection by the producers has improved the quality of the grapes and the 2014 harvest has earned the "3 stars". “The 2014 harvest has brought us back 30 years, to the late '70s early' 80s when the grapes were brought to the cellar at the end of September and the harvest lasted until the end of October”, commented the President of the Consortium, Fabrizio Bindocci. “Regarding the quality, there is no doubt that the high acidity of the grapes and the uniformity of ripening, although slow, makes us optimistic about the quality of the bottled wine”.
Paolo Vagaggini, famous winemaker and one of the greatest experts on Sangiovese, said, "weather wise not everything went well and the 2014 vintage has wanted to look the Brunello di Montalcino producers in the face and test their ability to turn adverse weather into a positive harvest. Most of the winemakers reacted promptly and professionally, and the results were encouraging. rigorous and careful selection of healthy grapes was key; vinification then played an important role with sweet and delicate extractions. The 2014 wines are elegant, not powerful, but very balanced, not suitable for long aging, but decidedly pleasant to drink. For most producers, we can say: it will still be an interesting vintage”.