brunello controversy

Posted: September 21, 2009 By Tim Fish

Collecting : Collecting News

Billionaire Sues Major Collector

In separate action, Christie's Broadbent sues book publisher

Posted: September 11, 2009 By Mitch Frank, Peter Hellman, Jacob Gaffney

News & Features : News

Brunello Investigation Ends

Italian treasury police issue final report on blending scandal; raises more questions than answers

Posted: July 24, 2009 By Mitch Frank, James Suckling

Blogs : James Suckling Uncorked

Brunello di Montalcino has been in the news again in Italy following an Italian finance police press conference this past Saturday in Siena when it recapped its nearly two-year investigation into fraudulent winemaking practices in the region.

Blogs : James Suckling Uncorked

Truth in Advertising

Posted: July 8, 2009 By James Suckling

I get sick and tired of some wine merchants misusing my scores. And I have to wonder how many of the other scores or ratings they use to flog wines they misrepresent. Just the other day a wine merchant friend from Hong Kong e-mailed me with an offer from a wine broker in Switzerland that included my scores and the Wine Advocate ’s on 2004 Brunello di Montalcino.

Blogs : James Suckling Uncorked

The "Peccatto" of Old Bottles of Biondi-Santi

Posted: June 19, 2009 By James Suckling

Yesterday a friend of mine gave me a bottle of 1981 Biondi-Santi Brunello di Montalcino Il Greppo. It was incredibly generous of him, but I have to admit that I had doubts that it would be of very good quality.

Blogs : James Suckling Uncorked

A Sound Bite on 2003 Brunello Riservas

Posted: March 6, 2009 By James Suckling

I have been tasting through a range of 2003 Brunello di Montalcino riservas today. In fact, I have to go back and taste 10 more. But I keep asking myself, “What is the point?” I really can’t understand why Brunello producers made reserve reds in 2003, a very good vintage considering the boiling weather during the grapegrowing season, but nothing exceptional.

News & Features : News

French Authorities Investigate Suspected Fake Pinot Noir

Languedoc vignerons stand accused of exporting cheaper types of wine as Pinot; Gallo's Red Bicyclette may be a victim of the scandal

Posted: February 13, 2009 By Mitch Frank, Tim Fish

Blogs : James Suckling Uncorked

The Heads Up on Brunello

Posted: February 6, 2009 By James Suckling

You are going to like 2004 Brunello di Montalcino. Do you remember the great 1997 and 2001, as well as the super 1999 Brunellos? Well, 2004 is along those lines of quality, but it's a different style. The vintage produced more perfumed, more refined Brunellos than other recent top vintages.

Blogs : Stirring the Lees with James Molesworth

Paul Jaboulet Aîné Takes on Wine Fraud

Posted: January 16, 2009 By James Molesworth

Wine fraud continues to be a growing problem. There are more consumers competing for the world's high-end bottlings, both via retail and the secondary market. Since many of these wines are made in limited amounts (that won't ever increase in the case of single-vineyard wines), the increased demand is feeding the growth of this insidious problem.

Blogs : James Suckling Uncorked

Drinking Fake Sassicaia

Posted: December 11, 2008 By James Suckling

I drank some fake Sassicaia last weekend at a friend’s house near Pisa. The wine wasn’t mine, but I told my friend that his bottle didn’t make sense. The big giveaway was the branded cork that didn’t have a vintage printed on it.

Collecting : Collecting News

Fighting Faux Wine

New authentication and tracking systems could help wineries and collectors keep counterfeit bottles out of the market

Posted: November 12, 2008 By Augustus Weed

Blogs : James Suckling Uncorked

Point Fingers the Right Way in Montalcino

Posted: October 28, 2008 By James Suckling

I wasn't surprised with the news today that the wine producers' association in Montalcino overwhelmingly voted to maintain current regulations for producing Brunello di Montalcino, the famous red of the region.

News & Features : News

Brunello Will Remain 100 Percent Sangiovese

Producers association votes for no change in appellation rules, but leaves several issues unaddressed

Posted: October 28, 2008 By Jo Cooke

Blogs : Harvey Steiman At Large

Small vs. Big, and the Brunello Flap

Posted: October 23, 2008 By Harvey Steiman

The magistrate investigating makers of Brunello di Montalcino and Rosso di Montalcino has cleared some of the wineries he had suspected of using grapes other than Sangiovese. At the same time, without naming names, he has said that 172,000 cases have tested positive for grapes other than Sangiovese.

Blogs : James Suckling Uncorked

Brunello Should Be Brunello

Posted: October 23, 2008 By James Suckling

I had a quick lunch yesterday at my office with Enrico Viglierchio, general manager of Banfi, the large American-owned Brunello di Montalcino producer, and he looked relieved as we drank a bottle of his 2003 Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino Poggio alle Mura.