Mapping MONTALCINO

Graham Chidgey has been a leading wine importer of French and Italian wines to the UK for more than 35 years. He lives in Ancaiano near Siena, together with his wife, painter Angela Chidgey. I've met Graham and Angela in the late 90s when working for various wineries in Montalcino and always enjoyed Graham's no nonsense approach to one of the world's most famous wines.  You have lived in Tuscany for nearly 20 years. What brought you here? Originally we bought a casa colonica (a Tuscan farmhouse) in Radicondoli for family holidays. Angela specially wanted to paint in Italy and I visited France nearly every month so I felt also Italy would suit us better. You started out as an importer of French wines. When did you first taste or drink a Brunello di Montalcino? 1981 Did you take to it right away?  Not specially as Brunello was then still being made mostly by Montalcino's contadini  with many winemaking faults because of the farmers' lack of experience. Many quali...

Whilst Benvenuto Brunello 2013 is still in full swing with the wine trade tasting its way through Montalcino's wines today,  Montalcinonews  has already put together an informative video with the views of some of the world's top wine journalists on the 2008 vintage.  2008 vintage interview by Montalcinonews  The experts seem to agree that 2008 isn't an easy vintage, but one in which quality of Brunello wines varies from vineyard to vineyard. The (non official) sub-zones have played a big role and also the moment during which the grapes will have been harvested in September or October. 2008's climatic conditions meant that producing a great Brunello wasn't quite as 'easy' as in 2007.  On the positive side, 2008 is a back to the roots vintage, and a great year for Sangiovese lovers after the 2007 vintage, which has produced fantastic, but in many cases also atypical Brunellos.  Quality of wine may not be consistent between Montalcino's 250 pr...