BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO EVER MORE INTERNATIONAL

                                               The 2013 edition of Benvenuto Brunello opens today

                    Presentation of the vintages just launched on the market and of the harvest just picked.

          2008 is confirmed a great vintage as announced by the 4 stars of five years ago.

President Bindocci; “We sell the world over because Brunello is a unique wine, immediately recognizable” as opposed to other markets, this great Tuscan red wine knows no recession, particularly abroad and its export pulls along the economy of the territory. USA continues at the head of the list of foreign countries for exports with the number of bottles sold doubling in the last 5 years.

Montalcino, 22^nd February 2013 – A wine that knows no recession, above all abroad, the one that is being presented today at the Benvenuto Brunello, the event that every year in the Cloisters of the Montalcino Museum, unites the producers who present the vintage just launched on the market (Brunello 2008, Riserva 2007, Rosso 2011, Moscadello and Sant’Antimo) and the vintage that has just been harvested (2012), that will receive tomorrow the stars indicating its quality.

The 2008 harvest took place in optimal conditions and the wines showed a good acidity, with soft structures and not too aggressive tannins. “The result – declared President of the Consorzio, Fabrizio Bindocci – are wines fascinating for their aromatic intensity and for their softer characteristics. A balanced and pleasant Brunello, that can be enjoyed straightaway and that fully deserves the four stars that had been assigned to it five years ago”.

“With regard to the 2012 harvest - continues Bindocci – the strength of the territory, the experience and skill of the producers transformed a potentially critical and difficult period in a year that we reckon will give great satisfaction on a national and international level”.

The Rosso 2011 presented in this edition of Benvenuto Brunello, has characteristics that are expressed with great structure, intense fruit and are very warm and pleasing. “The Consorzio producers are ever more committed to the production of this wine, that is conquering its own identity, becoming a valid product in a section of the market in which the quality/price ratio is important”, explained President Bindocci.

With regard to production, the numbers of Brunello and Rosso are stable compared to 2011, with respectively 9,200,000 and 4,500,000 bottles produced. A slight increase for Moscadello (40,000 bottles in 2012 against 30,000 in 2011) and for Sant’Antimo (360,000 in 2012 compared to 340,000 in 2011).

Excellent also the trend on the foreign market: since 2007, when it was at 60%, the export quota has increased progressively, having reached today 65% of the total production. This increase is particularly significant if it is analysed in absolute terms: in 2007 the bottles of Brunello produced were around 6,000,000 of which 3,600,000 were exported, while today the export involves around 5,800,000 bottles (65% of the 9 million bottles produced). In just 5 years, therefore, the export has increased by over 2 million bottles.

The US continue to be a point of reference and the first foreign market, representing 25% of the total production and therefore practically doubling the sales of 5 years ago. There

are therefore around 2,250,000 bottles that have left Montalcino for the United States. This market is has still a great potential since the pro-capita consumption is only 10 litres a year (whereas in Italy the 2011 average pro-capita was of 37.9 litres. According to the latest estimates of Vinexpo and Iswr (International Wine & Spirits Research), from now until 2016 the US market will register an increase in consumption (+12,6%), reaching over 3,360 billion litres. Again, according to this research, during the next years, high-level wine sales (those that cost above 10 dollars a bottle) will be increasing by 30%.

A slight increase in the amount of wine sold directly in the wineries or consumed in the Montalcino restaurants and bars or bought in the Montalcino wine shops. This amount is of around 18%.

Significant also is the data of the turnover of the producing estates that has increased compared to 2011: 167,000,000 euros in 2012 against the 163,000,000 of 2011. The other wine tourism sectors of Montalcino (restaurants, hotels, wine shops, etc.)  closed the year 2012 in a positive way: 29,700,000 euros against 27,500,000 of the previous year (+8%).

“For the Brunello producers - concluded Fabrizio Bindocci – to be successful on international markets is linked mainly to two reasons: investing in markets with a high spending potential and proposing a recognizable product, both for its high qualitative value and for the uniqueness of the supply”.

But it is not just Brunello  going abroad: after the “boom” of the ‘80s, that brought overseas investors such as the brothers John and Harry Mariani and the creation of Castello Banfi, the last years saw a new impulse of “imports” of capital coming from abroad. A case in question is that of the Argiano estate, bought just a few weeks ago by Brazilians, or that of Richard Parsons, ex president of Citi and Time Warner, currently part of the bipartisan commission on US  presidential debates, who purchased the estate of “Il Palazzone” in 2000, or that of Swiss industrialist Ernesto Bertarelli, winner of the America’s Cup in 2003 and in 2007 with the yacht Alinghi, who acquired the Poggio di Sotto estate in 2011. As well as for foreigners, Montalcino is also an attraction for great Italian investors: an example being that of Riccardo Illy, ex governor of Friuli Venezia Giulia and president of the Gruppo Illy, who took over the Mastrojanni Estate in 2008.

The opening taking place today in Montalcino is that of a Benvenuto Brunello in excellent shape, that looks to foreign markets for the affirmation of its success and to export the quality of the ‘Made in Italy: throughout the world.

Today’s program will start with the tastings of the 3 vintages of Brunello 2008, Riserva 2007 and Rosso 2011 at 9.30 in the Cloisters of the Museum. Tomorrow, apart from the tastings, the appointment is at 11.00 at the Teatro degli Astrusi for the assignation of the stars to the 2012 vintage, the placing of the commemorative tile of 2012, affixed, following the tradition, on the outer wall of the Palazzo Pubblico of Montalcino, and the awarding of the Brunello Leccio d’Oro 2013 prizes, as every year by the Consorzio to the places, in Italy and abroad, who have a Wine List with a wide range wines representative of Brunello and the other Montalcino wines.