Brunello di Montalcino is one of Italy’s most sought-after wines with the best bottles commanding top dollar at fine Italian restaurants around the world. But did you know that ‘Brunello’ is just another name for ‘Sangiovese,’ and Sangiovese is Italy’s most planted red grape— the same grape used in a basic ten-dollar Chianti?

Montalcino is a town in Tuscany where the wine must be made from 100% Sangiovese. However, the Sangiovese ‘clone’ grown in Montalcino vineyards goes by the name ‘Brunello.’ In viticulture, a clone is created when cuttings are taken from a ‘mother vine’ and grafted onto rootstock. Growers choose mother vines for several reasons, most importantly because they produce high-quality fruit.

The Brunello clone was created in 1850 by Clemente Santi. Santi found that this clone produced better colour, tannins, and sweetness than other Sangiovese vines growing in Montalcino. The clone was soon planted throughout the region’s vineyards and before long, producing some of Italy’s finest wines.

Brunello connoisseurs may claim the Brunello clone consistently produces outstanding wines because the grape is a better version of Sangiovese. A more accurate explanation is that it is better suited to the Montalcino terroir. The climate of Montalcino is warmer and drier than that of the Chianti region, with brisk maritime breezes providing cooler evening and nighttime temperatures. As such, the Brunello clone is unlikely to produce wines of similar quality in other regions without these conditions.