Breaking news: Brunello yields reduced

On Monday 30th May there was a members' meeting at the Consorzio del Brunello. A vote was passed to further reduce yields per hectare. Now only up to 6.000 kg of grapes can be harvested per hectare for the production of Brunello, rather than the 8.000 kg permitted in the DOCG disciplinary (though this was actually reduced to 7.000 kg with a similar vote a couple of years ago).The new ruling has special clauses for small producers who are exonerated for their first hectare of production. It is also possible to continue to allow the vines to produce 7.000 kg and to make Rosso di Montalcino DOC with the difference.Producers prune to limit the potential production of grapes. This results in improved quality since the bunches that remain on the vine receive all of the vines’ strength. As so often in viticulture, less is more. Where producers do not produce Rosso as above, the yield reduction will mean an even higher quality standard for Brunello.Here at Il Palazzone we rarely pick over 5.000 kg per hectare so it will not change our practises in the vineyard or our total number of bottles produced. We do not produce Rosso di Montalcino.Some interesting statistics emerged from the Consorzio's data analysis : Sales of Brunello in 2010 showed a 15% rise from 2009 (though with a smaller rise in turnover). Data from the first trimester of 2011 confirming this upward trend. 62% of Brunello produced is exported, of which 25% goes to the US market.