Over the past couple of years, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG has undergone a pivotal shift in its vintage evaluation system with the introduction of Brunello FORMA. This new, data-driven approach was designed to provide a more comprehensive assessment of each vintage than was achieved by the traditional star-based rating. The system was funded by the Consorzio del vino Brunello di Montalcino and developed by MW Gabriele Gorelli, Italy’s first Master of Wine and a leading wine communicator, along with MW Andrea Lonardi, a veteran wine strategist with extensive experience in vineyard management and production planning. Their goal was to introduce a methodology rooted in empirical analysis, assessing vintages with precision and objectivity.
The result of the Brunello FORMA process is a statement developed to describe the vintage. For 2020, that is: “Captivating. Bright. Succulent.” These words replace the familiar constellation of stars that previously guided consumers and collectors. Ultimately, this shift represents more than a mere cosmetic change—it signals a fundamental rethinking of how wine quality and character are communicated in an era in which storytelling has become as important as the liquid in the bottle.
The final project debuted in November 2024 at Benvenuto Brunello, the annual presentation of the region’s vintage release. Now, the system awaits its true test: how the market will respond.
Until 2020, the consorzio of Brunello assigned a one- to five-star rating to each vintage during Benvenuto Brunello, just four months after harvest. This system evaluated wines in their infancy, relying primarily on climate data—temperature variations, rainfall, and overall growing conditions. The evaluation panel included regional winemakers and enologists.
For Gorelli, the flaws of the star system became clear during the release of the 2014 vintage. Tasked with presenting the wines, he prepared to explain the challenges of the cool, rainy season and how producers had adapted. Because the vintage received a three-star rating, however, when the time came for the presentation, interest evaporated.
Gorelli recalls, “No one showed up. The rating overshadowed everything, dismissing the producers who worked hard to make great wines.”
This moment cemented his belief that the system was failing Brunello. Reducing vintages to a single number left no room for context or nuance. He explains, “People didn’t even ask why it got three stars. That’s when I realized the system was doing more harm than good.”
Determined to create a more meaningful evaluation, he enlisted Lonardi to help him. While Gorelli focused on consumer perception, Lonardi approached Brunello FORMA from a commercial standpoint. For him, the star system created a fundamental disconnect between quality assessment and market realities.
Lonardi explains, “This new system protects the idea of a positive vintage without outright declaring a bad one. There are extraordinary vintages and less interesting ones, but Brunello lacks the pricing structure to reflect that.”
Unlike Bordeaux, where vintage quality dictates price, Brunello pricing remains stable regardless of the rating. Lonardi says, “If you’re selling Brunello at €25 a bottle, that price doesn’t change, whether it’s a three-star or five-star vintage. In Bordeaux, people buy based on commentary, and pricing adjusts accordingly. But Montalcino doesn’t operate that way.”
Lonardi believes that the star system was not only ineffective but actively damaging. He says, “Putting three or five stars on a vintage hurt the wines’ value. If a lower-rated vintage was still priced the same, it made no sense. A rigid classification did more harm than good for Montalcino.”
With Brunello FORMA, the goal is to provide meaningful context, ensuring each vintage is evaluated based on qualitative attributes, not just a number on a scale.
Gorelli also questions the timing of the previous evaluations. Ratings were assigned just months after harvest—often before malolactic conversion—judging wines still in an embryonic state. The 2020 pandemic disruption provided, as he puts it, “a chance to step back and evaluate how we were doing things” and an opportunity to assess vintages “at a much more relevant moment” in their development.
The star system ignored producer effort as well. Assigning a fixed rating without considering winemaking adaptations disadvantaged producers, ultimately weakening the region’s ability to showcase its true diversity, particularly in years where skillful vineyard management and winemaking decisions yielded remarkable results.
Gorelli and Lonardi designed a more holistic approach to vintage evaluation, partnering with the Universities of Milan and Brescia, Copernico, and the ISVEA wine analysis laboratory to develop a rigorous, data-driven methodology.
Gorelli explains, “What we’ve done with this new format is the most important thing for this appellation. We now have actual data to analyze vintages empirically, something no one else is doing.”
Their approach was comprehensive. They gathered data from 39 vineyard weather stations and the Tuscany Hydrological Service, incorporating climate records dating back to 1996. The region was mapped by elevation, vineyard aspect, and sun exposure, with macroclassifications for sites facing north, east, west, and south. Tuscany’s vineyard coverage data was also analyzed to deepen their understanding of how exposition, elevation, soil composition, and geology influence Brunello’s wines.
This data-driven framework became Brunello FORMA, incorporating meteorological analysis of key climate factors, such as temperature variation, rainfall distribution, and seasonal anomalies that shape Sangiovese’s growth cycle. Accounting for vineyard location and distribution offers a more precise evaluation of each vintage, beginning with the 2020 growing season.
The 2020 growing season in Montalcino was warm but not excessively hot, with consistent rainfall supporting vine development. Data identified just two heat waves—a seven-day period between July and August and a five-day stretch in mid-August—with only three consecutive days exceeding 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit). Crucially, summer rainfall was well distributed (174 millimeters, or 6.9 inches, over three months), with total seasonal precipitation reaching 543 millimeters (21.4 inches). This balance of warmth and moisture helped Sangiovese vines avoid significant stress, except in some marginal areas.
The team’s analysis went beyond regional averages, using spatialized data to understand how Montalcino’s varied topography influenced vineyard performance. Maximum temperatures from May to September revealed a strong thermal gradient (-0.94 degrees Celsius/100 meters), with higher-altitude vineyards benefiting from natural cooling. Meanwhile, minimum temperature data showed an inverse pattern—higher-altitude sites recorded warmer nighttime temperatures because of the thermal belt phenomenon, while lower areas had cooler nights from the cold lake effect of descending air. These contrasts resulted in more pronounced diurnal shifts in lower-altitude vineyards. Rainfall distribution was also highly variable, shaped by localized storm events.
Thermal resource analysis confirmed these balanced conditions. The accumulation of normal heat hours (NHH) during the season tracked slightly above the 1996–2024 historical average, ensuring proper vine development, but excess heat—a key stress indicator—remained below the historical norm, preserving Sangiovese’s physiological balance. (NHH measures the number of hours within an optimal temperature range during the growing season and can be used instead of growing degree-days [GDDs], which reflect the accumulation of heat above a baseline. By excluding extreme heat spikes, NHH provides a more accurate representation of effective ripening conditions; GDDs may overestimate usable heat.)
A well-timed rainfall in late August facilitated rapid, even veraison, while an accelerated harvest (September 12–22) ensured fruit quality before conditions deteriorated in the month’s final week. Overall, the vintage was marked by uniform vine behavior and consistent wine quality across the appellation.
As part of the evaluation process, Gorelli and Lonardi assembled a panel of six additional Masters of Wine, each with expertise across consulting, education, importing, and distribution. Representing the UK, France, Germany, the US, and the Nordic region, the panel included MWs Michelle Cherutti-Kowal, Justin Knock, Tracey Dobbin, Philip Goodband, Madeleine Stenwreth, and Frank Roeder. Their aim was to provide a rigorous, balanced sensory evaluation, offering an internationally informed perspective on the vintage’s quality, aging potential, and stylistic expression.
Cherutti-Kowal explains why she feels that moving away from numerical ratings is essential. “Vintage ratings should help consumers understand a year’s style and aging potential, not just assign a number. A qualitative description is far more useful than a score—wines evolve differently, even in similarly rated vintages.”
For the 2020 vintage, 57 wines were voluntarily submitted by producers for evaluation, yielding a total of 456 tasting notes to be synthesized into a definitive description of the vintage. Beyond sensory assessment, chemical analysis confirmed no significant variations from the previous 12 years’ averages. This underscores that climate conditions impact a wine’s organoleptic profile more than its chemical composition. Going forward, all wines submitted for Brunello FORMA will undergo further analysis for pH, total anthocyanins, and total polyphenols, creating a comprehensive, historical database.
The culmination of this analysis is the descriptive statement that interprets the vintage based on an understanding of growing conditions. This message will be followed up with the release of a complete communication document from the consorzio at VinItaly 2025, an international Italian wine trade fair held annually in Verona that brings together producers, buyers, and industry professionals for tastings, networking, and market discussions.
For Lonardi, Brunello FORMA is more than just a vintage assessment—it’s a decision-making tool for producers. He explains, “It’s about the social economy of the appellation, the cultural aspect, and using data to implement new vineyard and cellar strategies.”
A key application is climate adaptation. Lonardi says, “When we start seeing patterns in future vintages, it will guide different choices in the vineyard and winery. Collecting this data is crucial for learning how to adjust in a changing climate.”
Lonardi’s research has refined understanding of Sangiovese’s growth cycle. While April, May, and June are critical, he emphasizes a later period: “In Montalcino, the last 20 days of August and first 10 days of September are crucial. You can’t go on vacation—too much needs to be done to avoid vintage-end problems.”
He also highlights how climate shapes Sangiovese’s tannin structure, a defining characteristic of the grape. “Everyone talks about soil, but climate plays an even bigger role in Sangiovese’s expression.”
The variety’s resilience stands out. “Where Syrah or Merlot might fail, Sangiovese survives. It’s resistant to heat and drought but still highly sensitive to the elements.” This durability, he argues, demands responsibility. “We should be technicians, constantly refining our approach to maintain quality and adapt to climate conditions.”
In early February, following the official introduction of Brunello FORMA last November at Benvenuto Brunello, Gorelli took his presentation to New York, offering journalists and the wine trade a closer look at the new evaluation system. Among those in attendance was Eric Guido, a critic for Vinous, who has covered Montalcino for over a decade.
Guido’s perspective on the previous system aligns with many of the concerns that led to its replacement. He explains, “The old star ratings were assigned almost immediately after harvest, based largely on weather patterns and tastings of just-fermented wines. Over time, it became questionable if they had any real meaning.”
He commends Brunello FORMA and the consorzio’s transparency in acknowledging the flaws of the old system. “Gorelli gave an honest assessment, using 2014 as a prime example of how the stars failed the region from a marketing standpoint,” Guido says. He also sees value in shifting responsibility, explaining, “This new structure puts the duty of rating the vintage on journalists, removing any conflict of interest for the consorzio.”
Guido highlights the system’s key strengths: “The visual tools that allow users to understand elevations and exposures are invaluable, as are the heat graphs showing how different areas performed. Total precipitation is also a fantastic gauge of how the wines may ultimately develop.”
He sees areas for improvement, however. The lack of subregional analysis is “a missed opportunity for significant advancement.” Understanding how different parts of Montalcino perform in a given vintage remains crucial for critics like him.
In terms of consumer impact, Guido believes the system will initially benefit professionals more than the general public. “The catchphrase for each vintage adds a romantic flair, but, without stars, it’s still up to the trade to sell the wines. The real benefit will be to journalists and sommeliers, giving them better tools to explain a vintage.”
Guido’s sentiments are echoed by John Szabo, a Toronto-based Master Sommelier, wine critic for WineAlign.com, and producer who grows and makes his own wine in Canada.
Like many professionals, Szabo paid little attention to the previous star rating system. “Anyone in this business knows reality is much more complex than a five-point system, especially in a diverse region like Montalcino and with a grape as sensitive as Sangiovese.”
He acknowledges the improvements in the new system, saying, “There’s now far more transparency, rigorous data, and a structured taste assessment by an independent panel. Most importantly, wines are judged when they’re ready for market, not just months after harvest.”
Szabo questions the exclusivity of the evaluation panel, however, naming one of the main critiques of the new system. “I don’t understand why it’s limited to MWs—or any single group. A more relevant panel should include tasters from a variety of professional backgrounds, each with deep knowledge of the denomination.”
He advocates for including retailers and sommeliers. “There should be frontline professionals. People who are on the front line and receive direct and immediate feedback from those who actually drink the stuff. Retailers [and] buyers with access to sales data also have a useful perspective on the wine styles consumers most often seek out.”
Despite these concerns, Szabo concludes that the new system is a “definite step forward from the past, innovative and more aligned with the complexity of Brunello di Montalcino.”
Another voice in the discussion is Anthony Giglio, the editor-at-large for Food & Wine magazine and the wine director for the American Express Centurion Global Lounge Collection. He also attended the New York presentation in early February.
He sees Brunello FORMA as a major shift toward storytelling over rigid ratings. “We hear that the trade hates ratings all the time, yet many consumers still shop based on them. FORMA suggests a mindset rather than a baseline, leaving room for interpretation.” He also welcomes its ability to prevent a single rating from defining an entire vintage. “This approach doesn’t automatically sink an entire year under the cloud of a two-star announcement.”
Like Szabo, Giglio questions why the evaluation panel is made up exclusively of Masters of Wine. “There are so many talented sommeliers and wine professionals with a deep knowledge of Montalcino and these wines. I don’t understand why they aren’t part of the conversation. MWs should absolutely be involved, but should they be the only ones?”
When asked specifically about including Master Sommeliers, whose accreditations and rigorous examination process parallel those of MWs, Gorelli says that he believed the all-MW panel was an appropriate way to begin, reflecting a view that the MW certification remains the most highly regarded credential in the EU. He says, “The Master of Wine program provides a structured, schematic education. Having a unified approach with clear criteria was crucial in this first year. . . . Including journalists or other experts makes it harder to maintain standardized evaluation criteria.” He doesn’t, however, rule out expansion in the future.
Brunello FORMA isn’t merely replacing numbers with adjectives—it’s reconstructing the entire evaluation framework, integrating high-resolution climate data, analytical metrics from laboratory testing, and sensory impressions. This multidisciplinary approach acknowledges what producers have long understood: that a vintage is not simply good or bad but rather possesses a distinctive personality shaped by numerous variables.
The consorzio president, Fabrizio Bindocci, says, “For the first time, a self-regulatory consortium entrusts the evaluation of its top wine also to an external team of experts, subject to revision for each edition. This innovation provides the backing of a solid, contemporary model for Montalcino producers as they present themselves on the market, accounting for climate change, current styles, and Brunello consumption trends.”
The system’s true power may lie in its cumulative impact. As the consorzio compiles more data year after year, there will be an increasingly nuanced picture of how the appellation is evolving, especially in the face of climate change. This growing database will offer producers valuable guidance for critical decisions throughout the growing season, potentially transforming vineyard management practices across Montalcino.
The transition from stars to words marks a significant shift in how Brunello communicates with the world. Brunello FORMA acknowledges that each vintage tells a story—one that deserves to be told with precision, context, and nuance. In doing so, this innovative system may well redefine how we understand and appreciate the remarkable wines of this storied appellation for generations to come.