Let's imagine the optimum place to produce magnificent wines.

The soil would be composed of limestone, volcanic soil, clay and crumbling marls of schist to imbue the wine with complex minerality. The climate would be warm and dry with substantial evening cooling to promote maximum grape ripeness. The grape variety would be a dark, small-berried variety perfectly adapted to the growing conditions of the area. And finally, the winemakers would have fine-tuned their process with hundreds of years of experience.

Welcome to Montalcino, a walled, medieval village in Tuscany, Italy. If you envision Italy being shaped like a tall boot, Tuscany is about where the shin would be on the western side.

There are records of wines being produced in this area in the 14th century. During the middle of the 19th century, a local farmer named Clemente Santi isolated a particular dark brown clone of the Sangiovese grape variety.

Sangiovese, blended with other varieties, provides the backbone for Chianti. The clone identified by Santi was known as Brunello, meaning "little dark one." The clone, also known as Sangiovese Grosso, has small, dense berries, which mean a high skin-to-juice ratio and a dark, intense wine.

The wine, named Brunello di Montalcino, was obscure at first but gained notoriety in 1888 when the Biondi-Santi winery, operated by Clemente's descendants, released the spectacular 1888 vintage to critical acclaim. The winery employed old-school winemaking techniques including decades-long aging in neutral Slovenian oak barrels.

Over the next 57 years, only four vintages were declared by the meticulous winemakers. They included 1888, 1891, 1925 and 1945. This extremely limited production created an aura of prestige and high prices for the wine.

The rebirth of Brunello

From the 1950s into the mid-'70s, Montalcino's winemakers fell on hard economic times. Vineyard owners struggling to pay bills and their workers were forced to sell their property at low prices to make ends meet. By 1975, only 25 Brunello producers remained.

Around that time, investors with money and interest in wine recognized the region's potential and began to buy and refurbish these properties.

John and Harry Mariani, who had made a fortune selling jugs of Riunite in the United States, bought property and created Castello Banfi in 1978. Today there are more than 200 Brunello producers.

In 1964, a Brunello di Montalcino was awarded DOCG status, meaning it was a place-designated wine with unique characteristics. Regulations require that the wine be composed of 100 percent Brunello Sangiovese Grosso clone.

In 1998, the minimum barrel aging requirement was lowered to 24 months and the overall aging requirement is 50 months, which must include a minimum of four months in bottle. The result is limited production and high prices. Rosso di Montalcino is essentially the same wine, but with less aging. These wines are usually priced in the range of Chianti Classico and arguably offer more value for the money.

In 2008, reports were issued that some producers were adulterating the wine with nonapproved grape varieties such as Merlot. Laboratory testing of the wines revealed that very few lots actually contained illegal varieties.

Brunello wines are complex and powerful. They often display a dense, saturated crimson color and complex aromas of black cherries, violets, chocolate, leather, tobacco and granite -- making it a perfect foil for roasted meats and game. Alcohol content of 14 percent is not unusual.

The wine's firm acidity and fine, silky tannins enable it to improve over 10 years to 25 years in the bottle. The wines' prices make them suited to special occasions. Next time you want to celebrate, uncork something from Montalcino and taste history.

Gordon’s picks for Montalcino wines

Available locally. Prices may vary.

Fanti Flavio Rosso di Montalcino “La Palazetta” 2006 ($15)
This rich, red wine comes from the Southeastern area of the region from a miniscule village known as Castelnuovo dell’Abate. The wine is composed of organically grown grapes, and displays a deep red color and heady, vaporous aromas of red fruit, spices and earth. Flavors of cherries, tree bark and granite wash across the palate on a frame of firm tannins. This is a wine that complements food, perhaps a Margherita pizza.

Castello Banfi Rosso di Montalcino 2006 ($26)
Here is a wine that displays a deep, opaque, cordovan robe. Intense aromas of black cherry, leather and tree bark waft from the glass. The palate is rich and deep, showcasing rich black cherry flavors and finishing with stones, granite and earth. Think of freshly tilled topsoil in the springtime. Serve with lamb chops roasted with rosemary and garlic.

Tenuta Vitanza Brunello di Montalcino 2004 ($49)
This full-bodied wine has a beautiful dark crimson robe and clings to the inside of the glass, leaving viscous rivulets running down. The nose is treated to aromas of cherries, smoke, tree bark and earth. The palate reveals complex layers of flavor including red fruits, smoke, and earth and saddle leather. The finish lingers for a long while with a granite note. Serve this stunning wine with braised lamb shanks.

Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino 2004 ($79)
Here is a cordovan-hued wine that offers up ethereal aromas of cherries, red fruit and smoky stones. The wine hits the palate with an initial attack of intense red fruit that resolves to flavors of stones, granite and minerals on the lingering finish. If you were teaching a wine class, this would be an excellent example of a great finish. Try this wine with a whole chicken roasted with lemons and garlic.

Camigliano Brunello di Montalcino 2004 ($54)
Don’t expect to see much light through this intense, mysterious wine. The deep red color leads to concentrated aromas of black fruit, smoke and pencil shavings. The palate reveals flavors of blackberry, plum and black cherry intermixed with earth, stone  and cedar. The granite-tinged finish lingers for a while. Serve with a savory venison stew.