Here's an update from our Importer on the current Brunello situation:
No doubt you have all already heard about the rift between the US and Italian governments regarding Brunello di Montalcino. To recap, it seems that the Italian government has accused certain producers of using grape varietals other than Sangiovese in their Brunello. To prevent fraudulent sales of mislabeled Brunello to American consumers, the US government demanded that the Italian government release the names of those producers. The Italians said "no", not wanting to implicate producers that have not yet been proven guilty (or innocent).
As a result, as of June 23rd, there has been a blanket ban on the importation of "undocumented" Brunello into the United States from ANY source. The US government has insisted that any Brunello arriving at our ports must be accompanied by proof via laboratory analysis that the wines are 100% Sangiovese. If the wine does not have that document attached, the wine will be seized and destroyed.
All Brunello waiting in the UK or on the Continent will remain there until the issue has been resolved. We have no ETA but will keep everyone updated of any changes as they occur.
