Biondi-Santi’s outstanding Brunellos are best known for their incredible ability to age. It is even possible for a 100-year-old Biondi-Santi Brunello di Montalcino to show remarkably well. Established in 1880, Biondi-Santi was a winery destined for greatness. While it was founder Clemente Biondi-Santi who launched his family’s name in the wine business, it wasn’t until the late 19th century, with grandson Ferruccio at the helm, that the estate made its mark in viticultural history. It was then, in the renowned hills of Montalcino, that Ferruccio took his grandfather’s clone of the Sangiovese grape—known as Sangiovese Grosso—and produced the inaugural Biondi-Santi Brunello di Montalcino. It is important to note that the prized wine of Montalcino at the time was not a red but rather, a sweet white—Moscadello di Montalcino—derived from the Muscat grape. It was Ferruccio’s pioneering spirit—embracing experimentation with clones, low yields, long maceration periods, long aging in wood, and cellar aging—that would author the history of Brunello.

With each generation at Biondi-Santi, Ferruccio’s vision advances a step further.  His son, Tancredi, assumed control of the estate in 1922, effectually becoming the ambassador for Montalcino’s wines. More importantly, he possessed the insight to stock vintage wines—including the legendary 1888 and 1891—under lock and key.  In 1927 he instituted the custom of recorking old bottles and topping them off with wine from the same vintage. Tancredi wrote the standards for the DOC that eventually formed the law regulating Brunello production.  However, it was his opposition to producing a secondary wine—Vino Rosso dai Vigneti di Brunello—that prompted his decision to remain independent. At this time, the wines of Biondi-Santi achieved legendary status. Tancredi’s 1970 recorking ceremony attracted worldwide attention, as his 82-year-old wine evidenced unprecedented youth and splendor. Today, it is Tancredi’s son, Franco Biondi-Santi, who runs the estate, producing nearly 70,000 bottles a year.

Less than 700 cases of the Biondi-Santi Brunello di Montalcino Riserva are made in choice years, with only a small percentage making it to the States. The Riserva is crafted from older vines between 25 and 80 years of age, while the Annata is derived from vines between the ages of ten and 15 years. Grapes for both wines are sourced primarily from the Greppo plot, which consists of stony galestro soil intermixed with tufaceous clay. However, it is the altitude—ranging from 400 to 500 meters—that accounts for Biondi-Santi’s trademark aromatics and acidity. The wines undergo fermentation in traditional Slavonian oak for 18 days, followed by aging in large oak casks of 800 to 7,000 liters for a period of two to three years. The Riserva is released six years after the harvest.

Biondi-Santi Offerings:
Brunello di Montalcino	(Pre-arrival)	2001	.750L	$158.00
Brunello di Montalcino Riserva	(Pre-arrival)	2001	.750L	$498.00
Brunello di Montalcino Riserva		1982	.750L	$579.00
Brunello Riserva CASE 12-Bottles	(Pre-arrival)	2001	.750L	$5976.00