The originator of the genre and still one of the greats of Italian wine.
Biondi-Santi is the royal family of Montalcino. The Biondi-Santis have been cultivating grapes and making wine here since at least the mid-1800’s. In the late 1800s, Ferruccio Biondi-Santi, the son of Clemente Santi and Jacopo Biondi, isolated a clone of Sangiovese, known today as Sangiovese Grosso, and began vinifying it on its own, without white grapes, as was then the custom. In doing so, Ferruccio Biondi-Santi invented the wine known today as Brunello di Montalcino. Thus begins the modern-day history of Montalcino’s most famous wine. ANTONIO GALLONI
Last year we had the opportunity to offer the wines of superstar Biondi Santi. The wines have always had sporadic distribution in this country. No idea why that is, but when I see them, I buy them. There's never much, only a few cases combined, but they remain some of the most beautiful wines made in Italy. If you're getting this small offer, it means you're one of only a few I'm sending it to. I would urge you to take some wine, they are beautiful expressions. Rare and beautiful wines.
Long, long before Brunello existed as a genre; no consorzio, no producers and most of the hillsides planted to Moscato d'Alessandria. Yep, sweet white wine and no red to speak of...except for that planted by Clemente Biondi Santi. At the time he must have looked like a crazy man to the other farmers of the area. But, over time and with the baton passed to his similarly obsessed son, Ferruccio, the family identified and propagated the "Brunello" clone. From there they convinced a group of other farmers to grow the clone and supply them for the production of their "peculiar" wine. That group of growers would become so enamored with what Biondi Santi was doing that they would eventually form the Brunello consorzio in 1967.
The rest is history and Brunello di Montalcino is now one of the great wines of the world. What's more, the original 26 producers who formed the consorzio has now grown to over 200 such is the allure of the wines and the place. Through it all, that original group have remained the go-to superstars of the region and Biondi Santi has remained arguably the greatest of them all. As I said at the opening, the wines tasted yesterday certainly show they still hold an x-factor and beauty that few can match.
The 2018 wine is superb and the first wine finished under the new ownership after the death of Greppo Biondi Santi. It is a ripper, still holding all of the finesse and lithe nature that have characterised the BS Brunelli over the decades. Being a 2018, a vintage I love (I recently held a tasting of 2019 V 2018 and the results of the group were totally split down the middle for preference). They have an elegance paired with ripeness and nuance that is so alluring. The Biondi Santi transcends that general note with it's usual soaring aromatics and silken texture.
This small set of wines comes with rapturous reviews; a mix of the estate Brunello and the riservas from great vintages like 2010 and 1988. Only 3 bottles of each wine in the riservas. Those riservas will make very special drinking on the Christmas table.
I'll say this, if you love great wine in general you need to buy these wines. Quite simply, they are superb and deserving of their iconic standing in the world of wine.
Michael McNamara
