2020 | Biondi Santi | Tenuta Greppo Rosso di Montalcino

This wine is bright ruby red in colour with an intense bouquet of raspberries, wild strawberries and redcurrants, intertwined with sour cherries that are typical of a cool vintage Sangiovese. The bright fruit flavours mingle with scents of violet and Mediterranean herbs. Elegant and distinguished, the palate reveals its impressive structure with a lively freshness and a centred, fruity core. Fine-grained tannins lead to a fragrant and deliciously savoury finish.

Reviews:

• Wine Enthusiast: The nose is floral and sweet, but refreshing thanks to clean, balancing aromas of mint and dirt. The palate takes that freshness a step further, to a light, bouncy, almost astringent level. Precocious tannins are young yet dense and supportive, while jubilant acid sings.

Producer Information

Biondi Santi is a Tuscan producer synonymous with the wines of Brunello di Montalcino; indeed, it has claims to being the inventor of the appellation. The Biondi Santi vineyard has 32 hectares (79 acres) of Sangiovese, of which five hectares (12 acres) were planted between 1930-1972. The vineyards are divided on five vineyard plots, located around the town of Montalcino. The main estate, Tenuta Greppo, where the cellar and the main vineyards are located, lies at an altitude of 564 meters (1,850 feet) above sea level The oldest vines form the basis of the Riserva wines, while the standard wine is made from vines in the 10-25 year bracket. Fruit from vines less than 10 years old supplies the dry, brightly aromatic Rosso di Montalcino. In poorer years, when no Brunello is released, Biondi Santi used to make a second Rosso di Montalcino, called Fascia Rossa, with fruit from the older vines. This is now discontinued. The grapes are picked relatively early for the region, and then undergo a long maceration. Most of the grapes are fermented in resin-lined cement using native yeasts. Those destined for the Riserva are vinified in wooden vats. The Brunello wines are then aged for 36 months in large, neutral Slavonian oak casks, while the Rosso wines see 12 months. Biondi Santi does not use new oak, as it is thought to add aggressive tannins to the naturally tannin-rich Sangiovese. The wines tend to be fragrant and floral with savory hints, with bright berry and cherry fruit and peppery spice flavors over a backbone of fine tannins and acidity. Riservas are only released in the best years, can last for many decades, and often need 15 or more years to be tasted at their best. The history of the estate and the entire region are closely related. Indeed, the first recorded mention of a Brunello was at Montepulciano's agricultural fair in 1869, referencing Clemente Santi's "vino rosso scelto (brunello) del 1865" (although the family's Greppo vineyards were well established by then). The first wine to be officially labelled as "Brunello di Montalcino" was made in 1888 by Ferruccio Biondi Santi, Clemente's nephew. In 1932, the Italian Ministry of Agriculture referred to Brunello as "a recent creation of Dr Ferrucio Biondi Santi from Montalcino". During the problems with oidium and phylloxera in late 19th Century, Dr Santi developed massal selections of his most resistant vines, later grafting them onto American rootstocks. He continued to make an oak-aged red from 100 percent Sangiovese while other producers disappeared or moved to different wine styles.

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