Anyone looking for the complete opposite of a young “mainstreamer” might well settle on a tradition-conscious “old-schooler”. Or perhaps on Biondi-Santi. This renowned wine estate located south-east of Montalcino not only created a wine style of its own with the Brunello, it has remained unwaveringly true to this style ever since. Aiming to capture the spirit of the moment in their products, the winemakers at Biondi-Santi cater for the needs of each individual wine with an abundance of patience and dedication.

 

Their high quality standards become apparent as early as the maturation process. Everything still takes place exactly as it did in Ferruccio Biondi Santi’s time. It was in 1888 that he had the brilliant inspiration that led to a Sangiovese-Grosso clone, and so created the world-famous Brunello del Montalcino. This BBS/11 clone (Brunello Biondi-Santi 11) dominates the vineyards up to this day. The current owners, Jacopo Biondi Santi and his son Tancredi Jun., continue to make their wines using the methods passed down by their forefathers: carefully hand-picked grapes, long maceration periods and 36 months in barrels of Slavonian oak in order to reach full maturity. They passionately adhere to the family’s overriding principle: creating outstanding Brunelli wines for the ages. Time is the key factor. Biondi-Santi wines are allowed significantly more time to age in the bottle before leaving the estate. This enables them to develop their full balance, complexity and finesse, and enhances their incredible elegance.

 

Biondi-Santi produces a Brunello Riserva only in particularly good years, made exclusively with grapes from the oldest vineyards – up to 80 years of age. Seductive yet noble, these wines are able to tame even the youngest and wildest, forcing them to acknowledge this epitome of elegance in a glass. It’s the stuff of legends, boasting a cellar potential of up to 100 years.