Biondi Santi winery
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It is rare that a particular style of wine or an entire appellation can be traced back to a single winery. This is the case with Biondi-Santi, as the family is considered the actual creator of the Brunello style, indeed Brunello as we know it today. In the mid-19th century, Clemente Santi began to develop the local variety of Sangiovese - later known as Sangiovese Grosso or Brunello - separately. To this end, he isolated a special Sangiovese clone and multiplied it using mass selection. This clone still forms the basis of classic Brunello today as BBS 11 (Brunello Biondi Santi 11). Ferruccio Biondi-Santi produced the first so-called Brunello di Montalcino Riserva from these grapes in 1888. The second was not produced until 1891, the third in 1924 and the fourth in 1945, making this wine an early legend of the region. From the 1950s onwards, more and more winegrowers began using the clone and Brunello di Montacino was given its own appellation.
The heart of the winery lies on the historic Il Greppo estate south-east of Montalcino. The vineyards are located at a comparatively high altitude, which ensures cooler nights, longer growing seasons and a distinctive acidity structure. These climatic conditions characterise the classic style of the estate to this day: less opulent and high in alcohol than many modern Brunello interpretations, but characterised by remarkable freshness, elegance and inner tension. The wines often appear aristocratic, reserved and almost austere in their youth, but develop enormous complexity as they mature. Typical flavours include sour cherry, dried herbs, orange peel, leather, tobacco and fine balsamic spice, supported by a firm tannin structure and lively acidity. Stylistically, Biondi-Santi remained for decades an antithesis to the wave of modernisation that swept through large parts of Tuscany in the 1990s. While many producers worked with barriques, stronger extraction and international opulence - keyword "Parkerisation" - the house held on to large traditional wooden barrels and a comparatively transparent style for a long time. This consistency made Biondi-Santi the epitome of a classic Brunello for many connoisseurs. Today, the winery belongs to the French group EPI, which also owns Isole & Olena, Piper-Heidsieck and Charles Heidsieck. Despite the change of ownership, the aim of preserving the historic identity of the estate has been maintained. The wines continue to be exceptionally classic and clearly distinguish themselves from many more powerful modern Brunelli.
© Images: Biondi-Santi Winery
