WINERY It is a rare phenomenon that a wine can trace its origins to a single man. Brunello di Montalcino, however, owes its existence to Ferruccio Biondi Santi who in 1888 invented Brunello. Later generations of this enlightened family include such talented winemakers as Tancredi and Franco Biondi Santi. Today Biondi-Santi continues to produce wines renowned for their elegance and extraordinary longevity. Located just south-east of Montalcino, the winery spreads over 32 hectares of vineyards on soils rich in galestro rock and marl — perfect for the cultivation of Sangiovese Grosso. Defenders of a rich enological heritage, Biondi-Santi continues to employ a natural viticulture and traditional vinicultural methods to highlight the wine’s unique characteristics, or tipicità.

WINE The Brunello was produced with the winery’s proprietary clone of Sangiovese Grosso called BBS11, which was identified and selected by Biondi Santi at Tenuta Greppo. For this Brunello they used grapes from vineyards which were between 10 and 25 years of age. It is a wine of great balance that expresses both delicacy and fluidity.

The 2018 Brunello was produced exclusively with an accurate selection of Sangiovese from those parcels identified in our proprietary vineyards.

2018 was quite a cool year, characterized by abundant rainfalls which accompanied the entire growth cycle of the vine. Overall, the summer saw temperatures below average. Just before harvesting the grapes from our high altitude vineyards a week of healthy wind from the north contributed to drying vines and grapes, preparing them for picking. Harvest started on September 16th and lasted for 8 days with a careful selection of the best bunches.

This wine is fermented in cement vats with the use of indigenous yeasts only and aged in traditional large Slavonian oak casks.

Considering the weather conditions of the year, it is not surprising if 2018 has given a fragrant and energetic Biondi-Santi Brunello di Montalcino, very well refined and balanced. As soon as you smell the wine you may feel the low presence of alcohol together with a variety of invigorating notes as dried herbs, violet, orange zest, forest berry, Morello cherry and crushed mint. The palate is delicious and succulent, dangerously easy to drink now, but also able to age beautifully, thanks to its bright acidity. A vibrant, juicy wine, which literally dances across the palate, with velvety and polished tannins, A saline mesmerizing touch adds complexity to the finish, reminding us what a wine with a “sense of place” means.