To understand the importance of Biondi Santi is to understand the very origin of Brunello di Montalcino. The estate is not just a benchmark producer; it is the genesis of the appellation itself.
The story begins in the mid-19th century with Clemente Santi, a visionary who began experimenting with a specific clone of Sangiovese from his Montalcino estate, Tenuta Greppo. He believed this grape, which he called Sangiovese Grosso, had the potential to create a world-class wine capable of extraordinary aging.
It was his grandson, Ferruccio Biondi Santi, who cemented this legacy. Returning from the Garibaldi wars, he continued his grandfather’s work with an uncompromising vision. In 1888, he bottled the very first wine officially labeled “Brunello di Montalcino.” His method was revolutionary for the time: he vinified 100% Sangiovese Grosso and aged it for years in large, neutral Slavonian oak casks. He created a wine of austere structure, aromatic purity, and almost mythical longevity, setting the standard for generations to come.
This legacy was fiercely protected and passed down through the family. Ferruccio’s son, Tancredi, was instrumental in codifying the rules for the Brunello di Montalcino DOCG and famously walled up the family’s oldest vintages to protect them from German soldiers during World War II. Later, his son, Franco Biondi Santi, became known as the “Gentleman of Brunello.” For decades, he stood as the guardian of tradition, refusing to bow to modern trends of new oak and international styles, ensuring that the Biondi Santi name remained synonymous with elegance, terroir, and age-worthiness.
The estate continues to honor the Biondi Santi philosophy. Every bottle released from Tenuta Greppo is a direct link to that first vintage in 1888—a living piece of history and the purest expression of Sangiovese in the world.
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2022 Biondi Santi Rosso di Montalcino
The Biondi Santi Rosso is the perfect introduction to the estate’s legendary style. Sourced from younger vines at Tenuta Greppo, this is a serious, pedigreed wine, not a simple Rosso. The 2022 is bright and energetic, with classic notes of sour cherry, wild rose, and a distinct stony minerality. It’s a wine defined by silky tannins and the hallmark saline acidity of the house. Aged in large Slavonian oak, it offers a true glimpse into the Biondi Santi magic and will age gracefully for a decade or more.
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2019 Biondi Santi Brunello di Montalcino
This is a amazing wine from a vintage that is being hailed as one of the modern greats. Sourced from vines with an average age of over 25 years at the historic Tenuta Greppo, the 2019 Biondi Santi is a profound Brunello. The nose soars with wild cherry, blood orange, dried rose, and notes of iron and incense. The palate is structured and graceful, with a formidable framework of noble, fine-grained tannins and vibrant acidity that promises incredible longevity. This is a wine built for the ages; a true masterpiece that demands at least a decade of patience and will evolve for half a century.
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2018 Biondi Santi Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
The Biondi Santi Riserva is one of the most mythical and sought-after wines in the world, produced only in the greatest vintages from the estate’s oldest vines (50-80 years old). The decision to produce a Riserva in the challenging 2018 vintage is a testament to the incredible quality of their oldest parcels at Tenuta Greppo and their uncompromisingly strict selection process. This is an exceptionally rare and profound wine.
This is not a wine to be compared to the powerful 2019 or 2016; it is a unique and singular expression of a specific vintage, a wine of contemplation and immense finesse: a true collector’s piece for the Biondi Santi purist. This wine is simply leggendary!
