Biondi-Santi - viticulture with inventiveness and passion

Famous for their Brunello, the Biondi-Santi wine dynasty is considered an icon of Tuscan red wine. The traditional winery "Il Greppo" is located southeast of the town of Montalcino in the province of Siena. This is where the success story of Sangiovese viticulture originally began under the watchful eye of the founder of the Brunello wine tradition, Clemente Santi.

Viticulture in Montalcino

The Montalcino wine-growing region can look back on a wine-growing tradition that has steadily developed over the centuries. However, the first successes in Sangiovese cultivation came only slowly, which can be attributed to the long storage time that a good Brunello requires. In the middle of the last century, however, the wines from Montalcino were already being recognized worldwide and in 1980 the growing area was awarded DOCG status.

Montalcino is located in southern Tuscany and is climatically influenced by the Tyrrhenian Sea, 80 kilometers away. Consistently sunny weather allows the Sangiovese grapes in the south and on the higher vineyards of up to 500 meters to ripen early in September. The warm summers that are common in the region contribute to both a higher alcohol content and greater flavor density. The soil consists largely of the Galestro, so typical of Tuscany, a mixture of limestone and slate, which gives the grapes a fruity, elegant aroma. There are also portions of Alberese, a sand-lime brick.

Brunello di Montalcino – or how patience pays off

Brunello di Montalcino is made according to strict criteria set by a consortium set up specifically for Brunello production. After that, both cultivation and processing are exclusively permitted in Montalcino. Since only the Brunello grape, also known as Sangiovese Grosso, is pressed, the annual production volume is limited to 50 to 52 hectoliters per hectare of cultivation area.

Brunello production can be traced back to 1888. At that time, the owner and founder of the Biondi-Santi winery selected a clone of the Sangiovese Grosso grape variety for the first time and thus created the first vine, which forms the basis for the entire Brunello production. To this day, every bottle of Brunello di Montalcino is based on this special clone called BBS 11.

The vinification of Brunello is a lengthy undertaking that demands the utmost concentration, many years of experience and a great deal of patience from the winemaker. Thorough hand-picking is followed by longer fermentation and 36 months of aging in oak barrels made from Slavonian oak, which is typical for Tuscany. For the Biondi-Santi family, time is of the essence when making their Brunello. Because in the pursuit of the highest quality, extensive maturation in the bottle is traditionally maintained in addition to the elaborate barrel maturation. A Brunello arrives at the earliest from 01.01. of the fifth year after the harvest on the market. Wine connoisseurs have to wait another year for a Brunello di Montalcino Riserva.

The history of Brunello - tradition and passion combined

The Biondi-Santi winery is spread over three plots and covers around 150 hectares, of which 26 hectares are designated as vineyards. The legendary vineyard "Il Greppo" was planted in 1936.

But the history of the Sangiovese grape goes back as far as the 19th century, when winemaker Clemente Santi began experimenting with the grape variety. He tirelessly researched the properties of different vines and looked for suitable barrels that would allow a long storage period. He baptized the result of his efforts in 1865 with the name "Brunello" and presented his creation to the general public for the first time at the Paris World Exhibition of 1867.

It was ultimately Clemente's grandson, Ferruccio Biondi, who recognized the potential of the Sangiovese Grosso variant and, as the new owner, combined the two family names: the famous family business Biondi-Santi was born. The winery finally gained international renown through the skilful public relations work of Ferruccio's son Tancredi, who served his Brunello in 1955 to a then young Queen Elizabeth II. It was also Tancredi who created the Brunello Consortium to ensure the consistently high quality of Brunello production.

The wines

The Biondi-Santi company produces three wines, all of which are 100 percent Sangiovese Grosso wines. This is the Rosso di Montalcino, a so-called second wine, the Brunello di Montalcino and Brunello di Montalcino Riserva. Their extraordinary style, based on a pleasant freshness, makes all three wines a unique taste experience.