Professionele reviews
Robert Parker (97)
The Biondi-Santi 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva shows balanced fruit weight and clear definition, with dark currant and cherry at the core. Retasted one day later, the wine had opened nicely, gaining cohesion and improved harmony. The 2019 growing season delivered healthy, well-ripened fruit with natural concentration, a profile that emphasizes structure and richness. This Riserva is made from a strict selection of the estate’s best fruit, sourced from its oldest vineyards. Fermentation is carried out with indigenous yeasts, followed by extended aging in large Slavonian oak casks (which has been somewhat shortened in recent years). At Tenuta Il Greppo, the historic home of Biondi-Santi in Montalcino, some of the estate’s vines date back to the 1930s, making the oldest plantings over 80 years old. These heritage vines contribute to the depth and lineage of the estate’s Brunello and Riserva wines.
James Suckling (98)
A classy wine with restrained aromas of embers, incense, stony minerality, fresh violets, dried cherries, red currants, leaves and vibrant orange peel. Full-bodied and juicy on the palate, with firm acidity and tannins, a slightly chalky yet ripe texture and flavors of red cherries and graphite. Super-polished and cleansing finish. Outstanding tannins. Biondi-Santi is back! Drink or hold. It will last for decades.
Jancis Robinson (17)
Lustrous mid ruby and still youthful-looking. Proper richness on the nose and very different from its peers. Sweet cherry and while not pressing the fruit button, this has proper rich cherry fruit on the nose. Impressive depth. And the merest suggestion of undergrowth so might indicate a sped-up development in bottle, but it is not easy to say. Compact and with much more restraint on the palate but the concentration is as evident as on the nose, and there’s a touch of undergrowth on the palate, too. Finely stitched tannins that take the lead on the finish, but without overpowering the fruit. Will age well, but seems stylistically a little different to the usual Biondi-Santi style. The answer will come with further bottle ageing.
Falstaff (99)
Sparkling, intense ruby with garnet shimmer. Complex nose with pronounced balsamic notes of dark cherry and plum, as well as pickled anchovies, with a hint of mint and orange. Firm, very well-integrated tannins characterize the palate, good tension, very long finish, with a noble cigar aftertaste.
