| Classification | DOCG |
| Type | Red |
| Producer | Biondi Santi |
| Vintage | 2019 |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Tuscany |
| Appellation | Brunello di Montalcino |
| Grape | Sangiovese |
| Alcohol % | 13.5% |
| Volume | 0,75 |
| Condition | Perfect |
| Label | Perfect |
| Drinkable | 2026-2050 |
| Stock | 34 |
The 2019 harvest in Montalcino brought exactly what Sangiovese Grosso needed. For Biondi Santi's Tenuta Greppo, this meant concentrated fruit and healthy tannin extraction. The wine showed classic Brunello structure and outstanding aging potential. Professional wine critics rated this wine very high, indicating a vintage that reflects the traditional style of the estate while showing the benefits of optimal growing conditions.
This wine will be released in March 2025. The Biondi-Santi 2019 Brunello di Montalcino was born in a generous vintage that provided abundant high-quality fruit. The growing season became progressively warmer throughout summer, without heat spikes, and it ended with well-timed rains and a warm autumn. Harvest started in mid-September, and the grapes ripened according to the right parameters without over-ripeness. The wine shows a natural textural richness that is supported by dark fruit, navel orange, tobacco, laurel leaf and Mediterranean herb. There are flinty mineral notes that add to the complexity. This beautiful wine hits a special mark: it offers the ethereal qualities you expect of this celebrated estate, with a good level of austerity to match.
Very perfumed and fragrant with sweet berries and fresh roses that follow through to a medium body with pretty depth of fruit and balance. Racy and driven, there’s a lot going on in the center-palate. The legend lives. Give this a few years to open, but already impressive. Best after 2027.
Just mid ruby with orange tinges. Brooding and subtle at the same time. Saline, minerally notes and iron, blood orange and cool cherry. And pet shop. Real complexity. Elegant, transparent and fluid on the palate with acidity that is a little vibrant and almost gossamer-like tannins woven into the fruit, but seemingly truthful to the historic style. (WS)
The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino pulls the taster close to the glass, darkly floral and balsamic at the first tilt. This blossoms with a textbook profile of worn leather, dried rose, dusty earth, spice and dried black cherry. It sweeps across the palate, silky-smooth with hints of ripe red and black fruit underscored by saline mineral tones that add a crunchy yet salty sensation toward the close. It finishes with tremendous length and concentration, lifted by a tinge of sour citrus. Fine-grained tannins resonate under an air of sweet lavender. The 2019 is classic to the core. With this level of depth coming from the anatta, one can only imagine what the riserva will reveal.
A bright red color, the 2019 Brunello Di Montalcino was bottled in March of 2024 and will be released in March of 2025. The aromas are layered and complex with notes of red berries, cranberries, rosemary, orange peel, and black licorice that are constantly evolving in the glass as it opens. Medium-bodied and structured, but also elegant with a weightless feel, it has a long and savory finish. It feels as though it's going to gain in intensity with more time in bottle.
This wine is 100% Sangiovese Grosso, made using the proprietary BBS11 clone developed by Franco Biondi Santi in the 1970s. This clone has smaller grapes and thicker skins, resulting in higher tannin content and more concentrated flavors. The result is a wine with a firm structure and outstanding longevity, characteristic of the traditional Brunello style.
Dried herbs, tobacco leaf and a typical Montalcino earthiness. On the palate, the wine shows classic Brunello structure. Firm, fine-grained tannins hold without being overwhelming, and bright acidity lends freshness. A mineral backbone, probably derived from Gallestro soils, traces through the fruit. The finish is long, with notes of leather and spice. It needs at least five more years to fully integrate, but its robust character suggests an aging potential of 25 years or more.
Biondi Santi not only created the first Brunello, but also founded the category. Ferruccio Biondi Santi bottled his first vintage in 1888, using only Sangiovese at a time when everyone else was making blends. Today, the sixth generation, Jacopo Biondi Santi, continues the traditional approach of aging the wine for long periods of time in large Slavonian oak barrels. Best of Wines considers him the most historically important producer in Montalcino. His great Riserva vintages are among the most collectible wines in Italy.
Tenuta Greppo is located 2 km from the town of Montalcino, at 560 meters above sea level. The key factor here is gallestro, a crumbly, loose shale mixed with clay that forces the vines to dig deep in search of nutrients. This stress results in smaller, more concentrated fruit. Because of the high altitude, temperature variations are important. Some vines were planted in the 1930s, and their deep root systems provide access to minerals that are not available to younger vines. As a result, Brunello combines power and elegance.
The tannin structure requires rich protein. Starting with wild boar ragout on pappardelle, the fat of the sauce softens the tannins and the wine's acidity breaks up the richness. The aged pecorino Toscano is lovely, and the sheep's milk cheese gives the wine ample intensity. For meat dishes, serve Bistecca alla Fiorentina grilled on olive wood at 18°C and decant for at least two hours to allow the tannins to breathe.
Fermentation takes place in cement tanks using only wild yeast. After pressing, the wine is placed in large Slavonian oak barrels. Why? The large barrels allow for slow and gentle oxygenation without adding woody flavor. The wine is aged in wooden barrels for at least 36 months and then matured in bottles before release. This long aging gives Brunello its characteristic complexity and allows the tannins to integrate properly.
The best time to drink this wine is from around 2030 to 2050. The combination of high acidity and firm tannins provides the basis for long aging. Store in a dark place at 12-15°C. Over time, the fruit notes evolve from bright cherry to complex notes of leather, earth and dried flowers, while the tannins gradually become silky and soft.
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