Biondi-Santi Rosso di Montalcino DOC 2017
(Tuscany, Italy) 750ml - [WA 94+] [WE 94 [JS 93] [WS 92] [VM 92]
Regular price $185.00 Sale price $119.97 Save $65.03
About the Winery:
If you are at all familiar with Brunello di Montalcino, you are likely familiar with Biondi-Santi. Brunello can actually trace its origins to a single man, Ferruccio Biondi-Santi, who produced the first-ever Brunello di Montalcino using a clone of Sangiovese called Sangiovese Grosso. The family member credited with ushering Brunello di Montalcino into the modern era while simultaneously maintaining tradition is Franco Biondi Santi, Ferruccio's great-grandson, who passed away in 2013 at the age of 91. Today Franco’s son, Jacopo, remains the president and head winemaker at Biondi-Santi, along with his son Tancredi, the seventh generation of winemakers.
At the end of 2016, the family sold the majority portion to family-owned French wine and fashion powerhouse EPI. (EPI also owns bubbly houses Charles Heidsieck and Piper-Heidsieck as well as several upscale fashion and shoe brands.) With their continued involvement as head winemakers, the Biondi-Santi family continues to produce wines renowned for their elegance and extraordinary longevity.
Notes from the Winemaker:
Biondi-Santi is a 19th century estate that is a benchmark in Tuscany for top shelf Montalcino wines. While their wines are known to age marvelously decades down the line, this Rosso di Montalcino can be opened sooner. This is powerful, traditional Sangiovese at its best.
The Rosso di Montalcino comes from the younger Sangiovese Grosso vineyards (between 5 and 10 years old) of the Greppo Estate. It ages for 12 months in Slavonian oak casks and it is a wine ready to drink, young and fruity.
Tasting Notes:
The fresh side of a warm year. This elegant Rosso di Montalcino with a bright ruby red colour exhibits an intensely fragrant bouquet, characterized by notes of black cherries, pomegranate and blackcurrant, intertwined by aromatic sensations of Mediterranean scrub and sweet spices. On the palate in reveals its impressive structure with textured and soothing tannins, accompanied by the typical Biondi-Santi freshness. The finish is characterized by persistent, sweet fruity notes.
Ratings & Reviews
94+ Points - Wine Advocate:
"Here's a wine that proudly opens a new chapter for Montalcino's celebrated Rosso. The Biondi-Santi 2017 Rosso di Montalcino opens to immediately recognized Sangiovese character, presented in a soft, delicate and nuanced manner. The wine pours from its distinctive yellow-labelled bottle to a beautifully mild garnet color with dark sepia accents. As it takes on oxygen in the glass,the wine reveals a slow progression of wild berry, rose, tar, spice and tilled earth. There are faint traces of caramel, candied orange and wild mountain herb. The 2017 growing season delivered ample heat and drought, but the new winemaking team at Il Greppo has taken on these challenges with grace and expertise. On the close, this Rosso shows its characteristic acidity and just enough structure to promise good ageing potential." - Monica Larner (Feb 2021)
94 Points - Wine Enthusiast:
"Intensely fragrant, this has enticing scents of rose, violet and woodland berries that gain complexity thanks to a whiff of camphor. It's savory and polished, offering juicy red cherry, pomegranate and star anise before a white pepper finish. Surprisingly tangy acidity for the hot vintage and smooth tannins keep it balanced. Drink through 2025." – Kerin O’Keefe (Jul 2021)
93 Points - James Suckling:
"Beautiful, sweet and ripe fruit on the nose with hints of wild flowers. It’s full-bodied with soft, round tannins that caress the palate. Long, flavorful finish. Gorgeous finish. A hint of chocolate nicely complements the fruit here. Delicious now, but can improve with age. Drink or hold." (May 2021)
92 Points - Wine Spectator:
"Pure, fresh, supple and infused with cherry, strawberry, floral and mineral aromas and flavors, this Rosso is ready to roll. Fine harmony and finesse add interest, finishing with mineral and tobacco elements. Drink now through 2024. 250 cases imported." – Bruce Sanderson (July 2021)
92 Points - Vinous Media:
"There’s a purity and savory refinement to the 2017 Rosso di Montalcino Tenuta Greppo that transcends the expectations of this warm and dry vintage. A perfumed display of wild strawberries, fresh roses, violets and a dusting of minerals lift up from the glass. Its textures are silky, carried across a feminine frame, with bright cherries and inner herbal tones that find vibrancy through a core of brilliant acidity. Nuanced tannins and dried berries linger, leaving a lightly structured yet very pretty impression. This is a great introduction to the Biondi-Santi portfolio and deserves the moniker of “Baby Brunello''. That said, the 2017 could use another year of cellaring to further unlock its inner beauty." - Eric Guido (Jan 2021)