Biondi-Santi: Rare Limited Time Sale 12-3-2023

 

Big Discounts on Biondi-Santi & Brunello Mags!

Biondi Brunello & Brunello Riserva:
1-3 bottles- 5% discount
4+ bottles- 10% discount

Biondi Rossos:
4-8 bottles- 5% discount
9+ bottles- 10% discount

All Brunello magnums special discount 5% off any 3 or more mags

Discounts will be applied when orders are received.
Offer ends Wednesday 12/6 @ 10AM PST

Biondi-Santi is quite literally the crème de la crème when it comes to high end Brunello. This winery, and the individuals that bore it into existence  were the founders of the region of Brunello di Montalcino, and through their approaching ~200 year history have embodied the indentity of quality, tradition, and longevity. Long before it became standard practice, this winery committed to a vision of red wines based on quality and ageability, implementing racking and barrel-aging practices that were technological advancements of their time. Massal selection of unique high performing vines, and grafting only the best clones on American rootstock led to the creation of the Brunello Biondi-Santi, or BBS 11 clone, now considered the top example of its type that can be found anywhere. Early on (we’re talking early late 1800s) Ferruccio Biondi also made the iconic decision to bottle 100 percent Sangiovese wine, a choice whose reverberations and foresight can still be felt today with Tuscany reinventing itelf around the potential of its native varietal.

You should drink and collect the wines of Biondi-Santi not only because of how well they are received and what they represent, but also because there are fleeting opportunities in life to experience things that are both truly iconic and utterly delicious. Year after year these wines continue to remain firmly placed at the top of the Brunello wine pyramid and leave a lasting memory in the minds of those fortunate enough to open a bottle. Most often these bottlings are the territory of only elite closed-door collectors and Michelin star restaurants, but at Vinopolis we’re fortunate to receive a continuing allocation of these wines and back-vintages for offer to our loyal customers.

Biondi-Santi makes a small portfolio of several wines that we represent in-depth at Vinopolis. Whether you’re seeking to bask in a classic Montalcino Rosso over dinner, or drink to history with the Brunello and Brunello Riserva while celebrating a special moment with loved ones, you won’t be wrong. Tasting and comparing these wines side by side is an opportunity in wine education that should not be passed up.

Treated with the identical level of care and passion as the more elusive Brunellos, the rosso bottlings represent an earlier drinking opportunity for  the Sangiovese Grosso grape. These wines are made from younger vines and exposed to less time in barrel, giving them remarkably fresh and fruity aromatics on top of rich palate.

Biondi Santi Tenuta Greppo Rosso di Montalcino, Tuscany 2018 750ml $89 special, 27 bottles available
Wine Advocate 94 points “Elegant, graceful and fine, the Biondi-Santi 2018 Rosso di Montalcino offers a delicate approach to the senses and it spreads over the palate with polished and silky intensity. The acidity is elevated in this vintage. A handful of historic producers in Montalcino are bringing the Rosso category up to the next level, and the venerable house of Biondi-Santi is one of them. This was a somewhat unusual vintage with prolonged cool spells alternating with moments of intense heat. However, this wine shows even ripening and is quite vibrant and tangy in terms of its acidity. In spectacular Sangiovese style, the wine ends with lingering tones of wild cherry, sweet earth, potting soil and perfumed violet.”

Biondi Santi Tenuta Greppo Rosso di Montalcino, Tuscany 2019 750ml $99 special, 8 bottles available
Wine Advocate 95 points “This flight of three Biondi-Santi wines starts off on the right foot thanks to the pristine bouquet and lively fruit of the 2019 Rosso di Montalcino. This is the entry-level wine (although the price point certainly suggests otherwise). It shows very detailed and chiseled aromas of wild cherry, cassis, dried violet, rust and orange skin. The wine carries a strong structural frame; however, the mouthfeel is ethereal and light notwithstanding.”
James Suckling 94 points “Aromas of sliced citrus, cherry and flowers follow through to a medium body, with creamy tannins and crunchy fruit at the finish. Lovely combination of fruit and acidity. Very drinkable now but will age nicely. (10/5/22)”

Biondi’s estate bottlings are a masterclass in what classic Brunello should taste like. Deep and silky red fruits, wild Tuscan herbs & tobacco, tannins that refresh the palate with their strength and precision. Vinified in concrete and aged for 3 years in Slavonian oak barrels.

Biondi Santi Tenuta Greppo Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany 2017 750ml $212 special, 12 bottles available
Wine Advocate 96 points “A delicately sweet note of fresh summer cherry is a precursor to budding complexity and a very articulate bouquet that opens quickly in the glass. Immediately pleasing fruit is a characteristic of the 2017 growing season that had above average temperatures and drought throughout the summer. The resistant 2017 Brunello di Montalcino takes on these challenges without missing a beat. The wine’s celebrated acidity and its small berry nuances remain intact. The tannins are silky and the wine’s flavors fade slowly even after you have taken your last sip.”
James Suckling 96 points “Sweet berry orange peel cedar bark and forest flower aromas follow through to a medium to full body with linear and fine tannins and a crunchy undertone. It?s very subtle and fresh for a 2017. Crisp and vivid. It?s refined and acid-driven. Needs three to four years more to soften. Try after 2026.”

The Riservas are an exclusive selection of top quality fruit from Biondi’s best vineyard parcels. The wines are fermented in Slavonian oak to bring additional ageability and richness, followed by the standard 3 years of aging in barrel. These wines will keep for an eternity and will be unforgettable experiences as you open them over time from your cellar.

Biondi Santi Tenuta Greppo Riserva, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2008 750ml $649 special, 1 bottles available
Wine Advocate 94 points “The delightful 2008 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is expressive and feminine with crushed chamomile, forest fruit, bramble, tar and licorice. It renders a stirring, melodic performance that plays out slowly but with determination. Drink: 2017-2030.

Biondi Santi Tenuta Greppo Riserva, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2011 750ml $419 special, 12 bottles available
Wine Enthusiast 96 points “Beautifully balanced, this opens with alluring scents of wild berry, rose, baking spice and whiffs of chopped herb. Seamlessly combining ripe fruit and the firm’s trademark finesse, the bright elegantly structured palate delivers juicy wild cherry, crushed raspberry, white pepper and a hint of black tea framed in polished tannins and fresh acidity. It’s already tempting but the best is yet to come. Drink 2021–2031.”

Biondi Santi Tenuta Greppo Riserva, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2012 750ml $599 special, 1 bottles available
Wine Advocate 97 points “You will notice the dedication printed below the label of the wine label. It reads: “Dedicato a Franco Biondi Santi.” Indeed, the Biondi-Santi 2012 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is the last vintage made by the towering father figure of Brunello whom most everyone referred to as the “gentleman of Montalcino.” Il Dottore, as he was also respectfully addressed, died at age 91 in April 2013, and he was very active in the winery as this magnificent wine took shape. This Riserva is a true work of beauty. It is released one year later than usual. The wine reflects the natural heft and power of the 2012 vintage, and it also shows that distinctive open-knit and accessible personality that characterizes this warm and sunny growing season. Il Dottore’s magic touch is revealed in the level of fine detail and precision that transcends vintage, grape and territory. That extreme focus is an achievement of this estate alone located in the celebrated Il Greppo property. This Brunello pours from the bottle with a magnificent garnet color, and it evolves in the glass with dark fruit, candied orange peel, spice, licorice, anise seed, cola and balsam herb. The aromas are magical and ethereal, albeit slightly ripe and soft as expected of this vintage.”

Biondi Santi Tenuta Greppo Riserva, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2013 750ml $599 special, 1 bottles available
Wine Advocate 98 points “The Biondi-Santi 2013 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is a stunning wine from all points of view. Seamless integration and elegant complexity are what stand out, and it’s worth dedicating a few extra lines to the aromatic depth that is put so beautifully on display as the wine slowly unfolds. The bouquet starts off with wild cherry, earth, wet ash, crème de cassis and pruny chocolate. With extra time, there are hints of dried tobacco leaf, sandalwood and mossy forest floor. These lead to a fine tail of dried herb, bay leaf and a touch of rusty nail. The Riserva comes in numbered bottles, and I opened number 04277. To the palate, the wine is streamlined and silky with smooth tannins and a well-managed 13.5% alcohol content. The oak presence is reduced to a minimum, offering mild hints of spice and the delicate sandalwood or dried fig aroma I described above. Fresh acidity is the glue that gives the wine buoyancy and staying power. At this young stage, this 2013 vintage could be considered a bit shy or slow to start, but this will play out to great advantage in the long term as the wine continues its bottle evolution.”

Biondi Santi Tenuta Greppo Riserva, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2016 750ml $699 special, 6 bottles available
Wine Advocate 99 points “Wow, here is a vintage I’ve been anxiously waiting to try. The 2016 growing season was one of the best in recent memory in Montalcino, and if we look back in time, this vintage marks the year Biondi-Santi was sold to a French group. The prestigious 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva proves a mighty collector’s bottle that will undoubtedly gain in complexity and depth with careful bottle age. The wine offers wild nuances of forest berry and tart cherry, and there are herbal side notes as well as floral tones of dried violet and lilac. The tannins are soft, powdery and feel like they melt away on the palate.”
James Suckling 98 points “Aromas of strawberries flowers fresh mushroom forest flower sandalwood and hints of balsamic. Full-bodied and tight on the finish. This is a linear and fine-tannined red. Available in March 2023. Needs another five years or so to show its full potential. New classic. Better after 2026.”

Biondi Santi Tenuta Greppo Riserva, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 1983 750ml $1099 special, 1 bottles available
***Winery Cellared Release***
Wine Advocate 96 points “[Reviewed July 2021] This precious bottle is part of Biondi-Santi’s late-release program for collectors (I tasted bottle number 10,723). The 1983 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is showing beautifully on its aging timeline, although this bottle is slightly more evolved since I last tasted this vintage in 2019 before the pandemic. With slow and measured determination, the bouquet embraces dried fig, cured bresaola, burnt caramel, wet campfire, dried oregano and a familiar aroma that reminds me of the Florence leather market. However, there is a lot of life and vertical lift in this Riserva, thanks in great part to the beautiful freshness that keeps the tannins alive and adds a pop of pretty acidity to the close. The wine shows its age with pride and grace, and the final results are quite spectacular. In fact, I’m opening the drinking window up by an additional five years thanks to the latitude and depth shown here.”