2017 - 2030
Franco Biondi Santi passed away in 2013, but his son Jacopo Biondi Santi was already making wine at Il Greppo when the 2011 Brunello di Montalcino was produced. The winemaking approach has not been changed despite the father to son transition. This wine shows extra richness and texture with focused fruit aromas that are graceful but also powerful. There are hints of ripe fruit with dried cherry and prune buried deep within the bouquet. In the mouth, this Brunello shows good structure and acidity with a slightly denser feel compared to past vintages.
It's going to be a big year for Jacopo Biondi Santi and his handsome sons. The venerable Biondi-Santi brand has been out of the United States market for the past three years. It's been such a loss for those of us who love the wines from Montalcino's Il Greppo. The winery's previous importing contract is set to expire and Biondi-Santi is free to find a new partnership. A band of this historic importance and pedigree requires special care and attention. I am confident they will find an importer who can meet this challenge and welcome them back to such an important foreign market. I visited with Jacopo at the winery in early 2016 and was definitely keyed into his enthusiasm regarding the new year. In addition to tasting his new Brunello di Montalcino releases, we tasted through the new wines of his second estate in Maremma, Castello di Montepò. I prefer to have those reviews published among their peers and for that reason I have not included them here. The new wines from Montalcino--specifically the 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva--are sublime. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to taste the 1955 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva in late 2015 and you can find my review of that historic wine here: http://www.erobertparker.com/members/winedata/articles/article1216.asp.