Brunello di Montalcino Biondi Santi 2001, the Brunello

At a friend's house I came across a mythical bottle, the Brunello di Montalcino Biondi Santi 2001, which I want to tell you about. A wine that after more than 15 years was still perfectly intact, with aromas that were even floral but not of wilted flowers, fruity but not overly ripe or purely jammy.

But let's start from the beginning. The history of Brunello begins in the 1880s, thanks to the famiglia Biondi Santi at the Tenuta del Greppo in Montalcino. It was the time when Baron Ricasoli was codifying the recipe for Chianti as a Sangiovese-based wine that should never be presented as a single varietal – where, in fact, the blend also made room for white-grape varieties.

Ferruccio Biondi Santi, on the other hand, selected the best clones of Sangiovese grosso, planting the rootlings on American rootstock and vinifying them as a single varietal. He established very strict production standards, drastically reducing yields per hectare in the vineyard, so much so that the practice of manually selecting the finest fruit has been handed down to the present day.

Over time, Brunello di Montalcino gained ever-greater recognition, also thanks to the continuous drive toward quality wine production by the Biondi Santi family. It was among the first wines in Italy to obtain DOC recognition in the early 1960s, and the DOCG less than two decades later.

The Tenuta del Greppo extends across a hilly system at 400–500 metres above sea level, covering 150 hectares, 25 of which are planted with Sangiovese grosso. The estate's vineyards, oriented north, north/east, east, and south/east, are planted on lean soils very rich in galestro. The generally dry microclimate during grape ripening, combined with the swings between night and daytime temperatures, are the ideal conditions that allow the full expression of the aromas and structure of Brunello.

Brunello Biondi Santi is produced from vines at least 10 years old, with yields per hectare not exceeding 45 quintals. After manual harvesting, destemming, and crushing, the grapes ferment in large concrete tanks for over two weeks at controlled temperature. During this phase, two pump-overs are carried out daily, so that the grape cap remains constantly submerged, thereby avoiding unwanted fermentations. After racking, malolactic fermentation takes place. The new wine then passes into large Slavonian oak casks, where it remains until the end of the fourth year of ageing before bottling.

Let's move on to the tasting.

Brunello di Montalcino Biondi Santi 2001

The 2001 vintage was distinguished by a very positive climatic pattern for the Montalcino vineyard. A substantially dry vintage, with a cold winter and a spring with below-average temperatures. This was followed by a good vegetative recovery starting from fruit set and throughout the warm summer. Harvest began in the second week of September and was universally considered exceptional, with the collection of healthy grapes rich in extracts and acidity.

Of intense and brilliant garnet colour, the wine quickly reveals a remarkable breadth of aromatic profile. The glass immediately releases aromas of rose and violet, then red fruit, blueberry, and sour cherry to the fore. Characteristic notes then emerge evoking an initial tertiarisation: undergrowth, liquorice, chocolate toastiness, spices, and a balsamic finish. On the palate we perceive the great structure, very fine tannins that blend with a significant savouriness and a still evident acidity well balanced by the alcohol and the lovely softness. Very persistent on the finish with mentholated and balsamic notes, it is still defined by its decidedly youthful character and great freshness.

An important wine, very elegant with refined aromas and an aristocratic sip. Still a young specimen that we could easily have uncorked in another 15 years. We enjoyed it paired with some excellent stuffed veal rolls, though it would also have paired beautifully with roasts and game. A shame not to have had another bottle to put to the test.