Wednesday Wines – Episode 307 – Biondi-Santi Blossoms
Biondi-Santi launches 2019 Riserva with a fascinating retrospective
La Voce Project 5th Edition, The words for the last five years; 2006 = balance; 1983 = wonderment; 2013 = respect; 1988 = elegance
and the word Biondi-Santi has selected for 2019 = generations
This very estate is recognised as the ‘inventor’ of Brunello di Montalcino, and they have maintained an air of mystique, collectability and regional superiority for nigh on a hundred and fifty years. While fashions come and go, Biondi-Santi wisely focused on making what they consider a classical style of Brunello, without interference from unnecessary barrique flavours and with careful fruit selection, so the wines don’t end up too sweet, extracted or soupy. Of course, this has long been the correct direction for such a revered estate. But more recently, it has become clear that relying on century-old ‘recipes’ while crafting these wines has yielded wines with ancient, time-capsule flavours that do not reflect the true potential of the vineyards. Precision viticulture and forensic winemaking are the only ways to achieve these aims. Discreet changes have been made while preserving the estate’s DNA. But there has been some pushback from those with what I call ‘relic palates’, who yearn for this wine to remain mothballed, parading the flavours it was famous for decades ago. I have long tired of sarcophagus wines – the brett-infested Saint-Juliens (and others) of the 80s and 90s, browning Riojas that smell of hospital wards, Benylin and veal stock. Old-style Barolo, that was picked out of balance, fermented out of balance and then was bottled out of balance, only to be celebrated as ‘classic Nebbiolo’, when in fact it was astringent, faulty, and in some cases bordering on fraudulent. These groups of wines never age themselves into positions of fruit freshness, harmony or deliciousness. Balance is born, as I am tired of saying, and many old Biondi-Santi wines I have tasted, no matter how lofty their scores, or feted their flavours, are not remotely to my taste. And so, in the new era of this historic estate, I am overjoyed to report that inspirational skill, genuine understanding, great taste, and immense pride are all starting to show through in the wines. This is a renaissance like no other in the super-elite wine world, and like some of the great Barolo and Barbaresco producers, occasional Californian heavyweights and others besides, changes are afoot to ensure these wines taste of their vineyards, drink beautifully from the off while having the ability to age like clockwork, and embody flavours which we all (not just misguided, nostalgic fools) adore and want to drink forever. As you will read below, these are all interesting wines. But the most impressive, and by far the most noteworthy, is the new release. It fills me with equal parts relief and joy that Biondi-Santi, under its relatively new ownership (the EPI Group, headed by Christopher Descours, which also owns Piper-Heidsieck and Charles Heidsieck Champagne Houses), with its inspirational vision for the future, has found its true path, and that these decisions should be celebrated.
1983 Brunello di Montalcino, Riserva La Storica, Biondi-Santi 13.8% (UK RRP £1550)
La Storica wines are drawn from the cellar, where they keep old vintages, and Biondi Santi wines are given La Storica status after ten years. This wine is browning in colour and looking every inch a style of Brunello that I am unlikely to embrace. 1983 was a hot and dry vintage, but there is surprising fruit and elegance on the nose, and while these notes are entirely tertiary and decaying, there is fruit here, too. The palate is spirity and woody, with faint cherry skin and orange peel notes, and the acidity is feisty, keeping this wine alive. Interestingly, this vintage has been topped up and recorked twice in its life (in 2000 & 2022). As it airs, more fruit appears, but these flavours lean towards sour and teasing rather than tender and enveloping. This is an interesting but not delicious Brunello. 17.5/20
1988 Brunello di Montalcino, Riserva La Storica, Biondi-Santi 13.3% (UK RRP £1700)
Apparently, 1988 is the most elegant release to date. It was a cooler vintage, with a more tempered feel, and there is more fruit here than in the 1983, making it much more enjoyable and silkier to the touch. There is also greater textural appeal here, and bright acidity underpins the experience, bringing remarkable freshness, given its age. There is an amaro/bitter signature feel throughout, but this never oversteps the mark, remaining nicely balanced with the fruit. I have no doubt that this vintage will continue to evolve slowly. While I would like to see more core fruit, it is moving evenly and deliberately, making this an impressive, 38-year-old wine! 18/20
2006 Brunello di Montalcino, Riserva La Storica, Biondi-Santi 13.5% (UK RRP £1100)
It is clear from the outset that this is a perfectly balanced vintage. There is a sea change in fruit intensity here, with a much more mouth-coating sense of impact, volume and tannin. And there is even a sense of youthfulness here with some sour, skinsy notes keeping the fruit flowing. It is, overall, a few shades darker in tone, which I far prefer to the coral/brick red wines. This is more of what I am after in terms of shape and size, and while there ought not to be a sense of oak, given it is matured in large casks, there is a structural element here that is born of oak in combination with the fruit. 2006 was widely regarded as a great vintage, and this wine shows a more powerful side to this estate, tempered by the prodigious ‘house-style’ girders of acidity. That said, the alcohol sits at a mere 13.5%, so the balance here is spectacular and the future bright! 18.5+/20
2013 Brunello di Montalcino, Riserva La Storica, Biondi-Santi 13.55% (UK N/A)
Franco Biondi-Santi passed away in 2013, hence the chosen word for the vintage is ‘respect’. 2013 was a cool and rainy vintage, and the flavours here are spicier and loaded with more anti-fruit that obviously ripe notes. In turn, this is a more elegant wine with a perfumer’s palette of notes, as opposed to more obvious fruit. There are layers of intrigue coupled with sous bois notes, making this a more introverted and more challenging wine than the plush 2006, but there is a lot to admire here. The nose is the most complete of the set, even though it is not the most intense, and this effortlessly classy vintage has a very promising future. What I find most interesting is that, while this is a less overtly juicy wine, the calibre of fruit and clarity of message are both much more direct and enjoyable than those of wines from bygone eras. 18.5+/20
2019 Brunello di Montalcino, Riserva, Biondi-Santi 13.5% (UK RRP £765)
This is the year when the new generation took over responsibility for the estate, endeavouring to keep the house style alive while bringing more knowledge and professionalism to the fore. There is a different level of fruit focus here, with carefully judged power and a more imposing structure, perfectly balanced with eye-catching freshness and magical lift. The complexities are somewhat at odds with the previous flight of wines, because there is a visceral attack here that is shocking, challenging and extraordinarily dynamic. I could not take my eyes off this glass for a moment. This is an inflexion point in the estate’s history, with greater precision, energy and a clear lack of compromise. The crystalline chassis is sharp, austere and unyielding, and there is a sense of extreme selection and ruthlessness here. Gone are the fleshier elements and in their place are chiselled fruit notes, brittle chypre tones and more dramatic earth and fauna hints. There is every chance that this will turn out to be a landmark wine which embraces the best elements of the estate, none of the old, feeble, washed-out notes, and the precision and minerality of the soils. Apparently, the ‘viti-team’ literally doubled the hours of work in the vineyard, and in addition, the winemaking purity has been heightened with vinification occurring in one-third oak, concrete and steel. This inevitably and unavoidably brings a sense of intrinsic control and sophistication. There is nowhere to hide when the fruit is this exposed and thank goodness this step change has occurred. No longer will the wines be blurred, speculative and hit-and-miss. For too long, the fame of this brand has relied on great soil, a famous label, and wines with an uncommon ability to age. Today, the human element will drive Biondi-Santi forward with genuine talent, selfless determination and a fathomless desire to elevate this estate to a hitherto unknown level that truly recognises its unique terroir. While it is unlikely this 2019 will be truly drinking for at least ten years, I love the way it finally changes the estate’s direction for the better. Anyone who does not recognise this forthright and determined progress is lost at sea or living in a false reality. 19.5+/20 (this wine was released for sale on the 1st of March 2026.)
And finally –
2020 Brunello di Montalcino, Biondi-Santi 13.5% (UK RRP £250)
There is no doubt in my mind that this is the most exciting ‘non-Riserva’, or estate wine, I have ever tasted from Biondi-Santi. It has flawless DNA, epic balance and freshness, and it sings not only of the happiness and acumen of the team that makes it, but also of bringing a new and committed audience to an estate that has quietly haemorrhaged its tribe over decades. This wine was vinified in oak casks, concrete and stainless steel. There is no doubt, this is the way forward for Biondi-Santi. Bravo! 18.5/20