Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 'Il Greppo' Biondi Santi 1999
Rare winesVery important still red wine, with complex perfumes of dried flowers, red fruit, spices and balsamic herbs, with a robust and rich taste, elegant, tannic and fresh, aged for at least 3 years in oak barrels
The Brunello Riserva "Il Greppo" is a true emblem of Montalcino, a wine that has made history for the denomination due to its austerity, class, and ability to establish a dialectical relationship over time. Few names become part of the legend of a place like that of the Biondi Santi family, who over two centuries ago began vinifying Sangiovese in one of the most suitable territories for its production. Passion and a meticulous knowledge of grape varieties and soils, along with a rare sensitivity, allowed Ferruccio Biondi Santi, with the arrival of phylloxera in the mid-1800s, to select a clone of Sangiovese that gave life to liquids that are almost immortal. Then in succession, Tancredi and Franco, faces and people who contributed to defining the regulations of a wine that today is synonymous with prestige and, in many cases, excellence. The winery continues to follow traditional winemaking practices to preserve the typicity that has always been a fundamental dictate.
The Riserva "Il Greppo" is produced entirely from vines of Sangiovese Grosso with more than 25 years of age and only in exceptional vintages. After a careful selection of the grapes, the grapes are brought to the winery where fermentation will begin, taking place in large Slavonian oak barrels at controlled temperature. The aging follows traditional practices and lasts about 36 months also in medium-large oak barrels. After an additional resting period of a few months in glass, the wine is ready to be marketed. Only 10,000 bottles for this reserve which, as a testament to its longevity, has been opened in some cases even fifty years after the harvest, showing itself to be perfectly intact.
"Il Greppo" Brunello presents itself in the glass with a bright ruby color, of great liveliness. As soon as it is brought to the nose, it immediately reveals its compact austerity and needs to be encouraged to dispel its initial shyness. A moment of time and the liquid begins to gradually outline a portrait of Montalcino in autumn, where ripe cherry, tobacco, and a fascinating earthy component stand out, perfectly