Wine Advisor
Biondi Santi, Brunello di Montalcino 2010
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Description
The Biondi-Santi flagship wine, the Brunello di Montalcino embodies the spirit of Tenuta Greppo and the signature style of our winemakers, forged over 150 years of history with its balanced combination of fresh elegance, depth and aristocratic personality.
The 2010 Brunello was produced with our proprietary clone of Sangiovese Grosso called BBS11 (Brunello Biondi Santi 11), which was identified and selected by Biondi-Santi at Tenuta Greppo in the Seventies. For this Brunello we exclusively used grapes from the vines with between 10 and 25 years of age.
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
Biondi-Santi is a benchmark for great Brunello. The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino does a great job of presenting classic Sangiovese characteristics in the context of a classic vintage. This wine shows extreme finesse and elegance with a silky approach that is nudged gently forward by delicate tones of wild berry, dried blueberry, pressed rose, wet earth, grilled herb and toasted almond. The acidity is beautifully balanced and the tannins are firm but silky. This wine benefits from the right DNA for long aging potential.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Biondi Santi’s 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is one of the more controversial wines of the night. Some tasters admire the wine’s classical austerity and potential, but for others the wine is too tight to deliver real pleasure. There is little question the Biondi Santi needs time, but it is in my view impressive on this night, even if it is not as sexy as many other wines.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Annata is a real knock-out. Rose petals, mint, sweet spices and flowers are some of the first notes that open up in the glass. Almost indescribably beautiful, the 2010 is a classic, austere Biondi Santi Brunello built to age. Although the 2010 is going to require considerable patience, its pedigree is quite apparent today. The 2010 constantly changes in the glass, revealing different shades of its multi-faceted personality, while the long, saline-infused finish is a thing of real beauty.
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
I had previously reviewed this wine upon its commercial release three years ago, but a wine like this merits frequent return visits. The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino remains youthful and tight and has hardly budged since I last reviewed it. This classic vintage will be remembered for its elegance and its power, two seemingly contradictory traits that come magically together on rare occasions. This wine shows tightness at its core with snappy freshness and stacked aromas of forest fruit, violets and freshly tilled earth. I have expanded the drinking window with this second review of the wine.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Aromas of currants, fresh herbs and blackberries with hints of wet stones and licorice follow through to a full body, firm tannins and a fresh finish. This is very tight and muscular. Needs at least four to five years to soften. The legend lives.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Subtle aromas of blackberries, olives and bramble berries follow through to a full body with dense and chewy tannins that build on the palate. Hints of mushroom and Spanish cedar too. Needs time to soften. Try in 2017.
About the Producer
The history of the estate dates back to 1840, when Caterina Santi, the daughter of the Santi family, married Jacopo Biondi of the Biondi family, and the two families' premises were merged. The two families merged and began to cultivate the grapes and make the wine that became Château Biondi. The winery was later taken over by Ferruccio Biondi Santi, son of Caterina and Jacopo, who officially changed the name of the estate to Biondi Santi. The Brunello variety is essentially a clone of Sangiovese, but is larger, more tannic and produces a more layered wine. The complexity and elegance of this variety, which is suitable for long-term ageing, makes it a masterpiece of Italian fine wine. The vineyards of Biante Sandi are located at the highest altitude in the hills of Montalcino, with frequent fog on the hillside, which gives them the advantage of not only very good land but also altitude. All Brunello di Montalcino wines are made from grapes sourced from vines that are over 10 years old (25 years old for the Reserve) in the vineyard. After fermentation, the wines are first stored in Slovenian oak barrels for three years and then aged in the bottle for six months before being released for sale.
