Wine Advisor
Biondi Santi, Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 1983
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Description
Produced for the first time in 1888, the Biondi-Santi Riserva was the first Brunello di Montalcino in history, and even today it is an extraordinary event when a new vintage of Riserva is announced at Tenuta Greppo, the Biondi-Santi main estate. Renowned for its extraordinary longevity, this rare wine has been released only 40 times from 1888 till today and each production is extremely limited. Riserva is traditionally produced with grapes coming from only the oldest vineyards, of more than 25 years of age.
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
This precious bottle is part of Biondi-Santi's late-release program for collectors (I tasted bottle number 10,723). The 1983 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is showing beautifully on its aging timeline, although this bottle is slightly more evolved since I last tasted this vintage in 2019 before the pandemic. With slow and measured determination, the bouquet embraces dried fig, cured bresaola, burnt caramel, wet campfire, dried oregano and a familiar aroma that reminds me of the Florence leather market. However, there is a lot of life and vertical lift in this Riserva, thanks in great part to the beautiful freshness that keeps the tannins alive and adds a pop of pretty acidity to the close. The wine shows its age with pride and grace, and the final results are quite spectacular. In fact, I'm opening the drinking window up by an additional five years thanks to the latitude and depth shown here.
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
This is a cerebral and emotionally stirring wine that brings us back to a very different, more innocent time in the quickly evolving timeline of this mighty wine appellation in southern Tuscany. The 1983 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is a brilliant but naked wine that reminds us of the original blueprint for Brunello, a wine made with a specific clone of Sangiovese that was selected for its long aging potential. Despite all that time in bottle, this wine presents stunning purity and clarity of fruit. It is polished and glossy in the mouth with tannins that have been softened by time. A bright moment of acidic freshness reminds us that this wine is still very much alive.
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.
