Wine Advisor
Biondi Santi, Rosso di Montalcino 2016
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Description
A wine of fruit and vibrancy, the Biondi-Santi Rosso paves the way for the Brunello. For Biondi-Santi, the Rosso has always been a special wine, following a specific idea of making a red wine which reflects the signature style of our high-altitude vineyards with a vibrant freshness and a structure, which permits the wine to age, but which is driven by a distinct fruity character and is thoroughly enjoyable at a young age. Traditionally, the Rosso is produced from our youngest vines, and from those vineyard plots which underline the fruitiness. It is fermented in cement vats and has an ageing in oak which is shorter than that of the Brunello, 12 months. This wine was originally known as the Biondi-Santi Brunello “white label”, but became the estate’s Rosso in 1983, when the Rosso di Montalcino DOC was established.
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Eric Guido
The 2016 Rosso di Montalcino hails from lower-elevation vineyards, around 250 meters, in the northern section of Montalcino. It’s a classic, layered and dramatic wine, showing bright cherry, sweet herbs, cooling mint, dried fall leaves, tobacco and savory spice, with a presence and depth that feels more like Brunello than Rosso in character. There’s sweetness and purity to the fruit here that keeps me coming back to the glass, yet I’m sure that the 2016 will benefit from a few years of cellaring, especially as its fine tannins build toward the close. The Rosso spends twelve months maturing in Slavonian oak, and it is released two years later than most.
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
I am immediately smitten by the Biondi-Santi 2016 Rosso di Montalcino thanks to the purity of the aromas on display. The bouquet literally submerges the senses in Sangiovese, with those delicate aromas of wild rose, violets, wet earth and brambly forest berry. Background notes of licorice, camphor ash and balsam herb come into steady focus. I am delighted by the intensity and the immense focus of this wine. This Rosso di Montalcino stands with the best of Brunello and gives us good reason to have very high expectations for the 2016 vintage of Brunello di Montalcino that will be released appellation-wide at the beginning of next year. This is a solid mid-weight Rosso with good structure and fine points of fresh acidity that move the wine with determination and grace smoothly over the palate.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
This is a rich, flavorful Rosso with firm tannins and bright acidity. Medium body. Firm and beautiful. Hints of chocolate and spice. Drink or hold.
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.
