Il Greppo - Brunello of Montalcino Wine - Biondi Santi

Brunello "Il Greppo" is one of the greatest excellences of Italy, among the most famous red wines of the world and legendary star of Montalcino production. Biondi Santi is defined as the father of the whole denomination because he is the one who gave birth to the production of the famous and renowned Brunello di Montalcino. Let's take a step back and try to understand how Biondi Santi, the historical winery, came to sit on the throne of Montalcino's hill. Until 1825 the most famous and appreciated wine in that little handkerchief of Tuscan land was Moscadello, a slightly sweet and easy to drink white wine. It was in these years that Clemente Santi arrived on the scene and started to get curious and study the characteristics of a clone of the Sangiovese grape, Sangiovese Grosso, called Brunello by the locals because of the intense and dark color of its coat. The story resumed in 1860 when Ferruccio Biondi-Santi, nephew of Clemente and legitimate son of Jacopo Biondi and Caterina Santi, began to produce a red wine made of this grape which immediately showed to have all the necessary qualities to become something extraordinary. Just in those years the catastrophe brought by the insect of phylloxera struck the vines and plundered the crops as a real epidemic, eating everything in its path. So farmers, scared and frightened by the damages of the insect, tried to get a quick financial return of the new vines, selling red wines on the market as quickly as possible. Ferruccio was not of the same opinion and went against the trend. He believed wine was the most faithful friend of time and only with the passing of years it could become great. So he vinified in purity the Sangiovese Grosso he cultivated in his estate "Il Greppo" and he waited for a long time in the cellar until it reached its perfect level of ripeness. A few years later he tasted it and amazed every citizen. That day remained in history because the first and historical Brunello was born, whose roots are forever connected to the Biondi Santi family. From that day on, the prestige and fame of this brand began to increase in value, thanks to targeted interventions, modernization of techniques and selection of the best Sangiovese strains.

Brunello di Montalcino Biondi Santi is produced from the prestigious Sangiovese Grosso vines cultivated in the homonymous estate which covers an area of 47 hectares. The marl soils rich in skeleton, the unique microclimate of the place, the marked difference in temperature between night and day and the Mediterranean sun which warms the soil for more than half of the year, have created the perfect conditions for growing high quality grapes. Yields are kept very low, about 30-50 quintals per hectare, and harvesting is done manually, selecting bunch by bunch in the central weeks of September. The grapes, brought to the winery, are vinified and aged in Slavonian oak casks for at least 3 years. It ends its journey in bottle, where it is aged for at least 4 months.

Greppo Brunello lights up the glass with an intense ruby red color with garnet hues. The bouquet is ample and complex, in which sensations of small red fruits, notes of dried rose, touches of vanilla, toasted hints, coffee powder and hints of underbrush dance in unison and give origin to a truly exciting olfactory melody. The taste shows all its strength and power with elegance and class above. Warm, persistent, soft, tannic and balanced: all embroidered to perfection and integrated in a decidedly harmonious structure. To be tried at least once in your life, perhaps accompanying it with a typical dish such as pici with Cinta Senese sauce, or with wild boar and mushrooms, tagliolini with truffles, pappardelle with hare or pheasant with chestnuts and fughi. Peace of mind...