Brunello di Montalcino 'Il Greppo' Biondi Santi 2009

Until the second half of 1800, the most known and appreciated wine in the area of Montalcino was a sweet white wine, Moscadello; was at that time that Clemente Santi began to study the potential of a clone of the Sangiovese grape, the Sangiovese Grosso, locally called Brunello because of the very dark color of the berries. Later, around 1860, the grandson of Clemente, Ferruccio Biondi-Santi (son of Jacopo Biondi and Caterina Santi) began to produce a red wine that proved itself to have excellent quality. These were the years when the phylloxera began to impose itself as a real bugbear for Italian viticulture: in contrast with the habit of quickly sending on the market all the red wines for a rapid financial response to the investments on the new vineyards, Ferruccio Biondi Santi wanted to diversify with a wine to enjoy in his longevity, chosing a winemaking style with pure Sangiovese. Thus was born the Brunello di Montalcino, whose paternity was acknowledged to Biondi Santi since 1932 by an interministerial committee responsible for a study of the Chianti region. Since then, the prestige of the Biondi Santi brand has gained increasing value, thanks to practices of great significance as the accurate mass selections of Sangiovese and the topping of old reserves. The absolute vocation of the vineyards in the Greppo estate, combined with strict agricultural practices and operations in the cellar aimed at the pure exaltation of Sangiovese are the backdrop for a production of Brunello that is increasingly identified with the essence of Biondi Santi family's work: anywhere in the world, a bottle of Brunello di Montalcino Biondi Santi is a tribute to the family history of those who believed in this wine and delivered it to the Olympus of Italian viticulture and winemaking.