How about Biondi Santi?

[Christer Byklum]

One of my favorite producers in Italy, it took me a long time to understand the wine, or to know how to appreciate it fully. Any others with some experience with older bottles? I had the two 75 Riserva's belove within a short time span, from the same cellar.

1975 Biondi-Santi, Brunello di Montalcino Riserva;
B level fill, bright garnet, brick rim. Violets, fresh anise, leather, cherries, strawberries. Perfect balance, lively acidity, ripe and high tannins, extremelly complex, chocolate, truffles, so intense, gorgeous, perfection, and this very curious touch like a riesling BA's tropical touch, and minutes of aftertaste, closer to ten minutes actually. The nuances in this wine is beyond description, their so subtle, so discreet and comes in many waves of new flavours, almost youthfull, kan keep 40 more years. 99

Then a month or two later:
1975 Biondi Santi Brunello di Montalcino Riserva;
B level fill, ruby, thin orange rim, touch of cherries, leather, redcurrants, needs air to open, plums, very ripe. Pure, fresh and high acidity, ripe and high tannins, very elegant, fruity, but I've had a better bottles. 92

[Keith Prothero]

Had the 55 last year which was great,but the 5 bottles of the 57 have all unfortunately been well past it. In great vintages the wine will last 60 years or more.

[Christer Byklum]

I've had a few from the sixties, but no bottle in top shape, and would love to try the 55 some day.

[Keith Prothero]

Well maybe Jeff can organise an offline for regular posters,and I can bring a bottle!

[Loren Sonkin]

I have a sole bottle of the 98 (not the Riserva). When would you suggest opening it? Never had any from this winery.

[Keith Prothero]

you could open this fairly soon Loren as it is drinking at or near its peak

[Christer Byklum]

I find it a little young still, I would wait for five to ten years actually. A Riserva I would wait another 20 years, that is superb in 98. I opened a 97 Annata, as the normal Brunello is called, and that is the only 97 Brunello I've tried that is still way to young! 98 is even fresher, so I would wait. I had a fantastic 79 Annata, that could still be laid down....

[Rani Osnat]

It also took me a long time to "get" Biondi Santi. Even though I'd had some older vintages (80s and 70s), they always felt very tannic, acidic and not ready to drink... so a few years back I had the opportunity to go to a massive vertical tasting in London organized by Linded Wilkie. Nicholas Belfrage was presiding over the tasting, which included wines going back to the 40s, and featuring the 55 which Nicholas himself brought from the locked vault in the Biondi Santi cellars.
Having gone through the 14 or so wines at that tasting, including a pristine ex-cellars bottle of the legendary 55, I came to the conclusion that it's not that I don't get Biondi Santi, I simply don't like them...!

Upside: One less wine I need to buy. There are enough out there that I drool over and drain my bank account for :p

[Tatiana Gagen-Delcros]

I think the Biondi Santi not everyone's cup of tea, however this one has a story to tell. A famous family, old roots and this man Franco behind the lable who became a rare legend himself. Still amazingly handsome in his 80's. (It's almost unreal!) I take 2 photos of him 4 years ago.


1516

I was impressed to find a bench in the Saint Antimo church, only 12 km from Il Greppo with his father Tancredo name... I have a bottle of this wine of 1983. People say it is outstanding, I shall try in May on my Birthday and share my experience here.

[Christer Byklum]

Well maybe Jeff can organise an offline for regular posters,and I can bring a bottle!

I hope it will be in London or Europe then:)

[david shaw]

Was in NY last month for 2 Italian tasting events including alot of BRUNELLO ..Biondi was at Gala Italia and its second wines showed better at the start of the tasting. When the food hit the tables on the far side, there was a mad rush to wolf down NY chefs creations. This left me pretty much alone surrounded by dozens of producers and able to taste Biondi and hear myself think, after the catwalk display and lambretta ''aUCTION''. Biondi 06 so raw when tasted late afternoon started to come together in the peace and quiet of the food aftermath. At the Italian tasting the day before ( Hilton) Chiantis really outshone the rest including Montalcino etc..Castello di Ama 90 was the hit for me..it made the Biondi-Santi 80 look like a old hors..This said, I feel Brunello is starting to repair a little of its image crisis of the 90s with better fruit, less extraction and more accessiblity.