Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2004 – Biondi Santi

It is a rare phenomenon that a wine can trace its origins to a single man. Brunello di Montalcino, however, owes its existence to the creative genius of Clemente Santi and his nephew Ferruccio Biondi Santi who in the eighteen hundreds started producing barrel-aged single-varietal wines in Montalcino, betting on the extraordinary quality potential of Sangiovese grosso.
Since 1888, the first vintage of Brunello in history, Biondi-Santi has continued to produce wines renowned for their elegance and extraordinary longevity.
No compromise. Only a painstaking, yet simple attention to detail and an artisanal sense of excellence accompanies the production of the Brunello Biondi-Santi, that is produced exclusively with estate grown grapes, hand selected from our high-altitude vineyards. It is fermented in cement vats with the use of indigenous yeasts only and aged in traditional large Slavonian oak casks.

Brunello Riserva 2004

The spring was cold and wet. June, July and August were warm and dry with considerable excursions in temperature and rainfalls at regular intervals. September was dry. The harvest started on September 20th and was cold and dry.
The 2004 Riserva was produced with our proprietary clone of Sangiovese Grosso called BBS11 (Brunello Biondi Santi 11), which was identified and selected by Biondi-Santi at Tenuta Greppo in the Seventies. For this Riserva we exclusively used grapes from the oldest vines with over 25 years of age.
It was aged in Slavonian oak barrels for 3 years. It benefited from a long refinement in the bottle in the quiet and darkness of “La Storica”, the bottle library at Tenuta Greppo where all the historic vintages of Biondi-Santi Riserva are scrupulously kept. The 2004 Riserva is a delicate exercise of grace, with structure, fruit and acidity dancing harmoniously on a thin line, suspended in time.
It is intensely flavoured with sour cherries and violets on the forefront, followed by hints of oriental spices, tar, liquorice and, in the end, flint.
On the palate it is precise and expressive, showing class and energy in a tasting experience which goes on and on, ending on a deliciously savoury note.