98 Robert Parker
This is a re-release of a wine that first hit the market some seven years ago. The Il Greppo estate did not make a Riserva in the 2011 vintage, and the 2006 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is being reintroduced to the market (with only 2,500 bottles) to fill in this gap. This is a stunning wine that absolutely merits this considerable score increase. Made when dottore Franco Biondi Santi was alive and very present in the winery, this wine shows spectacular elegance and finesse, articulated with fine aromas of forest berry, blue flower, eucalyptus and lightly barbecued smoke. The wine shows extreme Sangiovese elegance and purity, and while the wine is almost fragile in approach, it ultimately reveals more brawn, volume and staying-power than anticipated.<br/>The big news at the celebrated Il Greppo property, the venerable home of the Biondi-Santi brand, is the arrival of General Manager Giampiero Bertolini (ex-Frescobaldi). He replaces outgoing CEO Olivier Adnot, who was put at the helm of the estate when it was purchased by France's luxury goods firm Européenne de Participations Industrielles (EPI), which also owns the Charles and Piper-Heidsieck Champagne houses as well as Château La Verrerie. I wrote about these changes last year, and you can read my article here: https://winejournal.robertparker.com/montalcino-tenuta-biondi-santi-update. Under Bertolini's management, the plan is to invest 30 percent of all profits back into the winery and vineyards. Winemaking at Il Greppo will not change, but there is a push to further improve quality. For now, work is being done to map out specific vineyard parcels. More flexibility (and space) is being created in order to ferment those parcels separately. Fermentation and aging at Il Greppo otherwise remain virtually unchanged. Giampiero Bertolini has a new team in place and works alongside Tancredi Biondi Santi (Franco's grandson). The current releases from Biondi-Santi are the 2015 Rosso di Montalcino (that I had previously reviewed last year) and the 2013 Brunello di Montalcino. The estate also has two older vintages on release as well. These are the beautiful 2006 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva (to compensate for the fact that a Riserva was not produced in the 2011 vintage) and the extraordinary 1995 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva. I had the enormous pleasure to review those older vintages here with a few other cellar treasures for context.<br/>
98 Robert Parker
This is a re-release of a wine that first hit the market some seven years ago. The Il Greppo estate did not make a Riserva in the 2011 vintage, and the 2006 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is being reintroduced to the market (with only 2,500 bottles) to fill in this gap. This is a stunning wine that absolutely merits this considerable score increase. Made when dottore Franco Biondi Santi was alive and very present in the winery, this wine shows spectacular elegance and finesse, articulated with fine aromas of forest berry, blue flower, eucalyptus and lightly barbecued smoke. The wine shows extreme Sangiovese elegance and purity, and while the wine is almost fragile in approach, it ultimately reveals more brawn, volume and staying-power than anticipated.<br/>The big news at the celebrated Il Greppo property, the venerable home of the Biondi-Santi brand, is the arrival of General Manager Giampiero Bertolini (ex-Frescobaldi). He replaces outgoing CEO Olivier Adnot, who was put at the helm of the estate when it was purchased by France's luxury goods firm Européenne de Participations Industrielles (EPI), which also owns the Charles and Piper-Heidsieck Champagne houses as well as Château La Verrerie. I wrote about these changes last year, and you can read my article here: https://winejournal.robertparker.com/montalcino-tenuta-biondi-santi-update. Under Bertolini's management, the plan is to invest 30 percent of all profits back into the winery and vineyards. Winemaking at Il Greppo will not change, but there is a push to further improve quality. For now, work is being done to map out specific vineyard parcels. More flexibility (and space) is being created in order to ferment those parcels separately. Fermentation and aging at Il Greppo otherwise remain virtually unchanged. Giampiero Bertolini has a new team in place and works alongside Tancredi Biondi Santi (Franco's grandson). The current releases from Biondi-Santi are the 2015 Rosso di Montalcino (that I had previously reviewed last year) and the 2013 Brunello di Montalcino. The estate also has two older vintages on release as well. These are the beautiful 2006 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva (to compensate for the fact that a Riserva was not produced in the 2011 vintage) and the extraordinary 1995 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva. I had the enormous pleasure to review those older vintages here with a few other cellar treasures for context.<br/>
95 James Suckling
Some floral and gorgeous notes on the nose, with strawberries and cherries. Full-bodied and very powerful, with chewy tannins and bright, citrusy acidity. Very long, powerful and intense. Needs time to come together with the acidity. Better after 2015.
92 Wine Spectator
Pretty cherry, strawberry, juniper, wild rosemary, iron and sanguine aromas and flavors are welded to a firm structure. This is ripe and complex, with a fine aftertaste. Best from 2021 through 2036. 375 cases imported. — BS
92 Wine Spectator
Pretty cherry, strawberry, juniper, wild rosemary, iron and sanguine aromas and flavors are welded to a firm structure. This is ripe and complex, with a fine aftertaste. Best from 2021 through 2036. 375 cases imported. — BS
