In May, my friend Andrea Bini called me to invite me and some of his friends to visit Tenuta il Greppo Biondi Santi in Montalcino. Naturally, I accepted his kind invitation because I particularly love this winery’s wines.
I was at this winery the previous year and tasted the Rosso di Montalcino 2020 (93–/100), the Rosso di Montalcino 2019 (92/100), the Brunello di Montalcino 2018 (96/100), the Brunello di Montalcino 2017 (95/100), the Brunello di Montalcino riserva 2016 (97/100), the Brunello di Montalcino riserva 2015 (98/100), the Brunello di Montalcino riserva 2010 (97/100) and the magnificent Brunello di Montalcino riserva 1988 to which I awarded 100/100 without hesitation. During the invitation phone call, Andrea asked me if I knew the company’s CEO, Giampiero Bertolini, and I answered this question with a smile because I have known Giampiero for many years, since he worked for the Frescobaldi company.
I’ve always considered Giampiero a serious, honest, and competent person. On the day of the visit, we were: Andrea Bini, Andrea Poli, Fabrizio Picchi, Massimo Sabatini, Annalisa Di Stefano, Marco Lomoro, and myself. We went to the winery and were greeted by Giampiero and his secretary, who didn’t know I’d be there that day. We were told the history of the winery and the birth of Brunello di Montalcino by Tancredi Biondi Santi, Franco’s father and Jacopo’s grandfather.
Since 2017, the property has been owned by the French group EPI, which also owns the Tuscan winery Isole e Olena and the Charles Heidsieck champagne.
Since he became CEO of Tenuta il Greppo, Giampiero has always told me that the property wants to maintain the same characteristics and quality of the wines of the past.
The current winemaker at both Tenuta il Greppo and the Isole e Olena winery is the excellent Alberto Antonini.
After Giampiero explained the company’s history, we were told about the historic vertical tasting held several years ago, organized by Franco Biondi Santi. During the tasting, several reserve bottles were served, the oldest from 1888 and the youngest from 1988. Franco wanted to celebrate the company’s 100th anniversary with this tasting. The lucky tasters were international journalists.
Afterwards we went to see some of the company’s vineyards and then the winery.
The wines continue to follow the same path before bottling.
The wood is gradually changed, proof of this is that the 2018 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva has notes of “after eight” (bitter chocolate and intense mint) on the nose, a typical aroma of new wood.
Among the wines tasted was the 2010 Riserva, an excellent wine from a vintage that, in my opinion, was over-hyped and falsely praised in Montalcino. Of the many 2010 Brunello di Montalcinos I’ve tasted, I’ve found a lack of balance between alcohol and freshness, with the former overriding the latter. Few wineries have produced a 2010 worthy of note.
The tasting was very pleasant and Giampiero was, as always, very kind and helpful.
Afterwards, we had lunch at the Fortezza di Montalcino wine shop, da Fabio Tassi, a producer of exceptionally pleasant wines. Afterwards, we said our goodbyes and headed back to Florence.
I’ll move on to describing the wines I tasted, but first I need to make the following clarifications.
Regarding the width of the tannin, it’s important to clarify the following points so it can be understood. I taste the tannin in the wine on the upper gum. The total width of the tannin is 6/6, that is, the entire width of the upper gum. Obviously, if the tannin is less wide, it could be, for example, 5/6, and so on. The width of the tannin is important when its quality is good or high. The wider the tannin, the more worthy of attention the wine is, but the tannin, as I specified, must, in any case, be of good quality.
Let’s now move on to describing the wines we tasted.
IL GREPPO ESTATE – BIONDI SANTI
Rosso di Montalcino D.O.C., 2022 vintage
Transparent ruby red coat.
The olfactory scenario highlights aromas of crisp red cherry, mint, eucalyptus, violet, sacristy furniture impregnated with pleasant incense, light woody notes of episperm (sweet from the skin of boiled chestnuts), light notes of blond leather, lavender soap (it reminds me of “Atkinson” soap) and ends with whiffs of peeled tomatoes.
On the palate, it reveals a medium-bodied, delicate palate with a cherry flavor already present on the nose. The alcohol-freshness balance is perfectly balanced.
The tannins are sweet, quite broad (5/6) and silky. Its taste persistence is long.
A pleasant wine that is drunk with great desire.
(92+/100)
IL GREPPO ESTATE – BIONDI SANTI
Brunello di Montalcino D.O.C.G., 2019 vintage
Transparent garnet red dress.
Rich and varied nose with aromas of rosemary, sage, bay leaves, cherry, boiled chestnut with dried wild fennel, ripe banana peel, cherry in alcohol and peeled tomatoes.
On the palate it has a medium body and is perfectly balanced with the freshness that completely envelops the alcoholic mass.
The tannins are sweet, broad (6/6–), initially silky and then, in the finish, slightly burning the upper gum.
Its intense aromatic persistence is long.
(96/100)
IL GREPPO ESTATE – BIONDI SANTI
Brunello di Montalcino D.O.C.G.
Reserve, 2018 vintage
Ruby red with a garnet rim shines through the glass.
The olfactory casket opens with aromas reminiscent of “after eight” chocolate (bitter chocolate and intense mint), broken cyclamen stem (for the acidity), light notes of boiled milk cream, cherry, eucalyptus, rosemary, sage, laurel, light notes of rubber, finishing with pleasant wafts of juniper berry.
On the palate, it has a medium body and a slight flavor of new wood. Alcohol and freshness are in perfect harmony. The tannins are sweet, quite broad (5/6), initially velvety and then drying out the upper gum a bit (the tannins of the new wood).
Its palate is long and persistent with a woody finish. The wine will need to absorb the new oak, which is not present in the 2018 red. My assessment is as follows:
(96/100)
IL GREPPO ESTATE – BIONDI SANTI
Brunello di Montalcino D.O.C.G.
Reserve, 2010 vintage
It has a fairly intense garnet red colour.
Rich and varied olfactory profile with aromas of black pepper, nutmeg, light hints of tannery leather, rhubarb root, small grains of licorice, cherry, plum, mint, eucalyptus, boiled rice starch, finishing with very light wafts of stables.
Pleasant mouthfeel with a freshness that is generous and that does not make you feel, even minimally, the alcoholic mass.
The body is medium plus and the wine is savory and mineral. The tannins are sweet, broad (6/6), thick, initially silky and then drying out the upper gums a bit.
Its intense aromatic persistence is long.
(97/100)
