Vinopolis Newsletter – Wednesday 09/27/2023

A brief story: in 1870, a Tuscan farmer named Ferruccio Biondi-Santi discovered a particularly dark, thick-skinned variety of Sangiovese among his vines (dubbed Brunello or “brown one”) which produced very tannic and complex wines. He began aging these Brunello wines in wood, unusual for Tuscan wines at the time, and setting them aside after bottling. 150 years later, Brunello di Montalcino is one of the most heralded regions in the world with over 200 producers and the Biondi-Santi winery is still uncorking his personal reservas from the late 1800’s. The lucky few who have tasted Ferrucio’s bottlings report that they are still evolving all this time later.
 
All of this just to say that if you love fine wine, this is the gold standard for quality and longevity. Your patience and investment will be rewarded by Biondi-Santi.
 
Biondi-Santi makes a small portfolio of several wines that we represent in-depth at Vinopolis. Whether you’re seeking to bask in a classic Montalcino Rosso over dinner, or drink to history with the Brunello and Brunello Riserva while watching the fading sun, you can’t go wrong. And at these prices you can’t afford to miss out!
 

SALE ENDS SUNDAY @ 6PM

Don’t let this one slip by!

 
Biondi Santi Tenuta Greppo Rosso di Montalcino, Tuscany 2018 750ml
WAS $99, ON SALE UNTIL SUNDAY FOR $89 special, 27 bottles available
Wine Advocate 94 points “Elegant, graceful and fine, the Biondi-Santi 2018 Rosso di Montalcino offers a delicate approach to the senses and it spreads over the palate with polished and silky intensity. The acidity is elevated in this vintage. A handful of historic producers in Montalcino are bringing the Rosso category up to the next level, and the venerable house of Biondi-Santi is one of them. This was a somewhat unusual vintage with prolonged cool spells alternating with moments of intense heat. However, this wine shows even ripening and is quite vibrant and tangy in terms of its acidity. In spectacular Sangiovese style, the wine ends with lingering tones of wild cherry, sweet earth, potting soil and perfumed violet.”

Biondi Santi Tenuta Greppo Rosso di Montalcino, Tuscany 2019 750ml
WAS $109, ON SALE UNTIL SUNDAY FOR $99 special, 9 bottles available
Wine Advocate 95 points “This flight of three Biondi-Santi wines starts off on the right foot thanks to the pristine bouquet and lively fruit of the 2019 Rosso di Montalcino. This is the entry-level wine (although the price point certainly suggests otherwise). It shows very detailed and chiseled aromas of wild cherry, cassis, dried violet, rust and orange skin. The wine carries a strong structural frame; however, the mouthfeel is ethereal and light notwithstanding.”
James Suckling 94 points “Aromas of sliced citrus, cherry and flowers follow through to a medium body, with creamy tannins and crunchy fruit at the finish. Lovely combination of fruit and acidity. Very drinkable now but will age nicely. (10/5/22)”

Biondi Santi Tenuta Greppo Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany 2007 750ml
WAS $249, ON SALE UNTIL SUNDAY FOR $212 special, 1 bottles available
James Suckling 95 points “The nose is full of flowers and berries with dark cherries and ripe strawberries. Hints of flowers too. It’s full-bodied, with wonderful structure with bright acidity. Super clean and beautiful. Very pure and firm. Needs to age for a long time. Classic wine. Try in 2015.”
Wine Advocate 94 points “The 2007 Brunello di Montalcino is gorgeous. The estate’s preference for picking on the early side is one of the factors that help balance some of the fleshiness of the vintage. This is an especially silky, supple Brunello from Biondi-Santi. The overt personality of the year comes through, but not at the expense of the house’s style. Floral notes reappear to frame the elegant, expressive finish. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2037.”

Biondi Santi Tenuta Greppo Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany 2016 750ml
WAS $235, ON SALE UNTIL SUNDAY FOR $212 special, 6 bottles available
#23 Top 100 Cellar Selections 2022 – Wine Enthusiast
Wine Enthusiast 98 points “Cellar Selection. Aromas of rose petal, dark spice, woodland berries and camphor form the nose on this fragrant, elegant wine. Loaded with finesse, the linear, savory palate features red cherry, orange zest, star anise and black tea alongside tightly wound, fine-grained tannins. Bright acidity keeps it impeccably balanced. It’s still youthfully austere, with fantastic aging potential. Drink 2026–2041. -Kerin O’Keefe”
Wine Advocate 97+ points “From a benchmark vintage, the Biondi-Santi 2016 Brunello di Montalcino reveals a gorgeous appearance with medium concentration highlighted by shiny hues of garnet and dark ruby. The first thing you notice is the compact dark fruit and rather robust textural fiber and power presented here. You almost bite into this wine, and you taste some fine grain linked to the young tannins. That, with the fresh acidity that is the hallmark signature of this estate, guarantees long cellar aging, and I would put my money on this vintage for long-long-term longevity. It surely needs more time to come together with pinpoint precision, but the wine’s elegance is a certainty.”

Biondi Santi Tenuta Greppo Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany 2017 750ml
WAS $249, ON SALE UNTIL SUNDAY FOR $212 special, 12 bottles available
Wine Advocate 96 points “A delicately sweet note of fresh summer cherry is a precursor to budding complexity and a very articulate bouquet that opens quickly in the glass. Immediately pleasing fruit is a characteristic of the 2017 growing season that had above average temperatures and drought throughout the summer. The resistant 2017 Brunello di Montalcino takes on these challenges without missing a beat. The wine’s celebrated acidity and its small berry nuances remain intact. The tannins are silky and the wine’s flavors fade slowly even after you have taken your last sip.”
James Suckling 96 points “Sweet berry orange peel cedar bark and forest flower aromas follow through to a medium to full body with linear and fine tannins and a crunchy undertone. It?s very subtle and fresh for a 2017. Crisp and vivid. It’s refined and acid-driven. Needs three to four years more to soften. Try after 2026.”

Biondi Santi Tenuta Greppo Riserva, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2008 750ml
WAS $699, ON SALE UNTIL SUNDAY FOR $649 special, 1 bottles available
Wine Advocate 94 points “The delightful 2008 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is expressive and feminine with crushed chamomile, forest fruit, bramble, tar and licorice. It renders a stirring, melodic performance that plays out slowly but with determination. Drink: 2017-2030.

Biondi Santi Tenuta Greppo Riserva, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2011 750ml
WAS $459, ON SALE UNTIL SUNDAY FOR $419 special, 13 bottles available
Wine Enthusiast 96 points “Beautifully balanced, this opens with alluring scents of wild berry, rose, baking spice and whiffs of chopped herb. Seamlessly combining ripe fruit and the firm’s trademark finesse, the bright elegantly structured palate delivers juicy wild cherry, crushed raspberry, white pepper and a hint of black tea framed in polished tannins and fresh acidity. It’s already tempting but the best is yet to come. Drink 2021–2031.”

Biondi Santi Tenuta Greppo Riserva, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2012 750ml
WAS $649, ON SALE UNTIL SUNDAY FOR $599 special, 1 bottles available
Wine Advocate 97 points “You will notice the dedication printed below the label of the wine label. It reads: “Dedicato a Franco Biondi Santi.” Indeed, the Biondi-Santi 2012 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is the last vintage made by the towering father figure of Brunello whom most everyone referred to as the “gentleman of Montalcino.” Il Dottore, as he was also respectfully addressed, died at age 91 in April 2013, and he was very active in the winery as this magnificent wine took shape. This Riserva is a true work of beauty. It is released one year later than usual. The wine reflects the natural heft and power of the 2012 vintage, and it also shows that distinctive open-knit and accessible personality that characterizes this warm and sunny growing season.”

Biondi Santi Tenuta Greppo Riserva, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2013 750ml
WAS $649, ON SALE UNTIL SUNDAY FOR $599 special, 1 bottles available
Wine Advocate 98 points “The Biondi-Santi 2013 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is a stunning wine from all points of view. Seamless integration and elegant complexity are what stand out, and it’s worth dedicating a few extra lines to the aromatic depth that is put so beautifully on display as the wine slowly unfolds. The bouquet starts off with wild cherry, earth, wet ash, crème de cassis and pruny chocolate. With extra time, there are hints of dried tobacco leaf, sandalwood and mossy forest floor. These lead to a fine tail of dried herb, bay leaf and a touch of rusty nail. Fresh acidity is the glue that gives the wine buoyancy and staying power. At this young stage, this 2013 vintage could be considered a bit shy or slow to start, but this will play out to great advantage in the long term as the wine continues its bottle evolution.”

Biondi Santi Tenuta Greppo Riserva, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2016 750ml
WAS $749, ON SALE UNTIL SUNDAY FOR $699 special, 6 bottles available
Wine Advocate 99 points “Wow, here is a vintage I’ve been anxiously waiting to try. The 2016 growing season was one of the best in recent memory in Montalcino, and if we look back in time, this vintage marks the year Biondi-Santi was sold to a French group. The prestigious 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva proves a mighty collector’s bottle that will undoubtedly gain in complexity and depth with careful bottle age. The wine offers wild nuances of forest berry and tart cherry, and there are herbal side notes as well as floral tones of dried violet and lilac. The tannins are soft, powdery and feel like they melt away on the palate.”

Biondi Santi Tenuta Greppo Riserva, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 1983 750ml
WAS $1199, ON SALE UNTIL SUNDAY FOR $1099 special, 1 bottles available
***Winery Cellared Release***
Wine Advocate 96 points “[Reviewed July 2021] This precious bottle is part of Biondi-Santi’s late-release program for collectors (I tasted bottle number 10,723). The 1983 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is showing beautifully on its aging timeline, although this bottle is slightly more evolved since I last tasted this vintage in 2019 before the pandemic. With slow and measured determination, the bouquet embraces dried fig, cured bresaola, burnt caramel, wet campfire, dried oregano and a familiar aroma that reminds me of the Florence leather market. However, there is a lot of life and vertical lift in this Riserva, thanks in great part to the beautiful freshness that keeps the tannins alive and adds a pop of pretty acidity to the close. The wine shows its age with pride and grace, and the final results are quite spectacular. In fact, I’m opening the drinking window up by an additional five years thanks to the latitude and depth shown here.”

 
It’s that time again… time to stock up on some special bottles to share with your closest friends and family… And what is the staff of Vinopolis recommending this year?
 
Paolo Scavino Barolo Bric Del Fiasc 2017 750ml $79 special, 21 bottles available
“As we move into fall weather, comfort food comes to mind. This 2017 Barolo is really starting to come around and will pair perfectly with braised meats, mushrooms, and other seasonal fare.”

 
Paillard Parcelles Bouzy Grand Cru Extra Brut $47.50 special, 28 bottles available
“With the holidays approaching, this makes for the perfect wine. Creamy with hints of brioche, honey, and nectarine. Perfect for your Thanksgiving dinner or enjoyed on its own.”

 
Renardat Fache Cerdon Du Bugey 2020 750ml $24 special, 17 bottles available
“This wine is an autumnal family ritual… one of the rare wines out there that’s both geeky and approachable, as well as a fantastic seasonal pairing wine. This Ancestral Method stunner tastes like tart raspberries and sweet strawberries, with a little toast on the finish. Find me another wine that goes this well with cranberries, turkey, and sweet potatoes… you can’t!”

 
These bio-dynamic, primarily Pinot Meunier wines are becoming a cult favorite among Champagne enthusiasts the world over for good reason. As Christophe says, “Our primary quest is the balance between heaven and earth, roots and branches, minerals and fruit, fragrance and flavor.” Lofty ambitions, for sure, but these wines are some of the best Grower Champagnes coming out of the Marne.
 
Christophe Mignon ADN de Meunier Brut Nature NV $55 special, 12 bottles available
Vinous 92 Points “[Review for previous release] The NV Brut Nature Blanc de Noirs ADN de Meunier is powerful and deep from the very first impression. There’s real texture and resonance in the glass. The no dosage style yields a stark, minimalist Champagne, but all the elements are so well-balanced. Dried pear, spice, chamomile and ginger linger. This is such an elegant and precise Champagne. This release is a blend of equal parts 2017 and 2016. No dosage.”
 
Christophe Mignon Millesime Brut Nature 2016 750ml $99 special, 3 bottles available
Winery Note “100% Pinot Meunier. A beautiful shimmering hue, with elegant highlights, delicate and persistent ring of bubbles. Refined nose with iodine notes. Creamy, distinguished and concentrated mouth. Subtle bitterness nice gritty and mineral tension.”
 
Christophe Mignon de Foudre 3 Cepages Brut Nature (2015) 750ml $89 special, 12 bottles available
Winery Note “A proportional blend of Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay. Very clean and delicate nose, with subtle woody notes. Unctuous and round mouth, with toasted almond flavors.”
 
Mignon ADN de Foudre Pinot Noir Brut (2016) 750ml $89 special, 3 bottles available
Winemaker Note “A beautiful shimmering hue, with elegant highlights, delicate and persistent ring of bubbles. Very clean and delicate nose, with subtle woody notes. Powerful mouth with high precision, very fresh with toasted almond flavors.”

 
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