Up the rustic gravel lane, through the doors of a sleepy Mediterranean manor covered with ivy, in the cool cellar lies the huge Slavonian oak casks that Biondi Santi have been using to age its legendary reds since 1888. These casks have witnessed two world wars and the arrival of the internet. Yet the wine that goes through these casks remains as fresh, powerful and composed as ever – the pinnacle of a classic Brunello di Montalcino. Biondi-Santi is one of the most iconic names in Italian winemaking, particularly known for its pioneering role in the creation and development of Brunello di Montalcino. The winery’s history dates back to when Clemente Santi, an agronomist and winemaker, first produced a wine from the Sangiovese Grosso grape (locally known as Brunello), which would become the hallmark of the region. His wine, crafted in the small town of Montalcino in Tuscany, was distinct for its elegance, complexity, and ageability, setting the stage for what would later become one of Italy's most celebrated wines. Biondi Santi created Montalcino - not once, not twice, but three times.
In 1896, Clemente Santi, the founder of the winery, won two silver medals with his Sangiovese in an agricultural fair at Montepulciano. This was the first official documentation that the hillside town of Montalcino could produce formidable red wine. Clemente’s daughter married a doctor named Jacopo Biondi, joining the names of two families. This union gave birth to the name we all know today and a lasting aspiration for making great wines through scientific endeavours. Ferrucio Biondi Santi, the third generation and the second doctor in the family, carried on making potent red wines using the local Sangiovese grape in the style that his grandfather created. Over the next few decades, Ferrucio continued making top notch wines from Montalcino and started to gather a following within Italy. In 1932, the Italian Ministry of Agriculture officially credited the Brunello di Montalcino region as “a recent creation of Dr Ferrucio Biondi Santi from Montalcino”.
It took another thirty years and two generations for Biondi Santi to put Montalcino on the map for international wine lovers. In 1969, Italy’s president Giuseppe Saragat served Biondi Santi Brunello Riserva 1955 to Queen Elizabeth II at the Italian Embassy in London. The queen liked it. And the rest is history. Biondi Santi’s international fame sparked a planting frenzy in Montalcino. By 1971, the total area under Sangiovese increased over 200% compared to what it was two years prior. Having a grandfather who invented the Brunello and a father who introduced it to the market seriously makes a man feel obliged. Tancredi's son Franco Biondi Santi became gatekeeper of Biondi-Santi in 1970, and his mission was to keep the traditions, create wines for the future and fight for the authenticity and integrity of Brunello di Montalcino. Under Franco's leadership of Biondi-Santi, there were several events that further sharpened the focus on the house. In 1988, for example, he served a bottle of 1888 Brunello Biondi-Santi Riserva to Italian President Francesco Cossiga, which naturally attracted attention. Furthermore, in 1994, Franco organised a much-publicised press tasting of Brunello Riserva from 1888 to 1988 to mark Brunello's 100th anniversary and this showcased how well the wines age. At The World of Wine, we hold Biondi-Santi close to our hearts, making it one of our favorite Italian wines. Our collection proudly includes a range of his exceptional creations, including the 2012 Riserva—the final vintage crafted under Franco's expert hand.