Tasting with Tancredi Biondi Santi

I visited Biondi Santi in Brunello di Montalcino a few years back and met the legendary Franco Biondi Santi. On this occasion it was his grandson Tancredi Biondi Santi who visited Norway. Biondi Santi is an estate with friends and foes, not everybody can see the greatness.  I have to admit that it took me a while as well. It's probably the most classic and old fashioned in wine production of every legendary wine producer out there. The wines have a special structure, a structure that anticipates a full body, which is never there. The fruit is, like many classical both Sangiovese Piedmontese wines, quite narrow. High acidity and often high ripe tannins gives the wine a structure, but the purity of flavours and fruit manages to  hold the structure together, and it turns out very elegantly. The intensity of flavours on the other hand is rarely narrow, if you have the time to cencentrate over a glass, it can be a marvel. It doen't run in your face, it doesn't scream for recognition on a popularity contest, it is what it is. Either you love it, or you don't. It's more like an artist, going in its own direction. This is wine how they used to make it, and they age extremelly well. But on older bottles, there can be huge bottle variations, bigger than from most wineries. But when you get a perfect bottle after 30-40 years in the cellar, especially the Riserva, not much can beat it.

We started out with two wines from Tancredi's father, Jacopo Biondi Santi's estate, Montepó.

2008 Sassoalloro IGT Toscana:
BU9960301 (299,90) Deep ruby, fruit-driven, some floral notes, licorice and cherries. Fresh acidity, soft tannins, elegant body, could be a bit longer. 87

2003 Schidione IGT Toscana:
Deep ruby, purple rim. Rich nose of chocolate, plums, cherries and cassis. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, perfumed but everything is still in a ball. Could be longer. 88

2008 Biondi Santi Rosso de Montalcino:

BU99603 (375,-) Bright garnet. To my surprise, this still feels a bit raw and almost unrefined. Needs time still. High acidity, high of ripe tannins, superb purity and long. Give it another two or three years. 87

2007 Biondi Santi Brunello di Montalcino Annata:

BU9960401 (990,-) Bright garnet. Cherry stones, licorice, perfumed and fairly intense nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, lively feel to it, intense aromas, leaner body, refreshing and long. A bit fruitier than normal for Biondi Santi. 90

2006 Biondi Santi Brunello di Montalcino Annata:

Bright Biondi red, an intense, superbly bright garnet that I've actually nailed the producer on when wines was served blind. Red berries and perfumed nose, some anise waiting behind. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, elegant body, needs time, a rich vintage for Annata. 91

2004 Biondi Santi Brunello di Montalcino Annata:

Bright Biondi red. Perfumed, cherries, anise, leather and fine floral and violet tones. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, elegant and fruit-driven. Still feels classical. Long. 91

2006 Biondi Santi Brunello di Montalcino Riserva:

(Spesialbestilling, Plusvini er importør). Bright ruby, extremelly closed when it hit the glass, then slightly perfumed, leather and cherries, opening up, getting intense on the nose. Fresh acidity, high of ripe tannins, strawberries, very pure palate, stunning texture, very long. 94

Franco Biondi Santi from my visit in 2009