Brunello di Montalcino 2017

The wine in this vintage

Spring frosts, a scorching summer and prolonged drought made 2017 a challenging vintage in Montalcino, with reduced yields and the risk of overripe wines. The altitude of the Greppo vineyards and careful management allowed Biondi-Santi to craft a surprisingly fresh 2017 Brunello di Montalcino: cherry and sour cherry, notes of tobacco, dried herbs and spice, and a balanced palate with ripe tannins and an acid vein that keeps it lively. Wine Advocate awarded it 97 points. Warmer and more immediate than the classic vintages, it is already enjoyable but has the structure to keep evolving comfortably for several years.

The producer · Biondi Santi

To speak of Biondi-Santi is to speak of the very origins of Brunello di Montalcino. In the second half of the nineteenth century Clemente Santi recognised the potential of Montalcino Sangiovese, and his grandson Ferruccio Biondi Santi selected a clone of Sangiovese Grosso, BBS11, vinifying it on its own to make a wine meant for long ageing: he is credited with creating Brunello as we know it. Tancredi and later Franco Biondi Santi upheld a strictly classical style throughout the twentieth century, built on vibrant acidity, fine tannins and large Slavonian oak casks. The heart of the estate is Tenuta Greppo, south-east of Montalcino, with vineyards on galestro and alberese soils at relatively high elevations. Since 2017 the property has belonged to the French group EPI, which has invested in vineyards and cellar while keeping the house's identity intact. The Brunello, and above all the Riserva made only in the finest years, are among Italy's longest-lived wines, capable of spanning a century.

Critics' scores

• 97 Robert Parker
• 93 Antonio Galloni
• 17/20 Jancis Robinson

Technical details

Producer

Biondi Santi

Region

Toscana

Country

Italia

Type

Rosso

Vintage

2017

When to drink

Hold, still evolving

Critics' average

95/100

Sizes

75 cl, Magnum 150 cl, Case of 6 × 75 cl

eWibe code

0080217