Biondi-Santi a legend that made History

Brunello & Biondi Santi, very few viticoltural realities link so deeply a family to a region.

We can easily state that is almost impossible to talk about Brunello di Montalcino without mentioning the Biondi-Santi family

From Historical sources we know that even before Biondi-Santi, this slice of Tuscany was well known for high quality red wines. As a proof of this deep link, archeologists found fossils of vines located on the north side of Montalcino. These archeological findings dated back 200 years BC. All we know is that around that period the Etruscans (population before Romans) had already established in the south of Tuscany and started to experiment with the winemaking process. Probably wine was the only drug available back then :). Back then vines were grown into bushes and winemaking processes were held in clay amphoras.

200 years later the romans spread vineyards all over Europe (including France). They needed wine as a source of calories and entertainment for the entire army. Montalcino as we mentioned in the previous article was an important stop of the Via Francigena. Pilgrimage road leading from Rome to London, that’s where all the popes emperor and other VIP where stopping by. For this reasons locals have always developed passion for hospitality, offering the best local food paired with incredible wines.

During the siege of 1553, there was never a shortage of wine and Blaise de Montluc, in defense of the Montalcino walls, to conceal suffering “would redden his face with red wine”.

Talking about Brunello the first person giving to this fact a name a memory an heritage was a Pharmacist, Clemente Santi.

Clemente dedicated his life to winemaking almost abandoning the pharmacy business. As anybody in Tuscany he started experimenting with red wine, blending sangiovese with other territorial red grapes. In 1860 he realized that Montalcino had all the cards in place in order to make an outstanding 100% Sangiovese wine. To confirm his theory vin 1967 he received an award at the Universal Exhibition of Paris in 1867. That’s when Montalcino and its wine started gaining international attraction.

Franco Biondi Santi checking old vintages

His grandson Ferruccio Biondi-Santi continued the experiments in his grandfather’s vineyard and cellar.

Ferruccio, following the line for great wine, could only improve what his grandfather had built. At this stage the focus was to decide the right Sangiovese clones what would become Sangiovese Grosso. Around 1870 after a careful selection the Brunello di Montalcino was born. Still today many winemakers are still dealing with the same original clone, still detaining the original peculiarities. Elegance, long aging capabilities and power.

Tancredi kept the Greppo and continued the work of enriching the winery. He also gave an impulse to the territory founding Biondi-Santi Brunello & C. Cantina Sociale in the end of 1920s.

The years between the end of the sixties and the seventies marked the rise to the successes for Greppo Biondi-Santi. Under the Leadership of Franco Biondi-Santi, unforgettable gentleman and wine-waker and point of reference for all the producers not just in Montalcino but in Italy and Europe!

In 1969 Giuseppe Saragat, then President of the Italian Republic, decided to serve a 1955 Brunello at the state dinner in honor of the Queen of England Elisabetta.

After this Brunello starts officially his run to the stars of red wines of the world!