2008 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva

I have to say, it is still strange to visit Il Greppo and not see Franco Biondi Santi. I expect to see him come around the corner any minute, his beaming face lighting up the room, but alas, that is not to be, as the great patriarch of Montalcino passed away in 2013. Today, Biondi Santi is managed by Jacopo Biondi Santi, Franco's son. These wines, though, were made by Franco Biondi Santi, and its a thrill to see them in bottle after having followed them in cask for years. In particular, the 2010 Brunello is fabulous. I can hardly wait to taste the Riserva next year. It will be interesting to see how the estate develops under Jacopo Biondi Santi's leadership. Il Greppo was the first estate to announce that they would produce no Brunello at all in the challenging 2014 vintage, which surely comes at a significant cost. On the other hand, I find the now obvious linkage between Il Greppo and Castello di Montepò, the family's Scansano estate, dubious. That association does not elevate Montepò, where the wines have always varied at best, but rather it lessens Il Greppo. Meaningfully. And Il Greppo is THE symbol of Montalcino. I still remember driving by the estate for the first time, which, sad to say was a good 20+ years ago, and imagining what lay behind that impressive row of cypresses. It would be such a shame to see that history and legacy tarnished in any way.

This was my first visit to Biondi Santi following the passing of Franco Biondi Santi last year. Over the years, I enjoyed many tastings here, often going from cask to cask to look at every wine in the cellar. Biondi Santi's son Jacopo, is now running the estate. In 2013, his first vintage, Jacopo Biondi Santi has already made some small but potentially significant changes to winemaking, including encouraging malos that take place right after the alcoholic fermentations, while Franco Biondi Santi preferred to let the wines undergo malo in the spring following the harvest. It is pretty clear Jacopo prefers an overall more controlled environment, so it is going to be interesting to see how things develop over the coming years and decades. A tasting of the 2012s and 2013s from cask revealed two very different approaches, and I stress different rather than making a qualitative judgment on the merit of either. Only time can do that.