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Viinin Kuvailu
The Story
Biondi-Santi also thinks that Brunello is one of the world’s longest-lasting wines:
“Even though Italian wine legislation requires that Brunello be matured in barrels for two years and in bottles for four to six months, we allow our wine to age for five to six years before bottling. We traditionally use Slovenian barrels, which further enhance the longevity of the wine. Then we cellar the Brunello in bottles for at least another two years before bringing them to market. Indeed, I doubt very much that, even after all this, the Riserva would be at all drinkable for at least another ten years, because it thrives on its magnificent reputation for longevity. A majority of our wines are sold in Italy, as they become extremely expensive once exported. In the price competition with top French wines, they invariably come in second place."
Biondi-Santi’s annual production volume is approximately 80,000 bottles, which are produced exclusively from the estate’s vineyards: 60,000 bottles of Brunello Annata and, in exceptionally good years, approximately 6,000 bottles of Riserva. The Brunello Annata is a direct descendant of the Brunello di Montalcino Riserva and is also produced during years which enjoy good, but not extraordinary, weather conditions. The Rosso di Montalcino is made using the same grapes as the Bruneelo, but is sold without going through the same ageing process as its big brothers. Despite this, the Rosso is a very highly esteemed wine in Italy, obtaining the Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) classification in 1984.
Wine Information
THE SECRET OF PRICING
Franco Biondi-Santi is not only a truly marvellous winemaker; he is also, in my opinion, an exceptionally talented marketer of his wines. Even though he shows off his wines and talks openly and profusely about them, he still adeptly leaves some of my questions unanswered, with an innocently inscrutable Cheshire cat grin. He has quite simply demonstrated genius in creating a price image for his wines. The stratospheric prices paid for Biondi-Santi wines are partly explained by the wines’ long history, exceptional quality and rarity, but the real reason is Biondi-Santi’s boldness to set the prices for his wines higher than any other vineyards in the world. His five-figure starting prices for older vintages are unprecedented. From time to time, he “tactically” puts older vintages up for auction at extravagantly high starting prices - and even then, they are not always left unclaimed on the block. As the bidding progresses, the prices are usually driven up, thus adding to the Biondi-Santi legend. Indeed, Franco Biondi-Santi had evidently already as a young man figured out how much the mysterious and subtle marketing of vintages in small lots at very high starting prices affected the image and desirability of wines. Cynics might suggest that Biondi-Santi's reputation is based on second-rate values, not the actual quality of the wines. This, however, is simply not the case, as Biondi-Santi has enjoyed widespread praise from critics and the press for the quality of his wines. One of the most significant expressions of praise came from American wine publication, Wine Spectator, which placed the Biondi-Santi 1955 Riserva among the world’s top wines, together with 11 other wines. Seven of these were French, including the Cháteau Pétrus 1961, Cháteau Mouton Rothschild 1945, Cháteau Margaux 1900, Romanée-Conti 1937 and Cháteau d’Yquem 1921. The list also included two Americans, one Portuguese and the Australian Penfold Grange 1955. Ironically, the Biondi-Santi Riserva 1955 was the most affordable of the wines mentioned above.
Vuosikerta 1998
Italy/Barolo/Barbaresco/Excellent to Exceptional – A vastly underrated vintage, 1998 had the misfortune of being sandwiched between 1997 (a vintage that was overrated) and the stellar 1999. 1998 offers everything you want in a manual Barolo or Barbaresco – nice concentration, firm tannins and precise acidity. In fact, it is the acidity of these wines that, in my opinion, carries these wines, keeping a wonderful freshness and elegance to these wines. This is not the most concentrated vintage of the last decade (1999, 2001 and 2004 produced much more powerful wines), but there is admirable depth of fruit and great balance and finesse. Most of the best Barbaresco bottlings as well as many 1998 Barolos drink beautifully now, while some of the best Barolos will provide another 10-12 years of enjoyment.
