2011 Biondi-Santi Tenuta Il Greppo Brunello di Montalcino, 6-bottle Lot, Wood Case

Biondi Santi Tenuta il Greppo is in Montalcino. It traces its history to the 18th century, when the Biondi Santi family combined several inherited estates and sent their sons to university to study agriculture and science. By the late 19th century the family led the movement to create the Brunello di Montalcino appellation. The 62-acre estate is still in the Biondi Santi family and their Brunello di Montalcinos win high praise from reviewers. Gambero Rosso rates Biondi Santi's Brunellos at 3 glasses, the highest possible rating, nearly every vintage.

Brunello di Montalcino is regarded as one of Italy’s best appellations. Located in south central Tuscany below Chianti, the wines of Brunello di Montalcino DOCG are made of a Sangiovese clone called “brunello,” which means “little dark one,” a reference to the brown tones in the skin of the grape. Unlike some Tuscan appellations that allow other grapes to be blended with Sangiovese, Brunello di Montalcino is entirely Sangiovese. Montalcino itself is a picturesque, hill-top town not especially well known for wine production until the mid-19th century, when a local vineyard owner isolated the brunello clone and planted it. Other growers followed suit. Nevertheless it wasn’t until 1970s that wine enthusiasts started paying attention to Brunello di Montalcino, which by then was becoming an outstanding wine. Today there are 120 estates in the DOCG, up from about 25 estates in 1975. Brunellos in general are bigger, darker, more tannic and more powerful wines than Chiantis or most other Sangioveses. By law they must be aged for four years, and two of those years must be in wooden barrels.