Biondi-Santi Sassoalloro 2000

It is a rare phenomenon that a wine can trace its origins to a single man. Brunello di Montalcino, however, owes its existence to Ferrucio Biondi-Santi and its fame to his family. Now on the seventh generation of winemakers, the Biondi-Santi family continues to produce wines renowned for their elegance and extraordinary longevity. Located in the heart of Montalcino, the Tenuta Greppo estate spreads over 25 hectares of vines on soils rich in heavy stones and marl – perfect for the cultivation of Sangiovese Grosso. Defenders of a rich enological heritage, the family continues to employ traditional vinicultural methods started well over a century ago to highlight the wine’s unique characteristics, or tipicita. Brunello di Montalcino was first created by Ferrucio Biondi Santi towards the end of the 1800s. Fortified by the viticultural experience of his maternal grandfather, Ferruccio Biondi Santi planted his new vineyards on the "Greppo" estate with the single clone which he had isolated (Sangiovese grosso), vinifying all of his grapes without blending, marking the beginning of a new type of Tuscan wine for that era. The "Greppo" extends in a series of hills around 500 mt. above sea level, facing southeast - east of Montalcino and benefits of a microclimate and ideal soil for the production of tasty and ageworthy red wine. The total surface of the vineyards destinated to Brunello today is about 19 hectares which produce grapes of high quality. The son of Ferruccio, Tancredi, skilled agricultural expert and renowned oenologist, established the foundations for the future appellation system in Italy. Tancredi was also resonsible for launching Brunello on both domestic and international markets, winning enormous commercial success within a few decades and gaining widespread recognition expert. A true "wine legend" had been born!