Biondi Santi reconditioning attracts world's collectors
June 4, 2003
Kerin O'Keefe
4 June 2003
Italian wine lovers are sending their bottles of Biondi Santi Brunello di Montalcino Riserva to Biondi Santi's Greppo winery in Montalcino for official reconditioning.
The wines will be examined this Saturday, 7 June, by Franco Biondi Santi, whose family is credited with creating Brunello in the 19th century. Wines eligible for reconditioning are from vintages between 1955 and 1985 (see below for details).
If they are judged to be in good condition, they will be topped up by wine from the same vintage taken directly from bottles belonging to the estate, recorked and capsuled. Wines which are in poor condition will be sealed with an unmarked cork and no capsule without being topped up.
Reconditioning the great Brunello Riservas has long been a tradition at the Biondi Santi estate. The first topping up of older vintages including the 1891 took place in 1927.
At another famous reconditioning held in 1970, Italian journalist Mario Soldati said 'it was like witnessing a small miracle' as the 1888 was opened. Franco Biondi Santi told decanter.com, 'Reconditioning the older vintages prolongs the life of our wines. When somone owns a very expensive bottle of wine, at some point the wine should be either topped up, or drunk.'
While a few other Italian wineries have recently started reconditioning bottles for their customers, Biondi Santi is the only Italian producer who tops up the bottles with wine from the same vintage. Australian 'first growth' Penfolds Grange holds regular topping-up clinics, although it too uses wine from more recent vintages.
Biondi Santi has received hundreds of bottles for the reconditioning, sent by private individuals, shop owners and restaurateurs worldwide. One collector has sent 96 bottles of mixed vintages. With prices of the older Riservas ranging from €200 for the 1977 up to €4,275 for the 1955, this collection alone is worth tens of thousands of euros.
The Riservas to be topped up are: 1955-1964-1967-1968-1970-1971-1975-1977-1981-1982-1983-1985.
NB €1.00=US$1.16
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