Release Features New Stories for the ‘La Voce di Biondi-Santi’ Storytelling Project
(New York, NY – Friday March 1, 2024) — Biondi-Santi, the legendary Brunello di Montalcino producer, is pleased to announce the release of the 2018 vintage of Brunello di Montalcino.
Accompanying the 2018 Brunello release are two library releases from La Storica – the extraordinary library cellar at Il Greppo where bottles of every vintage produced, dating back to 1888, are carefully stored.
In 2024, the Estate will release limited bottles of two exceptional Riserva vintages — 2010 and 1988. Each bottle released from La Storica bears the date on which the bottle leaves the Biondi-Santi cellar as a guarantee of its origin and perfect conservation.
Further marking the occasion, the Estate has also unveiled the 2024 theme for its listening project, La Voce di Biondi-Santi, (i.e. The Voice of Biondi-Santi) – RESPECT. The core of the listening experience is an original short story recorded as an audiobook, this year titled, “The Crown,” written by British novelist Joanne Harris and narrated by American actor, Tomas Arana.
Accompanying the audiobook is a four-part series of podcast conversations: Director of Viticulture and Winemaking Federico Radi describes the wines of the year, while CEO Giampiero Bertolini discusses the year’s theme with special guests. This year’s guests are the ocean navigator and sailor Giovanni Soldini, and Joanne Harris, writer, screenwriter, and librettist.
The La Voce di Biondi-Santi audio experience will accompany each bottle of Brunello di Montalcino 2018, and wine lovers can access the listening experience by scanning the QR code on the proof tag on the capsule of the bottles.
Throughout the year, extracts of the short story and the podcast conversations will also be published on the Instagram channel, @biondisantigreppo.
Giampiero Bertolini, CEO of Biondi-Santi, shares the vision behind the latest theme for La Voce:
“The theme for 2024 is ‘Respect,’ a concept which defines, with no doubt, what Biondi-Santi has always put into practice in its long history. Respect of the tradition, of a style, of a grape variety–Sangiovese–and its unique characteristics, and, of course, respect of our consumers, who can count on an unrivalled aging capacity. Principles that define our history and will continue to guide us in the future.”
“Our idea for ‘La Voce di Biondi-Santi’ comes from our desire to share the thoughts and guiding principles of this evolutionary journey with our community of collectors and wine enthusiasts. Year after year, theme after theme, the Biondi-Santi universe will be built, precisely through these pillars that have made the winery what it is, a style icon.”
Rocco Lombardo, President of Wilson Daniels, adds:
“Biondi-Santi has created a listening universe to complement its exceptional vintage releases each year, thus adding another layer to the sensory experience of enjoying a Biondi-Santi wine. ‘La Voce di Biondi-Santi’ is something we very much enjoy sharing with our customers and collectors, and we’re excited to include it as part of our formal presentation of the 2018 Brunello this spring.”
Commenting on the growing seasons for the 2018 Brunello di Montalcino, Federico Radi, Director of Viticulture and Winemaking, comments:
“2018 was quite a cool year, characterized by abundant rainfalls which accompanied the entire growth cycle of the vine. Overall, the summer saw temperatures below average. Just before harvesting the grapes from our high-altitude vineyards, a week of healthy wind from the north contributed to drying the vines and grapes, preparing them for picking.
“Harvest started on September 16th and lasted for eight days with a careful selection of the best bunches. The wine is fragrant and energetic, so well refined and balanced. It is dangerously easy to drink now, but at the same time able to age beautifully, thanks to its bright acidity.”
The Biondi-Santi portfolio is imported nationally by Wilson Daniels, and wines are available from fine wine retail stores beginning March 1, 2024.
ABOUT BIONDI-SANTI
The first use of the word ‘Brunello’ dates back to the mid-19th century, when Clemente Santi won a prize for his ‘vino scelto,’ made entirely from the Sangiovese Grosso varietal grown on his land in Montalcino. In 1888, his nephew, Ferruccio Biondi Santi, produced the first wine officially known as ‘Brunello di Montalcino.’ Since then, the Biondi-Santi name has been synonymous with excellence and is one of the world’s leading lights in the ‘Made in Italy’ movement, loved by both collectors and the most respected wine critics.
In 2016, Christopher Descours’ acquisition of Biondi-Santi opened a new chapter in the company’s story with the introduction of important research and development projects both in the vineyards and the winery. These projects aim to further build on the excellence that has always been associated with Biondi-Santi. You can connect with Biondi-Santi wines online at Biondisanti.it, or on Instagram @biondisantigreppo
ABOUT WILSON DANIELS
Founded in 1978, Wilson Daniels is a fully integrated, family-owned marketing and sales company representing a highly selective portfolio of the world’s most distinctive wines. Wilson Daniels continues to pursue and elevate the standards of excellence set by founders Win Wilson and Jack Daniels through developing long-term, strategic partnerships with luxury producers that possess profound respect for terroir and are benchmarks in their region. To learn more about Wilson Daniels, visit www.wilsondaniels.com.
