It would seem that the editors at Decanter and Gambero Rosso spoke too soon when they reported that Brunello di Montalcino great Franco Biondi Santi (left, photo via Weintipps) supported proposed changes to the Rosso di Montalcino appellation that would allow for blending of international grape varieties in Rosso di Montalcino (current legislation requires that Rosso di Montalcino be made with 100% Sangiovese grapes).
Last week, both publications cited him as a supporter of Brunello producers association president Ezio Rivella’s campaign to modernize the appellation. But evidently, neither contacted Biondi Santi — the grandson of the creator of Brunello di Montalcino and a towering figure in the history of the appellation — for comment.
“Three years ago I was in favor of the addition of softening wines or grapes to Sangiovese for Rosso di Montalcino,” said Biondi Santi in a phone interview today with one of Italy’s leading wine writers and top wine blogger Franco Ziliani, who quotes the signore del Brunello on his blog Vino al Vino. “Today, things have changed and my position is no to any change to the appellation.”
The proposed changes, he noted, would allow producers to transform 500 hectares of unsellable Sant’Antimo and IGT Toscana into Rosso di Montalcino.
“We would enter into the same thicket as 1966,” said Biondi Santi, “when the appellation ‘Vino Rosso dai Vigneti di Brunello’ was created.” [editor's note: this appellation was changed to Rosso di Montalcino fifteen years later] “In the fall of 1966, Montalcino was obligated to found the Brunello Consortium, which became operative on January 1, 1967, with my father. After three months of negotiations with other producers, we decided not to enter the consortium because we strongly disapproved of how it was taking advantage of an equivocation at the time: the grape variety was also called Brunello and it was considered a subvariety of Sangiovese! Therefore, a no is indispensable in order to clarify.”
Seems to me the reason Sant’Antimo is less famous than Rosso di Montalcino (and therefore unsellable) is _because_ of the international varietals allowed in its production. This is ridiculous!
I was surprised, that I had a photo of the “signore del Brunello” on my blog… Thanks for your help! I read your blog since a long time… Sorry, that I write in German! But we both love the Italian wine…
Jeremy- thanks for posting this. I have seen several reports- even outside of Decanter and the Gambero Rosso- who have been citing Biondi-Santi as a proponent for the change. Appreciate your commitment to the details!
I hope that the same Biondi Santi on Decanter will post his really position. Verba volant et scripta manent.
Here there are not “verba volant”, only “scripta”, the real point of wiew of Franco Biondi Santi that manent, and are absolutely sure!
OK, dear friend Franco. But Decanter In this case has to admit his mistake by changing what they wrote with equal vaunted certainty. Traduci da: italiano
How I can believe in a magazine that does not admit the error?
Has is often the case in Italy, the truth is buried. While we wade through the mountains of conjecture and supposition, perhaps Italy will note the fervor with which we cry out against these changes.
[...] grape varietals in their Rosso di Montalcino wines (Brunello’s baby brother wine). Wine bloggers and journalists from all over the world protested and complained, and in the end the vote [...]