Biondi Santi 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCG

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
99/100 punten
Wow, here is a vintage I've been anxiously waiting to try. The 2016 growing season was one of the best in recent memory in Montalcino, and if we look back in time, this vintage marks the year Biondi-Santi was sold to a French group. The prestigious 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva proves a mighty collector's bottle that will undoubtedly gain in complexity and depth with careful bottle age. The wine offers wild nuances of forest berry and tart cherry, and there are herbal side notes as well as floral tones of dried violet and lilac. The tannins are soft, powdery and feel like they melt away on the palate. 

James Suckling
98/100 punten
Aromas of strawberries, flowers, fresh mushroom, forest flower, sandalwood, and hints of balsamic. Full-bodied and tight on the finish. This is a linear and fine-tannined red. Available in March 2023. Needs another five years or so to show its full potential. New classic. Better after 2026. 

Vinous
96/100 punten
Savory depths of sage, red currants, underbrush, dried roses, worn leather, hints of iodine and cader smolder up form the darkly alluring 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva. This impresses first with its purity, then with its energy, seamlessly silky and refined, yet almost racy in style, with saline-infused wild berries and nuances of sour citrus that drench the palate, lifted by a flourish of mint. The 2016 finishes with crystalline tannins, creating an almost crunchy sensation, as tard red fruits and nuances of licorice slowly taper off. There’s an invigorating feel to the 2016 Riserva that I’ve never witnessed from a bottle of Biondi Santi Brunello, which coupled with a depth of beautifully pure and delineated fruits, makes it a total pleasure to taste. That said, the 2016 is structured and built for a long and prosperous maturation.