La Storica refers to late release bottlings from the winery and 1999 Riserva was selected for its stylistic reminiscence with the 2016 Riserva.
The 1999 vintage saw a cold winter followed by wet conditions through the Spring until May. The Summer was warm and dry, and September saw some light rain ahead of harvest. Harvest began in late September.
The fruit for the 1999 Riserva was sourced from Tenuta Greppo’s oldest vineyard planted with Sangiovese Grosso BBS11. The wine was aged for three years in Slavonian oak barrels. This Riserva was produced by Franco Biondi Santi. The wine has since been ageing peacefully in the estate library named La Storica. This cellar lies at the heart of Villa Greppo and holds some of the estate’s most iconic vintages.
95 points – Aldo Fiordelli, Decanter.com: “The 1999 vintage was a cooler year among the warmer 1997, 1998, 2000 and 2001. It's an austere year, for which there are still a lot of supporters, including me, and it represents an old generation of wines in Montalcino. Garnet in the glass, the wine shines for its cherry jelly, liquorice root and tobacco aromas, with balsamic depth and some minerality. It doesn't lack concentration, being bony with firm acidity and velvety tannins that are still rustic yet fierce. If the sternness is a signature for Biondi Santi, this would be a standard-bearer of the estate. In my opinion it will last longer, but lacks a touch of elegance.”
92 points – James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com: “Lovely classic Brunello with aromas of mushroom, nutmeg, mahogany, dried fruits, and hints of toffee. Pine trees. Complex. Medium-bodied with sweet fruit in the center palate and a bright and vivid finish. This has developed nicely on the palate. A late release in 2023 with only 350 bottles on the market.”
18+ points – Tom Parker MW, JancisRobinson.com: “Mid garnet colour. Truffle and spice box are immediate on the nose, together with desiccated red fruit and balsamic. A lovely combination of freshness and decay, offering undergrowth, cigar and incense. Grippy and intense, this is ready but still has plenty of youthful vigour – in some ways it’s tighter than the 2008. Opening up with time in the glass, it is a pure, vertical wine that promises even more to come.”
