Brunello, Franco Biondi Santi died at 91

FLORENCE, ITALY – Famous Brunello di Montalicino producer Franco Biondi Santi, dubbed the “gentleman of Brunello” died on Sunday at the age of 91.

Biondi Santi was considered the “guardian” of the famous Tuscan red that his family invented and a staunch opponent to modernizing the wine his estate has produced since 1888.

Biondi Santi’s Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 1955 was the only Italian wine to enter Wine Spectator’s top 12 wines of the 1900s.