CASTELLO BANFI, BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO

TUSCANY, ITALY 2013

“If you want to experience the energy, elegance and ageworthy structure that first drew wine lovers and collectors to Brunello di Montalcino decades ago, then 2013 is your vintage. A classic vintage, the best 2013s boast remarkable aging potential not seen in years.” – Kerin O’Keefe, Wine Enthusiast
 

As one of the largest and best-known estates in Montalcino, Banfi is an Italian wine icon. Established in 1979, Banfi not only introduced many Americans to the world of Italian wine in the 70s and 80s, but as an import company, their contribution to the quality wine revolution in Tuscany has changed the landscape of winemaking in Montalcino forever. In fact, it wouldn't be a stretch to say that without Banfi, Brunello would never have become what it is today. In the 80s, in partnership with the University of Milan, Banfi took on a never-done-before research study on Sangiovese in Tuscany. This study lead to identifying over 650 different clones of Sangiovese in just the immediate surrounding area of the estate! Over the years, each clone was studied, catalogued, and micro vinified separately. The big takeaway here was that the greatness of Sangiovese was in the grape's ability to show massive complexity and variability in different terroir. Rather than pairing Sangiovese down to one super-clone, Banfi identified 15 clones that represented the best characteristics of Sangiovese based on the diverse terroir of the Montalcino.
 

With a renewed focus on quality, the estate is at the top of their game and their future seems brighter than ever. From their humble beginnings, their wines have directly contributed to the spark that began America's love affair with Brunello. As noted by Antonio Galloni of Vinous, ‘If Brunello di Montalcino is viewed today as a prestigious wine much of the credit must surely go to this estate and its American owners, the Mariani family. The Marianis have worked tirelessly to promote their wines throughout the world and in so doing have created demand for many of the region's smaller producers.”
 

Today, we're offering the staple of Banfi's production - their 2013 Brunello di Montalcino. A culmination of over three decades of Castello Banfi’s pioneering research on the clones of Sangiovese, with the goal of producing a more outstanding quality Brunello. This wine is the result of a meticulous grape selection followed by vinification with skin contact for 10-12 days. Aged for a minimum of 4 years, including 2 years in oak barrels of various sizes, with mainly French oak barrique and Slavonian oak casks. Boasting ripe notes of cherry and spice with fine and silky tannins, this wine is utterly delicious now and will continue to develop beautifully in cellar. For one week, or until sold out, we're offering this stunning Brunello di Montalcino for an incredible price. With up to 25% off, you can buy this wine for as low as $33.47 per half bottle.