Castello Banfi

They say that big can’t be beautiful in the world of wine, well I have just visited the exception in Castello Banfi situated in the heart of Montalcino in Southern Tuscany.

Banfi were the pioneers of cloning the Sangiovese grape into Brunello in 1983 and putting Italy’s most expensive wine, Brunello di Montalcino firmly on the world wine map.

Head of the Company and CEO is American-Italian Cristina Mariana-May who I had previously had the pleasure to meet at a special Banfi Masterclass invitation at The Dorchester Hotel, London in March 2019. She is a dynamic, charismatic lady who won the accolade as "Businesswoman of the Year” in 2018 and her efforts behind the worldwide campaign for vineyard sustainability and quality in the eco system are reflected in the wines being produced by her Company.

On visiting the property, I can see the enormous capital investment the Mariana family have made over the last 40 years. Castello Poggio alle Mura – the stunning castle and ancestral home – was all but destroyed in World War II. This has now been painstakingly restored to its former glory and now houses an antique glass museum, Balsameria, Enoteca, Taverna and Il Borgo - 15 stunning bedroom suites way above 5 star quality!

The winemaking reflects the quality in everything they do. This 'pursuit of excellence' starts in the vineyard – poor soil equals good vine growing conditions and Banfi have the largest estate in Italy of around 3,000 hectares. The soil is rich in clay, calcium and complex minerality. The bone and eventual fossil remains of a giant pre-historic 5 million year old whale has recently been discovered  here, indicating that this land was at that time entirely under the sea. The soil is therefore still well irrigated and the many fossils now found give it and therefore the vine an incredible and unique complexity and dimension.

Banfi’s winemaking capabilities are now on an industrial scale however, the care taken for these valuable grapes is profound. Hand selection of the very best grapes go into the best Brunello and Super Tuscan’s. The original winery was built in the 1980’s as a “ state of the art “ building. It has been updated and improved with most recently the “ first of its kind ” fermenting vats combining temperature controlled stainless steel with natural oxygenation and further complexity and deep character in the resultant wine imparted by oak staves.

Banfi’s wines are unfiltered, bottled under nitrogen, reducing sulphites and histamines resulting in purer, more natural wines.