Montalcino, Tuscany
Founded in 1978 by Italian-American brothers, John and Harry Mariani. The goal has always been to create a
state of the art winery combined with the most advanced science in the vineyard. Together with Ezio Rivella,
one of Italy’s foremost enologists who understood that due to the richness of the soils and the privileged
microclimatic position, the property would have great capacity for development. The main vineyard ‘Poggio
Alle Mura’, where the impressive Castello sits a top is made up of 7,100 acres. One third of the property is
under vine while the balance is made up of woodlands, olive groves, fruit trees, wheat fields and truffle stands.
The Castello is home to a luxury boutique hotel and two restaurants, one of which holds a one Michelin starred
status. Over the years Banfi has expanded to include vineyards in Chianti Classico and Bolgheri along with a
winery and vineyards in Piedmont.
“Amiata, the extinct volcano that presides over Montalcino was considered by the Etruscans to be the home of their gods. In
the shelter of this mountain, lies the Banfi estate. A special site, the Mariani brothers, after acquiring the property in 1978
quickly set to work to better understand their land, for they knew their principal grape variety, sangiovese to be like Pinot
Noir – site sensitive. They carried out extensive soil analysis to understand where sangiovese would flourish, enlisting the help
of the University of Milan, and viticulture expert Attilio Scienza to research the 650 different clones of Sangiovese found
present in their vineyards….. In 2009, after nearly 30 years of research the Murrucheto vineyard was planted with three
clones deemed to be the most complex and complementary….” Excerpt from the Decanter Magazine, December 2021
2032 ‘La Rime’ Pinot Grigio – Arriving May 2024
2021 ‘Centine’ Rosso
2019 ‘Poggio alle Mura’ Rosso di Montalcino
2017 ‘Poggio alle Mura’ Brunello di Montalcino
95 Points – James Suckling
2016 ‘Vigna Murracheto’ Brunello di Montalcino – Sold Out
100 Points – Wine Insider
97 Points – winescritic.com