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Wines by Castello Banfi |
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Castello Banfi
You could say that Banfi’s relationship with Italian
wines began with two bottles of Biondi-Santi Brunello,
the 1961 and 1964 vintages, to be precise. While originally
founded by John Mariani, Sr., as an importer of Italian
wines and food in 1919, Banfi departed from its roots
over the years, developing a concentration in French
and German wines. John’s sons, John, Jr., and
Harry, who assumed control of the business in 1963,
wanted to both honor their heritage and actively alter
the image of Italian wine in the United States by championing
Brunello di Montalcino—beginning with the efforts
of Brunello’s patriarch, Biondi-Santi. After having
tasted this epic producer’s ’61 and ’64
vintages at Il Greppo, John asked Franco Biondi-Santi
if he could represent Banfi in the United States. Various
US regulations precluded him from doing so, but his
belief in Montalcino endured.
After Banfi realized significant success with an Italian
wine of less serious ambitions—the fruity and
fun-loving Lambrusco— John and Harry resumed their
original quest. This time, though, they weren’t
looking to import wine—they wanted to make it.
In 1977, they commenced the establishment of a modern
estate in Montalcino with the purchase of 4,500 acres.
They followed this initial acquisition in 1984 with
the purchase of additional acreage and the Castello
that has become the estate’s defining symbol.
Famed wine consultant Ezio Rivella assisted the brothers
in selecting the land and went on to play a fundamental
role in the development of the estate’s stylistic
orientation and philosophy.
As the brothers were passionate about elevating the
image of Italian wines in America, they sought to appeal
to their home audience by fashioning a Brunello di Montalcino
that afforded earlier accessibility than a wine of its
genre was wont to deliver. To this end, they undertook
a 15-year study in 1982 dedicated to identifying the
clones of Sangiovese that expressed the most desirable
qualities. Out of a possible 600, Banfi chose 15 initially,
eventually reducing the group to nine, with each site
receiving the three that evidenced the greatest affinity
with the terroir concerned. These intense efforts were
complemented by an aggressive marketing campaign designed
to generate the interest of Americans in Brunello. In
1991, Harry’s son, James, assumed primary responsibility
for this endeavor. Only a few years into this campaign,
Banfi realized an appreciable degree of success, solidifying
their eminent positioning in the realm of Montalcino
through high-quality wines that merged tradition and
a modern sensibility. Cristina-Mariani May, the daughter
of John, Jr., presently oversees the Montalcino estate,
while James directs the import business. The estate
continues to pursue the development of innovative approaches
in an effort to continually refine its expressions of
Montalcino and the other defining Tuscan terroirs.
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You may also enjoy reading about these additional producers:
Agostina Pieri,
Altesino,
Antinori,
Argiano,
Biondi-Santi,
Camigliano,
Casanova di Neri,
Casisano-Colombaio,
Castello Banfi,
Castiglion del Bosco,
Cerbaiona,
Ciacci Piccolomini,
Col d'Orcia,
Costanti,
Donatella Cinelli Colombini,
Fattoria dei Barbi,
Fuligni,
Il Palazzone,
Il Poggione,
La Poderina,
La Rasina,
Lisini,
Marchesi de' Frescobaldi,
Mastrojanni,
Pieve Santa Restituta,
Poggio Antico,
Poggio di Sotto,
San Felice,
Sassetti-Pertimali,
Sassetti Livio Pertimali,
Solaria,
Soldera,
Talenti,
Tenuta Caparzo,
Tenuta di Sesta,
Tenuta la Fuga,
Uccelliera,
Valdicava
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