A unique opportunity to taste a fine selection of Banfi wines: La Pettegola 2013, Fontanelle Chardonnay 2012, Aska 2012, Fonte alla Selva 2010, Belnero 2011, Rosso di Montalcino Poggio alle Mura 2012, Brunello di Montalcino Poggio alle Mura 2008.
Joanna Neavecompetition winner Travel Matters - with 2 nights at Castello Banfi as a prize, talks about her experience and how it inspired her cooking when she returned home.
"The mornings in the cooking class with Samuele were extremely fun, and I am very happy to have learnt how to make fresh pasta. Everything we cooked in class was easy to recreate at home, and I am happy to say that it really was. We ate what we prepared, accompanied by the excellent Banfi wines, sitting outside (in the middle of October!).
We could not have enjoyed ourselves more. The staff at Castello Banfi were very kind and helpful, advising us on how to spend the next two days in Florence. It really is a good starting point for visiting a variety of interesting places in Tuscany, and I hope to return soon.
Anyone wishing to spend a relaxing holiday in beautiful surroundings should certainly plan a visit."
Last year, in June, Norwegian journalists were our guests at Castello Banfi - Il Borgo.
A number of articles came out following their visit to us, including this one published in the October/November issue of Maison Mat & Vin magazine.
The article, accompanied by many photos, is quite comprehensive in its description of all the activities carried out during their stay, including the cooking course we organise for our Il Borgo guests.
Too bad it is in Norwegian...
After a rather rainy spring and early summer, September and October were very good weather-wise, with plenty of sunshine and excellent ventilation.
With the 2013 harvest, we have returned to the 'normality' of the 1980s and 1990s. The harvest, in fact, at Castello Banfi began about 15 days later than in recent years (4 September), with the more precocious white varieties, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, as well as the Pinot Grigioand ended on 18 October with Cabernet Sauvignon, the last variety to be harvested. The harvest times for the Piedmontese estate also mirrored those in Tuscany.
In both Tuscany and Piedmont, the benevolent climatic conditions favoured a gradual and late ripening of the grapes, which presented themselves in excellent qualitative condition, with wonderfully intense varietal aromas and a good balance between alcohol content and highly developed acidity.
Precisely because of a vibrant acidity, which also gives length, the white wines are fresh and at the same time have a very rich and developed bouquet and an important structure.
"In our area, in the south-west of Montalcino,' declares General Manager Enrico Viglierchio, 'Especially for the later red varieties, such as Sangiovese for the production of Brunello di Montalcino, we expect wines of excellent quality, with a good predisposition to long ageing, and characterised by elegance and finesse. And this despite the fact that it was a more difficult vintage than others. As far as production is concerned, both in Tuscany and Piedmont, we recorded an increase of 6-10% compared to previous years'.
With a delay of about 15 days compared to recent years, and returning to the 'normality' of the harvests of the 1980s and 1990s, last week we started the harvest in both our Piedmont and Tuscany estates.
In Tuscany, we started on Wednesday 4 September with the harvest of Pinot Grigio for our San Angelo, and in these days we are harvesting Chardonnay and Vermentino. In Piedmont, on the other hand, we started on 2 September with Pinot Nero, the base for our Alta Langa, and we are now continuing with Chardonnay and Brachetto.
In both Tuscany and Piedmont, the grapes are in excellent condition. Thanks to the abundant winter and spring rains, a spring and early summer with moderate temperatures, and the perfect seasonal trend in September, with excellent day-night temperature swings, we are seeing good, high acidity and excellent development of varietal aromas. These same conditions are determining the excellent ripening of the red grapes, primarily Sangiovese, whose harvest will begin at the end of the month.
All the conditions are in place for an exceptional vintage!
"Before you even glimpse the walls of Borgo Banfi, you are greeted by its vineyards that occupy the southern slopes of the Montalcino hills. Following the vineyards, dare we say it, you are taken to the gates of the Borgo. A luxurious hotel nestled in 17th and 18th century stone buildings, in the shadow of a medieval fortress, the Borgo Banfi is practically an ecosystem in itself in the middle of the Tuscan countryside. Aimed primarily at a foreign clientele, who find there the elements of Tuscany, the intimate hotel features luxurious amenities combined with a focus on the region's traditions, especially its food and wine..."
Next 2 July, on the occasion of the third edition of the music festival inspired by the French Grands Cru Musicaux, Castello Banfi will host a concert by the cellist Henri Demarquette together with the pianist Marc Laforet.
After the great success of the first two editions, the Melodia del Vino Festival returns, a real journey through Tuscan wine excellence, together with the magic of international classical music.
On 2 Julyon the occasion of the third stage of the festival, in the evocative setting of the walls of Castello Banfi in Montalcino, the notes of Marc Laforet and the cellist Henri Demarquette. Soul and creator of the Festival, the pianist Marc Laforet he arrived on the musical scene at a very young age. He has received many awards, among them the First Prize at the National Conservatory of Music in Paris, the Gold Medal of the Czitfrra Foundation and the " New York Young Artist Award " in 1985. Marc Laforet also won the Silver Medal of the International Frederic Chopin Award in Warsaw in 1985.
The cellist Henri DemarquetteAfter studying at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris, he worked with French cellists Pierre Fournier and Paul Tortelier. Fundamental to his training was his meeting with cellist Janos Starker and with Yehudi Menuhin, an American violinist and conductor who invited Demarquette to play under his direction in Prague and Paris. Finally, a curiosity: the French musician plays an all-Italian cello, made by Italian craftsman Goffredo Cappa.
Guests can enter from 6.30 p.m., and at 7 p.m. a tasting of two prestigious labels from Banfi's wide range of wines will be offered: La Gossip Vermentino, vintage 2012, and the Belnero 2010. The concert will start at 8.30 p.m.
"Considering that the first two editions were exceptionally well received by the public and critics, it seemed natural to us to continue our collaboration with the Melodia del Vino Festival,' says Cristina Mariani-May. Maestro Marc Laforet, whom we will have the honour of hosting at the piano for the concert at Castello Banfi this year, was the creator of the Festival project together with Michel Gotlib. And their idea of fusing the harmony of all the senses, from classical music to the excellence of the wines of a prestigious territory such as Tuscany, into a single, extraordinary experience, year after year, is proving more and more successful."
Castello Banfiimmersed in this extraordinary terroir and always devoted to the pursuit of quality, produces wines all characterised by a soul deeply rooted in this unique and extraordinary territory. A point of reference for the production of Brunello di Montalcino, Castello Banfi was established in 1978 by the Mariani family, who decided to develop a centre of excellence in Montalcino for the production of quality wines, indissolubly linking Banfi to this territory and its development. Located on the south-west side of the municipality of Montalcino, the estate occupies 2,830 hectares, of which approximately 800 are cultivated with specialised vineyards, while the rest of the property is occupied by woods, olive groves and other crops.
Representing a first approach to the legendary Bolgheri territory, Banfi's new, elegant label, officially presented at the last Vinitaly.
With this new label, Aska, Banfi arrives in Bolgheri: a legendary territory, known throughout the world for its fine wines, and a fast-growing appellation. The acquisition of a 5-hectare vineyard in this land represents a new and exciting project for Banfi, absolutely complementary to that of Montalcino, based on the same production philosophy of high quality wines.
A wine that tells the origins of a legend: Aska, in fact, means container in Etruscan. The ancient and fascinating people who inhabited the Tuscan lands used it as a container to contain wine and oil, to collect perfumes and nectars. But it was also a treasure chest, which served to protect the human emotions and feelings that men received from Cautha and Semla, the Etruscan gods of sun and moon, represented by two luminous spheres that mark the passing of time with day and night. And on Aska's elegant label we find all the symbols of this legend.
After careful selection, the Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc grapes are vinified with traditional fermentation and maceration in steel vats. This is followed by ageing in barriques for about 10 months, and suitable bottle ageing.
The tasting tells us of a Bolgheri Rosso DOC very intense, soft, ruby red colour with violet hues, with elegant aromas of toasted wood, coffee, spices and red fruits. In the mouth it has a good, harmonious structure with a slight vein of acidity, which makes it fresh and balanced. A perfect accompaniment to game dishes, it goes well with hard, medium and long matured cheeses.
"We are extremely satisfied to be working in Bolgheri," comments Banfi's managing director, Enrico Viglierchio, "where we arrive with our utmost respect for all those who work there and who have preceded us. We considered it fundamental to acquire a vineyard on which we could work, bringing with us all the experience gained in Montalcino'.
The fourth edition of the Tuscan Rewind, the evocative gravel race for historic cars, is scheduled from 10 to 12 May.
The most important new feature of Tuscan Rewind 2013 is the late afternoon start on Friday 10 May, when the 'Castello Banfi' special will be run near the historic castle of Poggio alle Mura.
The race will feature some of the greatest Italian and international rally stars of all time.
Once again this year, Castello Banfi, which has been following Tuscan Rewind since the first edition, is offering a weekend stay in the splendid Castello Banfi-Il Borgo as a prize for the winner of the Historic category.
Officially presented at Vinitaly 2013, Banfi's new Vermentino immediately received unanimous praise. An innovative packaging, essential but original, and an amiable and pleasant wine, suitable for informal occasions and perfect for the coming summer season.
There is much excitement at Banfi for the realisation of this new project, which marks the beginning of a new and important journey towards new and exciting adventures in hitherto unexplored territories. A Vermentino that expresses the winning combination of tradition and innovation that has always driven Banfi's experience in the world of Tuscan wine.
To produce La Pettegola Vermentino, the best grapes were selected from vineyards on the Tuscan coast, and the grapes were then very lightly pressed and fermented in steel to keep all the aromas intact.
Tasting notes tell of a Vermentino with a pronounced aromatic expression, rich and delicate, with fruity aromas in which apricot and grapefruit are recognisable, as well as flowers and spices typical of the Mediterranean maquis. In the mouth, it is surprising for its fullness, enlivened by a marked acidity, which gives it a pleasant freshness. Excellent as an aperitif, it can be served with tasty fish dishes, especially shellfish, as well as with vegetable-based first courses. Serve at a temperature of 8-10°C.
"Our desire is to offer an amiable and pleasant Vermentino," comments Banfi oenologist Rudy Buratti, "that will appeal to all winelovers, from the most experienced to the youngest. La Pettegola, with its innovative and essential packaging, is dedicated exclusively to the traditional channel, and is ideal for the many informal occasions that will arise during the summer season".
Castle of Poggio alle Mura
53024 Montalcino - Siena
banfi@banfi.it
+39 0577 840111
