October 2009, USA - Important new awards come from overseas for the Belnero 2005, Castello Banfi's latest label, an expression of the company's strong and indissoluble bond with the terroir of Montalcino and its main grape variety, Sangiovese.

Critics Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition

On the occasion of the American Critics Challenge International Wine Competition 2009, the Belnero 2005 wins the excellent 'Critics Platinum' result.

The jury, composed of wine journalists, reviewed this wine as 'Very typical and rich in fruity hints, enriched by more complex and spicy notes. In presenting an innovative style, this wine remains genuinely Tuscan, at the same time complex and captivating'.

Excellent results, finally, also for the Hints Red 2006 and the Royal Rose 2007which both won 'Critics Silver'.

September 2009 - Great success for the Brunello di Montalcino 2004, emblem of the best Banfi tradition, which conquers the excellence of the 5 Grappoli in the prestigious guide published by Bibenda, 'Duemilavini 2010'.

The exceptional 2004 vintage, the fruit of one of the best harvests of recent years, has in fact given us a rich and generous wine, both in terms of aromas and structure, with great aging potential.

5 Bunches for the Brunello di Montalcino Castello Banfi 2004

The prestigious magazine "Bibenda'in its latest issue, the September issue, devotes an extensive article to Castello Banfi. The editorial takes its cue from the 'Banfi Day' event, organised on 12 March 2009 in collaboration with the AIS of Rome, and traces the history of Castello Banfi, from its birth to the present day. A rich space is reserved for the tasting of all the Ilcinese labels.

Naturally, there is also the vertical tasting of 'Poggio alle Mura', which, with all the vintages produced so far, was the star of the seminar held during that same event by Rudy Buratti and Enrico Viglierchio for Banfi and Paolo Lauciani for the AIS.

The Gala evening for the awarding of the Cinque Grappoli took place on Monday 9 November at the Cavalieri Hilton Hotel in Rome (in the photo, Lorella Carresi, Banfi's PR and Communications Manager, Franco Ricci, President of the Italian Sommelier Association, and Carlo Marini, Banfi's Italian Sales Director).

September 2009 - Three great wines from Castello Banfi win major awards at the 2010 American Express Tower Club Wine Awards, a prestigious wine competition organised in Singapore.

Singapore - American express tower club Wine awards 2010

Silver medal for Cum Laude 2005 and SummuS 2004both winners in the 'Old World Blended Red' category. Two prestigious labels of the Supertuscan family, elegant and balanced cuvées, fruit of the different varieties of red grape varieties present in the Company's soils.

Also silver, finally, for the Brunello di Montalcino Castello Banfi 2004which stands out in the 'Old World Single Varietal Red' category. The result of one of the best vintages in recent years, this wine is indeed rich and generous, both in terms of aromas and structure, with great ageing potential.

Montalcino, 21 August 2009 - The Taverna Banfi is once again the only restaurant of an Italian winery to receive the prestigious 'Wine Spectator Magazine's Restaurant Award of Excellence', an award given on the basis of the wine list of which it "offers an excellent selection together with food and at a competitive price."

Taverna Banfi awarded with excellence by Wine Spectator

Wine Spectator, considered one of the most influential international trade magazines, presents the award of excellence each year to just under 3,000 restaurants worldwide.

The Taverna, located under the vaults of the old cellars of the medieval castle of Poggio alle Mura where the large wooden barrels used to age Brunello di Montalcino once rested, presents traditional Montalcino and Tuscan dishes, enhanced by the freshness and simplicity of local ingredients. Its selection of hors d'oeuvres, first courses, meat, fish and desserts is in fact prepared according to local tradition and is inspired by the seasonality of typical products; three, four or five-course tasting menus are available, as well as a rich à la carte menu.

Always open for lunch, the Taverna Banfi opens its doors to visitors who are also pleased to stay for dinner between April and November. On one side of the Taverna it is still possible to admire the castle dungeon, where bottled vintages from 1960 to 1970 are kept, while the other side offers a breathtaking view of the Tuscan landscape below.

Banfi Wine Shop

At the nearby Enoteca it is also possible to taste excellent local cheeses and classic Tuscan ham paired with Banfi wines. There is also an important selection of art books, dedicated to the world of wine, cuisine, Tuscan history and architecture, as well as various ceramic, glass and jewellery objects produced by our local craftsmen. Visitors are also invited to visit the Bottle and Glass Museum, named after Giovanni F. Mariani, which houses the largest private collection of Roman glass in the world, as well as to participate in the guided tours, available daily, of the Banfi cellars.

The Taverna Banfi offers its services to both visitors passing through and guests of Castello Banfi - Il Borgo, the hotel structure adjacent to the castle that offers 14 luxurious rooms and suites. Finally, within the castle walls it is possible to organise weddings or special events. Reservations are possible by contacting reservation@banfi.it or via the website www.banfi.it.

David Liebman, Cedar Walton, Al Foster and many other 'bigs' at the Jazz & Wine in Montalcino festival, which kicks off on 15 July.

Jazz & Wine in Montalcino, now in its 12th edition, is one of the longest-running and most prestigious events in the national framework of jazz music festivals.

Jazz & Wine in Montalcino

The festival was born in 1998 thanks to the collaboration of Castello Banfi, the well-known winery of Montalcinodeeply linked to the territory and its traditions, with the cultural association Jazz & Image of Rome and the Municipality of Montalcino. As usual, this year's programme will be rich and heterogeneous, and will range over different musical languages, a sign of special attention to the different interpretations of Jazz.

The programme

Wednesday 15 July the opening concert, which will be held within the evocative walls of Castello Banfi and will feature the "Salerno Trio (Guglielmi, Deidda, Vigorito), a new and unusual trio consisting of sax, piano and double bass.

Starting 16 July the festival will move to the splendid 14th-century fortress of Montalcino with the multifaceted Gegè Telesforo and its "Groove Master Quinteta brilliant synthesis of funk, swing, be bop combined with the typical Blue Note sound of the sixties.

Friday 17 July one of Italy's greatest saxophonists will take the Montalcino stage, Romano Pratesi and its quartet, the "Rubber Band, feat. Liebman, Humair, Tavolazzi"..

The first week will end with "Gary Smulyan & Riccardo Fassi Quartet". who will perform on Saturday 18 July, in a concert in which the unique and utterly personal sound of Gary Smulyan's saxophone is combined with the great creativity of Riccardo Fassi on piano, and which will be followed on Sunday 19 Julythe funky, melodic hard bop touch of the great pianist "Cedar Walton.

“José Luis Gutiérrez Quartet'. will open the second week, Thursday 23 Julywith an innovative and original sound, a fusion of free jazz expression and traditional Iberian music (free admission).

On 24 July then it will be the turn of the swinging sax of 'Ice Cream Ray' in his latest work, a tribute to all his musical heroes.

On 25 July big closing concert with 'Al Foster'the great American drummer who for many years collaborated with Miles Davis. For the twelfth consecutive year, two such intimate and intense pleasures as jazz music and great quality wine are celebrating their exciting encounter in Montalcino, the symbolic city of Brunello, with increasing success.

 

April 2009, USA - Forbesthe world-famous US business and finance magazine, known to most for its annual ranking of the world's richest men, has compiled the ranking of the ten best international wine destinations, a ranking in which Castello Banfi ranks first.

Forbes crowns Banfi Castle as best wine destination

The ranking was compiled by George Taber, journalist and writer, wine and food expert and great connoisseur of the food and wine world. His ranking includes wineries from all over the world, from Chile to South Africa, Argentina, Spain, New Zealand, Portugal, France, Germany and Australia. Each with its own peculiarity that makes it a special destination, not to be missed.

Hospitality is in fact a sector in which Banfi has always believed, to the point of turning the Castello di Poggio alle Mura into an extraordinary centre offering complete and articulated hospitality. A hospitality that is increasingly focused on the typicality and tradition of the Montalcino territory and that has been enriched, starting in March, with some new services.

At the Enoteca, in fact, one can taste the entire, wide range of Banfi labels, accompanied also by typical local cold cuts and cheeses. In addition, the "Taverna Banfi" is open for lunch and dinner, from Monday to Saturday (also open for dinner on Sundays), and in the summer months it is possible to savour the delicious dishes of local cuisine on the charming terrace in the shadow of Castello Banfi. The pearl and pride of hospitality is definitely 'Il Borgo', with its 14 luxurious rooms, including five suites.

Verona, April 2009 - The "Poggio all'Oro"1999, Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, was awarded the Gold Medal at the Vinitaly 2009 Wine Competition in the category of Quiet Red Wines of Denomination of Origin over 6 years after harvest.

Poggio all'oro gold medal 1999

The jewel in the Banfi family's crown, this is a Brunello Riserva made from selected grapes from the vineyard Poggio all'Orowhere Sangiovese finds its ideal growing conditions. Aged for five years, just under three of which in French oak barriques, it is distinguished by its extraordinary elegance and very long ageing potential.

Produced exclusively in great vintages, the Poggio all'Oro Brunello di Montalcino Riserva will be released next year with the new 2004 vintage, one of the greatest vintages in recent times.

Verona, April 2009 - On the occasion of the 43rd edition of Vinitaly, the Special Gran Vinitaly Award was awarded to Inniskillinthe prestigious Canadian manufacturer of Icewine which is exclusively distributed in Italy by Banfi.

Inniskillin wins special grand vinitaly award

The prize is awarded to the winery that has achieved the highest score in at least two different categories at the Vinitaly International Wine Competition. Awarded to Inniskillin is a gold medal for the Sparkling Vidal Icewine - Limited Edition 2006 (category other sweet sparkling wines) and for the Vidal Icewine 2007 (category still wines designated with a geographical indication - Natural sweet wines).

The award-winning winery was founded in 1975 by Donald Ziraldo, son of Italian emigrants, and Karl J. Kaiser, of Austrian origin. Today, it distinguishes itself in one of the most extreme, extraordinary and incredible types of wine in the wine world, icewine. A sweet wine, but not necessarily a dessert wine, whose production, in order to achieve maximum sugar concentration and extreme sweetness calibrated by excellent acidity, requires a specific meteorological characteristic, namely the presence of temperatures that remain eight to ten degrees below zero for a long time.

The purity, the freshness of the aromas, the varietal characteristics of the grapes used, the fragrances conferred by this very special concentration represented by the 'icing' of the grapes, are enhanced by vinification and ageing carried out exclusively in steel.

Banfi distributes three icewines from the extensive Inniskillin range exclusively for Italy: Cabernet Franc, the award-winning Vidal and Riesling.