By Raymond Chan
The Banfi brand is a famous one for Brunello di Montalcino. Established by the Italian-American Mariani family, made wealthy by the success of selling Riunite Lambrusco, Castello Banfi was set up by the purchase of over 7,000 acres of prime Tuscan land, the restoration of a 12th century castle, and the set up of a modern winery in the region, at the cost of over USD$200 million! Banfi are the biggest producer of this top Sangiovese-based wine, and among the very best, the wines regularly receiving top awards and scores by the world's influential wine critics.
Castello Banfi now encompasses a full range of wines from Tuscany and beyond the home of Montalcino. Our tasting with Richard Goodine, Banfi's Export Director for Asia and Oceania was a very good one, looking at a full range of Banfi's Tuscan wines as well as examples from Banfi's foray into Chile, with the value Punta Nogal label.
Following are my notes on the wines tasted:
Flight One: Sparkling and White
Banfi ‘Talento' Metodo Classico Brut NV
12.0% alc, 50% PN from Piedmont, 40% Ch and 10% PBl from Alto Adige. On lees for 24 months. Deepish straw yellow with a pale edge, good persistent bead and fine bubbles. Fresh nose, with good volume, stonefruit aromatics and delicate yeasty autolysis. Dry, fine mousse, minerally, steely fruit and textures, quite fine, light bready autolysis, good refreshing acidity and good length. Lighter, but classical style methode. 17.5+/20
Banfi ‘San Angelo' Pinot Grigio 2005
12.4 % alc, 0.9 g/L rs, single vineyard wine. Straw yellow with a pale edge to the colour. Refreshing, lively nose, with acacia florals, herbs and some spicy nuances. Dry on palate, soft and mellow, moderately lush with herbs and flowers, slight phenolic grip keeps the wine crisp and dry. 17.0+/20
Banfi ‘Fontanelle' Chardonnay 2004
13.6% alc, 80% BF, aged 7 months in 30% new French oak, partial MLF. Light golden straw yellow colour. Fullish nose, shy in fruit expression, some melons, and some oak also showing. Dry, this has soft and gentle tropical fruits, quite elegant, modest depth and some concentration, quite subtle really. Attractive nuances, however. Some heat on back palate. 17.0-/20
Flight Two: The Punta Nogal Wines from Chile
Punta Nogal Colchagua Carmenere 2004
14.0% alc. Dark, deep ruby red with a little orange hue. Varietal nose with herbal and earthy aromas, very ‘European' and a little rusticity. Full-flavoured wine, soft and gentle on impact, this has a lusciousness and juiciness. The tannins are soft and the wine reasonably subtle. Lighter finishing. Interestingly, the lesser preferred of the two for the group of tasters, due to the herbal varietal expression. My score 16.5+/20
Punta Nogal Rapel Valley Syrah 2005
13.0% alc. Deepish ruby red colour. Savoury nose, gamy and earthy, with a waxiness. A little lean on palate, not too strong in varietal character, light and loose-knit, and dryish and a little austere. Modest wine. However, the preferred wine of the pair for the group of tasters. My score 14.5/20
Flight Three: Sangiovese Wines
Banfi Chianti Classico 2004
12.5% alc, 100% Sangiovese, aged 7 months in 3 y.o. oak. Deepish ruby red colour with brick edges. Restrained nose, tight and dense, with dark cherry aromas, slight sour characters, minerals and earth giving some interest. Medium weighted, this is tightly bound, with some concentration. Not quite the richness or fruitiness, the palate is dryish and ends plainly. A more modest Chianti. 16.0/20
Banfi Rosso di Montalcino 2003
12.8% alc, 100% Sangiovese, 12 months in 50% French barriques and 50% Slavonian casks. Deepish ruby red with some garnet hues. Good richness and ripeness on the nose with black cherry fruit, good depth to the bouquet. Ripe and plump on palate with sweet, dark berry fruits, quite luscious. There are good, firm tannins providing excellent structure. The wine finishes a little dry. Very attractive for its ripeness and sweet entry. 17.5+/20
Banfi Brunello di Montalcino ‘Poggio all'Oro' 1999
13.8% alc, 100% Sangiovese, from La Pieve vineyard, 42 months in French oak barriques. Dark, deep, ruby-mahogany red with garnet hues. Full, deep, ripe nose, dense with rich fruit, dark berries and a savoury earthy element, complex, quite complete. Full-bodied, rich and ripe with sweet, savoury berried fruit. The extraction is massive, providing a dense, deep palate. Excellent oak subtlety, with earthy interest. Rich and succulent with the tannin structure. This will keep another decade plus, easily. 19.5-/20
Flight Four: Bordeaux Varietal Influenced Wines
Banfi ‘Mandrielle' Merlot 2002
13.3% alc, 100% Merlot, 14 months in 33% new French oak. Very dark, deep, ruby red colour. Full, deep, plum and tobacco nose, plump, with earthy varietal interest. Sweet, juicy fruit on palate, along with some cooler notes, herbs and plums. Slight leanness on palate comes through as the acidity becomes more pronounced. 17.5+/20
Banfi ‘Summus' Sangiovese/Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah 2001
13.0%, 40% Sang, 40% CS, 20% Sy, 23 months in 30% new French oak. Almost impenetrable black red coloyr. Very deep, black berried fruit on nose, some Syrah spice and floral aromatics, still quite primary. Some brettanomyces noted, but within limits and adding to the interest. Beautifully pure black fruits and floral notes on palate. Very fine-grained tannins, but of considerable extract. This has elegance and great finesse. Medium length. 19.0/20
Banfi ‘Excelcus' Cabernet/Merlot 1998
13.2% alc, 60% CS, 40% Me, 23 months in French oak. Deep mahogany, garnet hued red. Milk chocolate, herbs and spices on nose, along with blackcurrants and cedar, along with savoury, secondary interest to the bouquet. Very elegant but intense on the palate. Lovely plum, curranty and cedary flavours, on a hugely tannic palate, very fine textured, a little linear in expression at present. Very good length. 18.5+/20
Flight Five: Sweet Wine
Banfi Rosa Regale Brachetto d'Acqui 2004
6.5% alc, Brachetto from Piedmont. Light red with garnet hues, pale edge, gentle bead, fine bubble, persistent. Fine, broad nose with berries, cedar and cookies with baking! Slightly sweetish on palate, with light strawberry fruit flavours, biscuits, cookies with a little chocolate. Acidity and mousse gives
freshness and cut and there is a little tannin grip. A little lean. Quite unique, but described as “Italian Sparking Shiraz with Muscat”. My score 16.5+/20
Banfi ‘Florus' Moscadello 2004
13.2% alc, 135.6 g/L rs, Moscadello di Montalcino, late-harvested, 15% of the wine from the previous vintage aged for 12 months in new French oak and blended in. Light golden yellow, bright and deep. Rich and concentrated nose, muscatty and raisiny.