CASTELLO BANFI ROSSO di MONTALCINO 2011 // COMPLEX AND IT’S ALL GOOD

CASTELLO BANFI ROSSO di MONTALCINO 2011 // COMPLEX AND IT’S ALL GOOD

Castello Banfi is a family owned vineyard estate and winery in the Brunello region of Tuscany that is known for their commitment to excellence and sparking a renaissance in the art of Italian winemaking.
Castello Banfi Rosso di Montalcino is a dry red wine. The varietal is 100% Sangiovese and comes from the Tuscany region of Italy. Although from Tuscany, since it is not a special blend, this wine is not considered a Super Tuscan.
Alcohol content of Castello Banfi Rosso di Montalcino is 14.0% by volume according to the bottle.
According to the tasting notes, this wine comes from the estate vineyards in the southern part of Montalcino where the soil is well-structured and calcareous.
Also, Castello Banfi Rosso di Montalcino is aged for 10-12 months in both French oak and Slavonian oak barrels. Following barrel aging there is an additional 6 months of aging in the bottle.
For this review, I had assistance from my friend Dave. He did a great job with a previous review of J Lohr Wildflower and his help was again much appreciated.
In appearance, this Rosso di Montalcino from Banfi was burgundy in color with perhaps some copper in the rim.
The wine was very leggy with two waves of legs. The first wave fell really fast and the second fell slowly.
Banfi Rosso di Montalcino was very aromatic and the aroma was noticeable from afar. Dave immediately noticed black pepper, whereas I picked up smokiness and berries. There was a little kick in the nose of alcohol too.
We spent a good deal of time on the nose with this wine. As a result we ended up with some interesting observations. Dave noted the aroma to be similar to the aroma when smoking meats. He also picked up what he called “black ink like from a magic marker.”
I think it’s important to point out that all the complexities of the wine’s aroma were very enjoyable to us.
The Banfi Rosso di Montalcino was intense in its flavor, which we liked. Unmistakably Sangiovese. I noticed berries in the taste with a little hint of dark chocolate at the end.
Tannins were well behaved with just a bit of bitterness noted. Mostly noticed behind the upper lip.
The wine’s finish was long with the alcohol carrying through.
Overall we both really enjoyed this medium dry, medium body Rosso di Montalcino Sangiovese. Dave especially enjoyed the aroma and I liked the wine’s general complexity. There’s a lot going on with this wine! Recommend!
Price for Banfi Rosso di Montalcino about $22.00.

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