Banfi Brunello di Montalcino 2020

The flagship of the Castello Banfi Winery, Brunello di Montalcino is a DOCG red wine vinified in the Tuscan hills. This winery, active since 1978, maintains very scrupulous production regulations, so much so that they influence the quality level of the varietal to which it belongs. It is one of the longest-lived Italian wines and certainly the most famous and appreciated in the world; in fact, many foreign tourists travel to Tuscany every year to taste this characteristic and intense wine. The blend for the production of Brunello di Montalcino is single-varietal, the grapes come 100% from Sangiovese grape varieties and are vinified as a single varietal. After harvesting, the grapes are fermented in stainless steel tanks for 10-12 days, then the wine is transferred to oak barrels or barriques to age for at least two years, completing the refinement with 8-12 months in the bottle. The production area of Brunello di Montalcino is easily recognizable and bounded by the Orcia, Asso, and Ombrone rivers. This hilly Tuscan area, south of the municipality of Montalcino, has the ideal environmental characteristics for the maturation of Sangiovese grapes. It is located as the crow flies halfway between the sea and the Apennine mountain range of central Italy, and this particular position favors a continental Mediterranean climate, which tends to be dry. The ripening of the grapes occurs gradually and completely, without forcing, thanks to the mild climate that is free of fog, frost, or late frosts. This fortunate geographical position is one of the important factors that give Brunello di Montalcino its characteristic notes.