Decanter
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Castello Banfi is the Montalcino region’s biggest wine estate by far, both in size and reputation, and it is no exaggeration to say that it is one of a select few with global recognition for its wines.
Despite its size, Banfi has always been a tightly-knit family concern, and it remains so today under third generation Cristina Mariani May, the scion of Italo-American forebears who started their business activities in New York in 1919, just after the Great War. Crucially, the Marianis were both wine importers and retailer sellers, too. This direct contact with their customers gave them a priceless understanding of exactly what style of wine people wanted in their home or on restaurant dining tables.
The Drinks Business
15 December 2020 By Patrick Schmitt
It may be one of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world, but Tuscany boasts some of the most forward-thinking winemakers out there, as our annual taste test of this Italian region proved. We bring you the medallists from 2020’s Tuscan Masters.
Old dog, new tricks: Tuscany
In the heart of the Old World there’s an ancient area of wine production that has the sheen of something modern. It’s been home to vineyards for centuries, and it’s the source of a famous, fine, and demanding grape, but it’s a region displaying a new-found dynamism, and as a result, drawing in a fresh set of drinkers. What am I referring to? Tuscany.
Liz Sagues
Wines from Majestic, Waitrose and local independents recommended this Christmas
- Credit: supplied
Time has run out for much pre-Christmas on-line bottle buying, so off to the shops...
At Majestic, it's easy to fill a mix-six box (single bottles are much pricier). A different, deliciously aromatic white, versatile with starters and more,
Nero Oro Appassimento (£9) is made from part-dried bunches of Sicily's native grillo grape: lingering fruit, spice and a hint of honey. The big-brother red magnum (£18) is a splendid table centrepiece.
Stylish red alternatives include
Castello Banfi Rosso di Montalcino 2018 (£17), great depth of flavour, elegantly balanced fruit, alcohol and oak. If cash is no object, Banfi's