Banfi has done it again. About 30 years ago, Banfi astounded-and frightened–the locals in Montalcino when they purchased 
roughly 8,000 acres (the size of the island of Manhattan), planted Sangiovese and started making Brunello. Known for their importation and commercialization of Riunite at the time, the locals were scared that Banfi would destroy Brunello by making a low-end product and, as many told me, ‘bottling it in screw cap,’ a clear pejorative reference to Riunite.
The locals’ fears turned out to be unfounded. Banfi achieved the remarkable feat of modernizing Brunello while maintaining its clear Italian–and Montalcino–roots. They walked a fine line to do so. They could easily have made Brunello into an ‘international-styled’ wine with no discernable origin. Banfi was responsible, in large measure, for the world wide explosion of Brunello’s popularity and success by producing a sufficient quantity of a reasonably priced high quality Brunello that gave consumers access to this previously very limited wine.
Over the years, Banfi has also rolled out over the years an excellent bevy of blends of Sangiovese and international varietals–Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah–such as Cum Laude, Summus and Excelsius, in which the Sangiovese has played a supporting role. Now they release their first vintage of a wine, BelnerO, in which Brunello-quality Sangiovese plays a leading (85%) role.
The remainder of the blend is Cabernet and Merlot, but it’s the Sangiovese, with bright cherry-like flavors, that speaks. Cabernet Sauvignon adds structure without dominating and Merlot adds a touch of fleshiness. Distinct from a Rosso di Montalcino (‘baby Brunello’), BelnerO conveys the varietal nature–cherries–of Sangiovese in contrast to the deep core of earthy black fruit flavors that is the hallmark of Brunello or even Rosso. It has a smoky savory element that complements the cherry-like flavors. More flavors emerge as it sits in the glass. Fine, supple tannins provide structure and lip-smacking black cherry acidity keeps it lively. Lovely to drink now, it’s a Brunello-like wine for those who don’t want to wait for true Brunello to be ready to drink. I scored it at 93 points, and priced at $40, it offers strong value.
As an aside, Banfi may have figured out a way to resolve the current controversy in Brunello regarding whether Brunello should remain purely Sangiovese. Now, those in Montalcino who want to blend Sangiovese with other varietals have a model to follow.
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