The vindication for Cristina Mariani-May was sweet.
Shortly after Italian authorities exonerated Castello Banfi this week of fraud in the investigation into the authenticity of Brunello wines from the 2003 vintage, Mariani-May told Decanter: “Our Brunello has been liberated!”
The American-owned company may now get on with the business of importing and selling the 2003 Brunello that had been confiscated by the Magistrate of Siena at the start of the probe, which also ensnared renowned Italian wine producers Antinori and Frescobaldi.
At the heart of the ongoing investigation is an accusation that a number of producers of Brunello di Montalcino may have used prohibited grape varieties to make their 2003 vintage, which had been a short crop due to excessive heat during the growing season. The rules of production for Brunello require the wine to be made of 100 percent Sangiovese from classified vineyards in the Montalcino zone, which is located approximately 60 miles southwest of Florence.
The probe has widened to include as many as 90 producers, and ignited heated debate within the Consorzio di Brunello di Montalcino over the discussion of relaxing the rules.
While Antinori and Frescobaldi were cleared quickly in the investigation, Banfi was left to twist in the wind for several months, and news reports in September indicated laboratory analysis had turned up evidence that Banfi Brunello had been found to have other grape varieties.
Mariani-May strongly disputed those reports and defended the authenticity of Banfi Brunello, which is one of the leading Brunellos sold in the United States. Turns out she was right.
What remains of the investigation is unclear, but the debate rages on. Franco Biondi-Santi and Francesco Marone Cinzano, two prominent producers, have rallied support to leave the rules as they are, sending a letter to the Consorzio — signed by about 60 percent of the region’s producers — asking that the requirement of 100 percent Sangiovese be left unchanged.
Both men argue that the 100 percent requirement makes Brunello unique.
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