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By Manos Angelakis
A Dark Italian Beauty
Christina Mariani-May, one of the proprietors and co-CEO of Banfi, released Banfi’s new wine BelnerO, a terroir-driven Sangiovese blend with small percentages of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon to improve backbone and color. Deviating from Castello Banfi’s classic Brunellos, BelnerO is created by blending 15 Sangiovese clones carefully cultivated over 30 years. The wine carries a Tuscany appellation.
The 2005 BelnerO Proprietor's Reserve is the debut vintage, a soft-styled wine; ready to drink on release but with considerable long-term aging potential due to partial fermentation in new, state-of-the-art tanks that are a steel-and-wood hybrid. These new tanks, designed and patented by Banfi, are part of the estate’s new micro-vinification site. The design allows for the steel’s capability to retain maximum fruit aromas during vinification, while, at the same time, the French oak staves permit some micro-oxidation to occur that gives depth and complexity to the wine. Frequently changing the oak staves gives to the wine a cleaner, purer mouthfeel. The wine is unfiltered and nitrogen bottled to minimize sulfite development.
As tasted, it's a young wine, deep violet in color with dark ruby highlights, full of black raspberries, leather, cherry, espresso, and ample vanilla, with intense fruit and bright acidity. It is definitely not a classic Brunello di Montalcino, as it has a lighter body and the fruit aromas are much more pronounced, almost like a New World wine. But, I can see it developing a following as it straddles Old and New World winemaking.
Considering the current economic climate in the United States, launching a new wine, even for a well-known producer/importer, can be regarded as a gamble. However, at a suggested retail price of $39, it could also be considered as a good bargain by Brunello aficionados used to paying much more for a quality bottle.
© May 2009 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.
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