GREAT ITALIAN WINES TASTING
Sangiovese "Grosso" Grapes: Blended
Castello Banfi
Montalcino (Siena)
	Banfi in Montalcino has for many years been a fundamental landmark for the world of winegrowing. Defined at the time as "the greatest project ever undertaken in the production of quality wines," Banfi was founded in 1978 by Italian-American brothers, John and Harry Mariani, owners of Banfi Vintners, one of the most important U.S. wine importing company, along with a partner, the eminent Italian oenologist, Cav. Lav. Ezio Rivella. The company is located on the southern slopes of the Montalcino area, in one of the most evocative and characteristic settings in Tuscany.      Banfi currently operates 2,830 hectares of which more than 800 are specialist vineyards, first and foremost with local Sangiovese grosso (Brunello) and Moscadello di Montalcino varieties, but also with significant production of other noble and internationally recognized varieties that have been perfectly integrated into the habitat of Montalcino (Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot).      The most recent awards won by the company demonstrate the major objectives it has achieved: in 2002, Banfi received the Vinitaly Award as the best cellar in Italy for the ninth consecutive year. At the same event, it also won as many as four times the Gran Vinitaly Award as the best international cellar.
The wine: Summus Sant'Antimo DOC 1999
	Grapes used: Sangiovese 40%, Cabernet Sauvignon 40%, Syrah 20% Production Characteristics: the climatic trends for the 1999 vintage can well be defined as "perfect." The harvest took place in the second half of September. Fermentation at controlled tempeature in steel vats (Syrah 5/15° C., Sangiovese 15/35° C., and Cabernet Sauvignon 15/25° C.) excepting 35% Cabernet finished in barrels. Malolactic fermentation "in barrique." The wine was refined in wood for 17 to 20 months (12 month separately nine months as a blend). Battling was performed in May 2002. Alcohol: 13.68% vol.
Presented by Cristina N. Mariani-May
	Family travels for a child can mean adventure and relaxation, but for a young Cristina Mariani-May, it meant informal job training. From the age of seven, she traveled to some of the world's most renowned wine regions with her father, John Mariani, family proprietor of U.S. wine importer Banfi Vintners and the premier Tuscan wine estate, Castello Banfi. Captivated by the travel bug, she rounded her undergraduate education with a year at Georgetown University's campus in Florence, Italy, studying art history, another family passion. After earning her MBA at Columbia University, Cristina returned to the wine world and is now responsible for management of Castello Banfi and the global marketing of its wines. When not traveling to wine venues across Europe, Asia and North America, she divides her time between the Tuscan estate's medieval castle and Banfi Vintner's corporate headquarters in her native Long Island, New York.
Winery
	Banfi, Castello dio Poggio alle Mura 53024 Montalcino (Si) Tel: 39 0577.840111 . Fax: 39 0577.8404444 Email: banfi@banfi.it