'94 Banfi Brunello

[Botafogo]

>>The fact that it is relatively forward and not likely to improve for fifteen years doesn't concern me too much. <<

The fact that that is the DEFINITION of a Rosso di Montalcino and that these guys palmed it off as a Brunello instead should concern all of us. The acid test of this zone in iffy vintages (but '94 is not "iffy", it is a typical vintage for classically Italian styled Brunelli, not overripe California styled ones) is this:

"What is the proportion of Rosso to Brunello, assuming you made any Brunello at all?"

Quality producers perform a merciless triage and often make NO Brunello or as little as 10% of normal (which is often STELLAR as in the case of the 94 Cerbaiona), releasing the rest as Rosso or even IGT Toscana while hacks crank it all out as Brunello and give you a "deal" by reducing the price to 150-200% of the price of a top class Rosso.

Banfi has become a "brand" and a mainstay in restaurants and thus "cannot" skip a vintage....

La guerra continua, Roberto