I hate to be that guy, you know, the guy that always 'remembers when' harking back to the good days. That being said, I remember when Centine from Castello Banfi was a new wine. For a frame of reference, let us start with a brief history of Banfi Vintners; being the nerd that I am, I found it interesting.

John Mariani started Banfi Vintners in 1919 in New York City as a wine-importing company. He traveled to Italy in search of Brunello di Montalcino to import. He found it difficult because no producer was interested in selling an American wine to export to the US. Still, he fell in love with the Montalcino region of Tuscany and decided to start his own project. In the following five years, he bought four neighboring estates, accumulating a total of 7,000 acres, which is now the largest contiguous estate in Europe. By the time the vines had been planted, it was also the largest contiguous vineyard in Europe. Today, they produce about 12% of all DOCG Brunello. Castello Banfi in Tuscany was founded in 1978, named after John's aunt, Teodolinda Banfi, who earned a place in papal history by being the first layperson ever to head a pope's household staff (Pope Pius XI.) Never before had a woman, other than a nun, lived in the Sistine Palace.

In 1984, a new DOC classification of wine for the Montalcino region was created, Rosso di Montalcino. Made from younger vines and aged for one year before release, as opposed to four years for Brunello di Montalcino. The results were a vibrant 100% Sangiovese wine, a fresher, more approachable style of wine that can be drunk on release, as well as being fantastic value for money. Banfi seized the opportunity and introduced Centine Rosso di Montalcino in 1985, a youthful expression of its bigger brother Brunello di Montalcino that needs time in your cellar to enjoy. Centine became very popular for Tuscan drinkers, appealing to the everyday wine of choice. As Montalcino wines became more popular, the sourcing of grapes to keep the price affordable for Centine grew outside of Montalcino and was sourced as an IGT wine from Tuscany. If you are interested, Banfi still makes a Rosso di Montalcino for around $30 a bottle, about twice as much as the Centine.

Centine (pronounced CHEN tee nay) takes its name from the small old farmhouse at the estate's entry, which is depicted on the label, lined by Cyprus trees leading up to the Castello Banfi. I am told that the building is now a luxury guesthouse for the estate. The wine has always been and still is one of the best values in Tuscany. The current blend has evolved to 60% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet, and 20% Merlot, which rounds out the original 100% Sangiovese incarnation of this bottle. The wine goes through a brief maceration of seven days and then goes through vinification in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats. The wine is then aged for a short time in French oak barriques, followed by moderate bottle aging. ready to drink upon release. The resulting wine is the ultimate Pizza or Pasta wine.

Intense mauve-red color. The sweet and fruity aromas are accompanied by notes of vanilla. Elegant wine, in which the fullness and softness of the body are well-balanced by a good acidity. Good and persistent finish on the palate.

Due to the wine just being released there are very few reviews, but I expect more to come, judging by past vintages.

The ice cream sundae nose features decadent aromas of vanilla and chocolate drizzled over Luxardo cherries, with mature figs and plume for depth. Tart fruit and indulgent chocolate continues on the palate before a textured candied orange peel finish. Best Buy, Wine Enthusiast 88 pts

Centine, Rosso 2021

Tim, Dena, and I tasted the new vintage of Centine. It is a wine we have tasted many times in past vintages, and this vintage did not disappoint. The first thing we noticed was the vibrant purple color of the wine as we poured it into our glasses—aromas of pomegranate, red fruit, raspberries, and some saddle. In the mouth, there were overwhelming lush flavors of fresh fruit mixed with tart fruit and fine chalky tannins that add to the great acids. It has a long finish that leaves you with dark cherries. Some mentioned this was a couple's bottle. Meaning one bottle is not enough, and you need a couple of them ready to drink. We decided the wine would be great with many different foods: pasta in a red gravy, pizza, poultry, and burgers, to name a few. Dena observed that this wine is cheaper than a burger! As you can probably tell, we all really liked this wine, and at $7 a bottle, it ranks as a steal.

Regular Price: $13.99

*Sale Price is on 12+ bottle purchase

 Wine is packed in a 12-bottle case

 $36 Mail In Rebate on 12 bottles

$7 a bottle final Cost after MIR

*Wine pricing for these wine promotions are held for two weeks after the email offer.

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Cheers!

John Hannum,

Fine & Rare Wine Specialist

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