Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/490558
46 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } APRIL/MAY 2015 ferent sub-zones of clay, rock, sand and limestone soils. The first poly-clonal vineyards were planted in the early 1990s.Clones BF 30, Janus 10 and Janus 50 were used to produce the first vintage of Poggio alle Mura (the 1997 vintage), which we sampled at the Montage tasting. "And beyond the clones, every other detail you can imagine has been thought of," explained Mariani-May to the buyers at the Montage, "even the maximum number of plants per acre, which happens to be 1,700." And to emphasize the diversity and richness of Castello Banfi's soils, Mariani-May shared the story of unearthing an intact whale skeleton, miraculously discovered at 1,000 feet in elevation—a fossil dating back to the Pliocene Era (5.3 to 23 million years ago). "So when people ask me, 'What makes Banfi's wine so special?' I say it's our whale." Extreme Innovation In addition to Castello Banfi's commitment to low-input and organic farming, reduced greenhouse effects, erosion control, water conservation and maintaining biodiversity in the fields sur- rounding their vineyards, one of the biggest innovations to come out of their relentless efforts to be the "rising tide that raises all boats" is their invention of a hybrid fermenter. "All the sides are wood staves," explained Mariani-May, "so it's the most amount of contact you can have with wood, consider- ing that the top and bottom is stainless, allowing for temperature control and easy cleaning of the bottom of the tank. We know that fermenting in wood is the best for the wine and we have very high standards." The patent for this hybrid tank technology has been released on the open market and it's likely more of them will begin to make appearances in wineries around the world. The Tasting: Single Components, Completed Masterworks With the backstory in mind and details on Castello Banfi's efforts at producing the best Brunello it can make, we set about to tasting wine. Some early questions arose about modern winemak- ing techniques and alcohol levels being too high, but Dame was quick to remind the tast- ers to ask whether the wine is in balance—and if so, why complain? Others were curious about decanting at a restaurant. Both Dame and Paul Sherman from Valentino agreed that it is good to decant, but the wine should be tasted immediately so that, as Sherman commented, "You experience it through its life changes." To demonstrate the microcosm of differing qualities expressed from various vineyards, we began the tasting with four single-vineyard Sangiovese blending samples, all 2013 vintage wines from the Mandrielle, Sorrena, Biadaioli and Poggioni vineyards—all estate properties. Dame swirled, sniffed, sipped and started the tasting with his thoughts on the Mandrielle sample: A Toast to Brunello at Valentino—and a Surprise Visit from Dario Cecchini In February, restaurateur Piero Selvaggio, owner of celebrated Valentino in Los Angeles, and the Conzorio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino hosted the only West Coast "Leccio d'Oro" gala dinner—designed by Selvaggio and Chef Luciano Pellegrini—to honor the 2010 Brunello vintage. "Brunello lets you understand that it is there—it expands in the plate. Our job is to let people know that these wines are not just big chewy wines—they have grace." That's what Luciano Castiello, Brand Ambassador for Banfi, was saying to an acutely interested group of journalists . . . when suddenly there came forth a chorus of horns, applause and a brief calm before a storm. Enter Dario Cecchini, the famous butcher from Panzano in Chianti and sudddenly 75 passionate con- sumers, collectors, critics and sommeliers were treated to a sounding of Cecchini's famous horn. "This is such a surprise!" beamed a glowing Selvaggio. "I never imagined that one of the most famous Italians would be here tonight, and I didn't stage it! Since we are honoring Montalcino and Tuscany and he's the king of Tuscany—what an appropriate evening this is!" A splendid multi-course menu with Brunello pair- ings—including the Banfi 2010 Cum Laude, which exuded gorgeous black fruit, licorice, cedar and mineral- ity—made for a memorable evening, especially for Selvaggio, who some two decades prior had hosted a similar soirée with Chef Pellegrini at Castello Banfi in Tuscany. At the tasting: Piero Selvaggio (foreground), pro- prietor of Valentino, in Santa Monica, CA; Chef Celestino Drago (with glasses) of Drago Centro in Downtown Los Angeles; and Chef Calogero Drago (blue sweater) of Celestino Pasadena. Castello Banfi 2010 Poggio alle Mura Riserva. The vintage is being called the best in 200 years by some critics.