It is now official: the Poggio all'Oro 2004 won one of the most prestigious awards in the wine world, the Tre Bicchieri in the 2011 edition of the Guida Vini d'Italia published by Gambero Rosso.

Castello Banfi Poggio all'Oro 2004 won the coveted Tre Bicchieri in the 2011 edition of the Gambero Rosso guide

"A welcome return to the Three Glasses for Brunello Poggio all'Oro Riserva '04, proposed for the first time after the '99 vintage. Very elegant, it has an intense nose, with balsamic notes and blackberry and cherry jam. The tannins are smooth, the progression compelling, for a finish of great persistence."

-Gambero Rosso Wines of Italy 2011

Poggio all'Oro Brunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCG, is a rarity, produced only in excellent vintages. Before the award-winning 2004 vintage, the prestigious Riserva was only produced nine times since 1985, the first year of production.

Great success for the Centine Rosso and the CollePino, two of the most suitable wines for everyday consumption, which receive important recognition in the "Berebene Low Cost 2011" guide by Gambero Rosso, one of the most authoritative and well-established publications in the sector: a guide aimed at wine enthusiasts who, ever more attentive to the quality-price balance, do not want to renounce high quality in the selection of the best products.

Red and CollePino ribs

The CollePino received the quality-price premium while the Centine Rosso, historical house brand Banfi, receives the prestigious national quality-price awardan award given to six wines throughout Italy!

These wines, an expression of the genuine and authentic character of the Tuscan land, are produced with selected grapes from the specialised estate vineyards as well as from the most suitable areas of the region.

Products that, thanks to their character and freshness, are suitable for daily consumption without ever renouncing the style and quality standard guaranteed by Banfi.

Wine Enthusiast, one of the most influential wine magazines, awarded the Poggio all'Oro 2004 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva with 95/100, also ranking it among the 100 best wines of the year for long ageing.

Poggio all'oro 2004 awarded by Wine Enthusiast

Castello Banfi's 2004 Riserva received particularly flattering opinions from the prestigious American magazine for its complex yet balanced structure, marked personality and extraordinary consistency.

Since 1985, the first year of production, Poggio all'Oro Brunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCG has only been produced nine times.

Great success for the Poggio all'Oro 2004 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCGan emblem of the best Banfi tradition, which has been awarded the 5 Grappoli in the prestigious guide published by Bibenda, Duemilavini 2011.

5 bunches for the Poggio all'Oro 2004 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCG

The exceptional Riserva from the prestigious Moltacino winery, is the fruit of one of the best harvests of recent years, which has in fact yielded a powerful and structured wine, both in terms of aromas and structure, with great ageing potential.

On 15 November at the Hotel Cavalieri Hilton in Rome, the award ceremony for the Five Bunchesevent at which the Five Kisses Chefs' Five Drops and the Restaurant of the Year award will also be presented.

Exactly one century after the production of the first vintage, the Champagne House Joseph Perrier is launching two new, highly prized vintage cuvées, a Rosé and a Blanc de Blancs.

The first vintage available will be 2002, an exceptional vintage that produced very fruity champagnes with intense and persistent aromatic notes and a very strong personality.

Joseph Perrier: two new vintage wines for the prestigious Champagne House

Great attention has been paid to the packaging, and the two new labels will be presented in a truly unique bottle, reminiscent of those used during the Victorian era. Jean-Claude Fourmon, owner of Joseph Perrier, took his cue from a bottle of the Maison dating back to the 1860s, labelled 'Ay Mousseux' - at that time, in fact, the term Champagne was not used on a regular basis.

The bottle has an absolutely exclusive style and two distinguishing features: it has a flat bottom and decorative bubbles around the base.

The Cuvée Blanc de Blancs Millésimée 2002 and the Cuvée Rosé Millésimée 2002 will be presented on 4 October in a tasting event to be held at the evocative walls of Banfi Castle.

The two new labels, available from Christmas 2010, join the pre-existing Cuvée Royale Brut Millesimée and the Josephine, which together with the Cuvées Royale Brut, Demi-Sec, Rosé and Blanc de Blancs complete the entire range of Champagne Joseph Perrier, distributed exclusively in Italy by Banfi Distribuzione.

A memorable event will be held on 15 September in the beautiful setting of Castello Banfiwhere guests will have the opportunity to taste prestigious labels signed and distributed by the well-known Montalcino winery.

The excellence of Castello Banfi... At Castello Banfi!

The tasting will be itinerant right inside the medieval walls of the Poggio alle Mura Castle with three different moments of tasting and discussion.

In fact, it will begin in the castle courtyard with a tasting of labels from the Champagne Joseph Perrier, the fine Maison distributed exclusively in Italy by Castello Banfi, paired with sushi by Hiro (Osteria di Mezzo di Buonconvento).

We will then move to the Glass and Bottle Museum, where the great wines of Palari, the famous Sicilian company that recently became part of the Banfi family, will be presented together with typical Sicilian dishes.

The evening will conclude in the magical atmosphere of the castle's inner rooms with a vertical tasting of Poggio all'Oro, the prized Brunello di Montalcino Riserva produced by Banfi from a single vineyard and only in vintages considered excellent, which will be offered in combination with typical Montalcino dishes prepared by Riccardo Cappelli, chef of the Taverna Banfi.

During the evening, in addition to the Banfi team, Jean Claude Fourmon and Salvatore Geraci, respectively owners of the prestigious Maison Joseph Perrier and the well-known Palari winery, will be present.

Castello Banfi è presente sul numero di settembre dell’edizione italiana di Traveller, la famosa rivista del gruppo Condé Nast dedicata ai viaggi.

Castello Banfi in the September issue of Traveller, Condé Nast, Italian edition

Ancora una volta, la rinomata tenuta montalcinese, famosa in tutto il mondo per i suoi vini ed in particolare per il Brunello di Montalcino, viene menzionata come una delle più esclusive cantine, dove poter assaporare in pieno la magica atmosfera della vendemmia e godere della serenità della campagna toscana, soggiornando presso l’esclusivo resort Il Borgo di Castello Banfi.

In Toscana lo scenario degli hotel di campagna è cambiato molto rapidamente dal 1960, quando la guida Michelin per l’Italia non aveva indicato nemmeno una struttura nella zona del Chianti. Nonostante il boom delle strutture ricettive degli anni 1970, 1980 e 1990, la scelta si limitava in ogni caso all’agriturismo, inteso come vacanza in fattoria, o ad antiquate ville di campagne che fungevano da hotel. Negli ultimi anni però si è assistito alla nascita di alcuni resort e spa di lusso, ma anche a buone soluzioni di medio livello in cui gli ospiti ricevono un trattamento personalizzato e cordiale.

CASTELLO BANFI IL BORGO

Al centro della più estesa tenuta vitivinicola di Montalcino – fondata da uno dei principali importatori statunitensi  di vino alla fine degli anni ’70 – si erge un meraviglioso castello di epoca medievale. Appena fuori dalle sue mura si trova un grazioso borgo in cui vivevano i lavoratori della tenuta, trasformato adesso in un albergo di 14 camere. A prima vista potrebbe anche apparire un po’ troppo perfetto, ma la perfezione può anche rivelarsi molto piacevole, ed in questo Il Borgo riesce con grande eleganza.

Nelle case ristrutturate del borgo, affacciate sui due lati di un ripido viottolo, ci sono un paio di suite per ciascun lato, oltre ad una (perfetta per la luna di miele) ricavata all’interno di quella che era la scuola elementare del borgo.

L’arredatore di interni Federico Forquet ha optato per una versione colorata ma calda dello stile classico, originario, tipico delle case della campagna toscana, usando tinte ricche e motivi tessili floreali. I bagni (molti dei quali con vasca e doccia a pioggia di grandi dimensioni) sono molto spaziosi, e dotati di una linea cortesia personalizzata Castello Banfi e prodotta con le uve Sangiovese provenienti dai vigneti di proprietà.

La piscina esterna, pur se di piccole dimensioni, offre una vista straordinaria che dalla bassa Val d’Orcia arriva fino al Monte Amiata.

The La Taverna Restaurant, tradizionale e innegabilmente raffinato, è aperto anche di sera – momento meno affollato rispetto all’ora di pranzo.Il castello stesso fa parte dell’hotel, con una sala lettura riservata esclusivamente agli ospiti, in cui è possibile assaporare un aperitivo così come rilassarsi dopo cena, e con un chiostro tipicamente toscano dove si può sedere sotto una graziosa pergola. E nonostante il limitato numero di camere, i servizi offerti – inclusa una piccola sala fitness – sono da albergo a 5 stelle.

Castello Banfi Il Borgo: 00 39 0577 877700

www.castellobanfiwineresort.it

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Montalcino, 3 August 2010 - The Taverna Banfi is once again honoured to receive the prestigious 'Wine Spectator Magazine's Restaurant Award of Excellence', an award given on the basis of the wine list, of which it "offers an excellent selection, coupled with excellent food and competitively priced."

Wine Spectator, regarded as one of the most influential international trade magazines, awards the prize of excellence each year to just under 3,000 restaurants worldwide.

Taverna Banfi awarded with excellence by Wine Spectator

The Taverna, located under the vaults of the old cellars of the medieval castle of Poggio alle Mura where the large wooden barrels used to age Brunello di Montalcino once rested, presents traditional Montalcino and Tuscan dishes, enhanced by the freshness and simplicity of local ingredients.

Its selection of hors d'oeuvres, first courses, meat, fish and desserts is prepared according to local tradition and is inspired by the seasonality of local products; three-, four- or five-course tasting menus are available, as well as an extensive à la carte menu.

Always open for lunch, the Taverna Banfi opens its doors to visitors who are also pleased to stay for dinner between April and November. On one side of the Taverna it is still possible to admire the castle dungeon, where bottled vintages from 1960 to 1970 are stored, while the other side offers a breathtaking view of the Tuscan landscape below.

At the nearby Enoteca it is also possible to taste excellent local cheeses and classic Tuscan ham paired with Banfi wines. There is also an important selection of art books, dedicated to the world of wine, cuisine, Tuscan history and architecture, as well as various ceramic, glass and jewellery objects produced by our local artisans.

Visitors are also invited to visit the Bottle and Glass Museum, named after Giovanni F. Mariani, which houses the largest private collection of Roman glass in the world, as well as to participate in the guided tours, available daily, of the Banfi cellars.

The Taverna Banfi offers its services both to visitors passing through and to guests of Castello Banfi - Il Borgo, the hotel structure adjacent to the castle offering 14 luxurious rooms and suites.

Weddings or special events can also be organised within the castle walls. Reservations are possible by contacting reservation@banfi.it or via the website www.banfi.it.

From Robin Eubanks to Avion Travel, eight great concerts celebrating jazz and great wine.

Jazz & Wine in Montalcino, one of the longest-running events on the Italian music scene, was born in 1998 from the collaboration between Castello Banfi, the well-known Montalcino winery, the cultural association Jazz & Image of Rome and the Municipality of Montalcino. Also this 13th edition will propose, as usual, an extremely rich and heterogeneous programme that will range over different musical languages, with particular attention to the great female voices of Jazz.

On Wednesday 14 July, the opening concert will be held within the evocative walls of Castello Banfi and will feature a quartet of absolute international calibre: Robin Eubanks with Pippo Matino 4tet, a truly special encounter between the great American trombonist and one of Italy's most interesting electric bassists.

Castello Banfi and Jazz & Wine in Montalcino (13th edition): the programme

From 15 July, the festival will move, as tradition has it, to the splendid 14th-century fortress of Montalcino with the unmissable "piano solo" by Danilo Rea, one of the most elegant and eclectic protagonists of the jazz scene and beyond. Maria Joao duo, on 16 July, will open the triptych of female voices that will accompany the entire first weekend in Montalcino. Portuguese from Lisbon, with a peculiar and biting timbre, she boasts many years of experience alongside the greatest interpreters of international jazz. On Saturday 17 July, the splendid voice of Rossana Casale, accompanied by her quartet, will return to the Montalcino stage with the project 'The Wine Concert and Readings', absolutely in keeping with the spirit and roots of the festival. The first week will close on 18 July with Roberta Gambarini 4tet, one of the most appreciated and established female voices abroad thanks to her undeniable improvisational abilities and an interpretative technique of absolute level.

The Mirabassi-Renzi-Parker Trio will open the second week of the festival on Thursday 22 July with a concert that promises to be the perfect fusion of three great personalities of the international jazz scene. Then, on 23 July, it will be the turn of another great trio of refined elegance and great experience, the Pietropaoli-DeVito-Mazzariello with their concert-tribute to Joni Mitchell.On 24 July, the festival will close with the "Avion Travel" orchestra, who will play the best of their latest works: Danson Metropoli and Nino Rota, l'amico magico.

For the thirteenth consecutive year, two such intimate and intense pleasures, jazz music and great quality wine, are celebrating their exciting encounter in Montalcino, the symbolic town of Brunello, with increasing success.

For information contact: Pro-Loco Montalcino - tel. 0577 849331 - Email: info@prolocomontalcino.it

Marketing Banfi - tel. 0577 840 111- Email: marketing@banfi.it

Concerts: 9.45 p.m. - tickets 10.00/13.00 euro - presale c/o Proloco Montalcino