Banfi Col di Sasso Cabernet Sauvignon Sangiovese Toscana IGT

750 ml | Alcohol/Vol: 

Castello Banfi was built from nothing in 1978, when Italian-American brothers John and Harry Mariani — whose family had already run one of the largest wine import businesses in the US since 1919 — bought land in the then-overlooked hills south of Montalcino and set out to prove what the region could become. They restored a 13th-century fortress as the estate's centerpiece and, over the following decades, helped turn Brunello di Montalcino into one of Italy's most recognized wines. The estate remains family-run today under third-generation CEO Cristina Mariani-May.

Col di Sasso — "Stony Hill" — comes from the rockiest, most rugged slopes of the Banfi estate, planted on calcareous, well-drained soil. Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese are picked and vinified separately, with a brief six-to-eight-day maceration that pulls good color without weighing down the wine's freshness, before the two are blended — Cabernet for body and structure, Sangiovese for lift and zesty red fruit. The result is ruby red with purple hues, its bouquet built on black cherry and spice; the palate is soft-tannined and generous, with persistent black-fruit flavor and a whisper of smoke on the finish. An easy, versatile red — pour it with pizza, pasta, grilled meats, or roast poultry.