Banfi Belnero Toscana Sangiovese
Banfi Belnero Toscana Sangiovese is a 750mL Toscana IGT red from Castello Banfi in Montalcino, southern Tuscany — a Sangiovese-led blend with international varieties, fermented in the estate's hybrid French oak and stainless Horizon tanks and aged about 14 months in French oak before bottle ageing. First produced in 2005, it is the estate's refined, oak-aged take on Tuscan Sangiovese. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- Size: 750mL
- Blend: Sangiovese with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (producer Italy sheets; proportions vary by vintage)
- Origin: Castello Banfi estate, Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy
- Ageing: About 14 months in French oak (350-litre barrels and large casks), then bottle ageing
- Producer: Banfi (estate founded 1978 in Montalcino)
Sangiovese Meets the International Varieties
Castello Banfi was founded in Montalcino in 1978 by Italian-American brothers John and Harry Mariani, on the back of the family's US importing business dating to 1919. The estate became known for pioneering Sangiovese clonal research, and Belnero — first made in 2005 — is where that research meets Bordeaux varieties grown on the same stony, calcareous Montalcino soils: Sangiovese for the Tuscan core, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot for depth, aged in French oak and bottled unfiltered. Browse more Tuscan and Italian reds on our red wine shelf, explore the wider wine range, or visit the Banfi vendor page.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Cherry jam and prune with gentle vanilla, tobacco and coffee. Palate: Harmonious and full, soft well-balanced tannins under the dark fruit. Finish: Persistent, with the oak spice carrying through.
How to Enjoy
Serve at 16–18°C with red meats, wild game or aged cheeses — the pairings the estate itself recommends — and give it a short decant to let the oak and fruit settle together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Belnero 100% Sangiovese? No. Despite the varietal name on the listing, every producer description frames Belnero as a blend — Sangiovese with international varieties grown in Montalcino. The exact proportions change by vintage and are not published consistently, so none are stated here.
Where is Belnero made? At Castello Banfi's Montalcino estate in southern Tuscany, released as a Toscana IGT rather than under a Montalcino DOCG.
How is it aged? About 14 months in French oak — 350-litre barrels and, in the Italy tech sheets, large casks as well — followed by ageing in bottle.
Montalcino's modern Tuscan blend — order Banfi Belnero online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.