Banfi Summus 2020
£53.75
The wine
The first Supertuscan ever produced in Montalcino, made since 1985. Intense fruit is accompanied by notes of jam, spice, coffee and tobacco. Well structured and elegant, with noticeable yet sweet tannins carrying through a long finish.
Summus was the first Supertuscan produced in Montalcino, made continuously since 1985. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are joined by Syrah, which was an unusual choice at the time and remains uncommon in the zone. It is aged in French oak barrique for around two years. The Supertuscans were born as vini da tavola because their blends fell outside appellation law, and were often the finest wines their makers produced.
The producer
Banfi
View all Banfi winesBrothers John and Harry Mariani bought land at Montalcino in 1978 and, working with the winemaker Ezio Rivella, built one of the most ambitious estates in Tuscany. Banfi now farms around 850 hectares of vineyard on the southern side of the hill, making it by some distance the largest single holding in the appellation.
What sets it apart is the research. From 1980 the estate ran a programme of zonation studies, mapping soils and exposures plot by plot and trialling hundreds of Sangiovese clones to establish which slopes suited the grape best. That work underpins the single-vineyard Brunellos: Poggio alle Mura from the land around the medieval castle, Vigna Marrucheto, and Poggio all'Oro, released only in the greatest years. Banfi also made the first Supertuscan in Montalcino, Summus, in 1985.
Sustainability is taken seriously rather than decoratively. The estate holds Equalitas certification at both organisational and product level, and the Poggio all'Oro 2016 was the first Brunello ever to earn it. Banfi entered the Top 100 of the World's Best Vineyards in 2025.
