Banfi makes this in the rolling hills south of Montalcino, in Tuscany, from two grapes that rarely share a bottle. Chardonnay gives the weight and the quiet floral top note, Pinot Grigio gives the cut. Le Rime means "the rhymes", and the name is the point: two varieties, one line.
Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio, blended.
Tuscany, from the hills around Montalcino.
2018, a warm, generous vintage across central Italy.
Fermented cool to hold the aromatics.
Light bodied, dry, high in acidity.
How it is made
Both varieties are picked and vinified separately, then blended once the wines are clear. Fermentation runs cool and slow, which is what keeps the floral notes in the glass instead of blowing them off. No oak, so nothing sits between the fruit and the drinker.
How it tastes
Crisp and harmonious, with refreshing acidity running through it. Subtle floral aromas up front, then green apple and a soft citrus edge, and a clean finish that does not linger heavily. The Chardonnay fills the middle; the Pinot Grigio keeps the whole thing tight.
Where it comes from
Tuscany is red wine country first, Sangiovese above all, so a white blend from here is a deliberate choice rather than a tradition. The hills south of Montalcino sit higher and cooler than the Chianti zone, which is what makes white varieties viable at all. Banfi farms widely across the region, and this is one of the few bottles where the white grapes get the same attention as the reds.
Good to know
Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay are the two most planted white grapes on earth, and almost never blended together in Italy. The pairing is more common in Alsace, where Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc are routinely married. Le Rime borrows that logic and applies it to a Tuscan cellar.
Contains alcohol.
