Banfi makes this in Montalcino, in southern Tuscany, from a blend that has nothing to do with the region's famous reds. Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay go into the same bottle, which is not a combination anyone in France would sanction and not one Tuscany worries about. The result is a white built for the table rather than the cellar.
- Tuscany IGT, the region's flexible tier.
- Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay.
- 2022, a warm vintage across central Italy.
- 12.5% alcohol, light body, dry.
- Medium acidity, low tannin.
How it is made
Tuscany IGT is the appellation that lets a producer plant what it likes and blend what it likes. It sits below the DOC and DOCG tiers, which carry rules about grapes and ageing. Banfi built its reputation on Brunello di Montalcino, a red with some of the strictest rules in Italy. This is the other side of the same estate.
How it tastes
Citrus and green apple first, then white peach, with a mineral streak running through it. The finish is crisp and short rather than rich. Medium acidity keeps it lifted, and the low tannin and light body make it a quiet wine rather than a loud one.
Where it comes from
Tuscany is better known for Sangiovese and for reds that need a decade. White wine has always been made here too, mostly for drinking young, and the IGT tier is where the experimental blends live. Montalcino sits inland and south, warmer than the coast, which shows in the ripeness of the fruit.
Good to know
Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc are rarely planted side by side in Italy. The first belongs to the north east, the second to the north east and to France. Putting them together with Chardonnay is a deliberate move away from tradition, and the IGT label is what makes it legal.
