The results of the 2018 Sommelier Challenge are in, and Castello Banfi was named Winery of the Year, Imported.
At the same competition Brunello di Montalcino Poggio alle Mura 2013, with a Platinum medal and 97 points, won Wine of the Year, Imported as well as Best Red Wine and Best Brunello di Montalcino.
Competition executive director Robert Whitley wrote this in his nationally syndicated wine column: "I made note of more than 30 of the biggest winners and have chosen seven, a magnificent seven, to feature this week. These wines are a diverse group in terms of origin and price, but there is a common denominator that ties them all together: stunning quality.
Castello Banfi 2013 Brunello di Montalcino 'Poggio Alle Mura,' Tuscany, Italy — The 2013 vintage was a banner year for Castello Banfi. Its flagship Brunello di Montalcino made an impressive showing at the 2018 Critics Challenge, where it was named imported wine of the year. Its 2013 cru Brunello, Poggio Alle Mura, produced from vines planted close by and around the medieval Banfi castle, is equally good, if not better. This is a suave Brunello that exhibits fine tannins, deep notes of cherry and plum, and just a hint of wood spice despite two years in French oak. And at $100 a bottle, it could well be underpriced! Rating: 98”
Judges for the Sommelier Challenge are somms and wine buyers from some of the most celebrated restaurants across the USA.
Here are the other Best in Shows:
Best Dessert Wine
2017 Rosa Regale, Brachetto d'Acqui DOCG | Platinum with 94 points
Best Chianti
2013 Fonte Alla Selva Gran Selezione, Chianti Classico DOCG |Platinum with 94 points
2015 Fonte Alla Selva, Chianti Classico Chianti Classico DOCG | Gold with 92 points
2014 Banfi Chianti Classico Riserva, Chianti Classico DOCG | Goldwith 90 points
2017 San Angelo Pinot Grigio, Toscana IGT | Gold with 90 points