~ Vineyards on the Castello Banfi estate used for sourcing Summus ~
Last May, I sat down to dinner with Enrico Viglierchio to taste through a few of Castello Banfi’s recent releases. That night, the stand out was clearly the 2015 Summus. At the time, it had only recently been bottled and as a result, its aromas were rather reticent. It’s amazing what a few more months of bottle aging can do.
Summus is Castello Banfi’s leading Super Tuscan. A blend of 40% Sangiovese Grosso, 40% Cabernet and 20% Syrah, the wine is built for aging and often changes personalities as it does so. Catching it in the stage of evolution you prefer comes from experience and knowledge. We explored the wine in depth during this exceptional Vertical Tasting in 2017. Today, we’re focusing on the 2015 which was recently enjoyed over a leisurely dinner at a local Bistro.
~ The wine bar inside the Taverna Castello Banfi is an excellent place to taste some back vintages of Summus ~
The 2015 Castello Banfi Summus is very expressive right now. A deep violet to black color, the aromas of the wine are focused and penetrating. Black plums, fresh brown tobacco, hints of licorice and flaky mineral are easy to discern. With air, increased floral notes become apparent. Needs an hour in a decanter.
On the palate the wine is suave and plush with velvety black plum fruit that coats your palate from front to back. Concentrated and powerful, but across an elegant frame, notes of vanilla, tobacco, cedar and smoke join the ripe core of juicy fruit. As is normally the case, the wine is somewhat dominated by the Cabernet and Syrah in its youth and this vintage is no exception. The Sangiovese generally asserts itself more boisterously once the wine is at least 7 years old. Patience will be rewarded in that case but today, this was drop dead gorgeous with braised short ribs. 95 points. Price varies widely so shop around. About $65. Find this wine.
~ The 2015 Summus is the best vintage of this wine produced since the 2006 ~
Want more coverage of Castello Banfi? See this article: A Night at Castello Banfi for an interesting look at the Castello and grounds overnight.
Salute!
