Wine of the Week: 2009 Banfi Belnero Proprietor's Reserve

Time for another wine of the week, this time in the spot-light is the 2009 Banfi's Belnero Proprietor's Reserve, which was sent for the wine review process [aka, a sample]. I feel bad for all my fellow vino-sapiens on the East Coast, whose last thought about right now, is uncorking a rich bottle of red wine like this one, triple digit heat plus high humidity is no picnic, you have my apologies in advance, as this review won't be much help in finding something to help you cool off.

But for all you folks reading this; enjoying the rather cool, calm and relaxed summer weather here on the West Coast, it's time to prepare your favorite Italian cuisine, uncork a few bottles of this extremely well made and mouth-watering Tuscan masterpiece, enjoy. Don't miss this folks, this could be the Tuscan wine-experience you've been waiting for, it will wow you at every twist and turn.

While it's appealing and approachable right away from the bottle, I'd recommend some decanter time. In the glass a brilliant, but dark ruby colored core awaits your first eye-contact and invites slurping with reckless abandon, oh-my. On the nose you’ll find plenty of dark, rich ripe plum, dark cherry, mocha and fun floral aromas to entice the first slurp. After the first splash down, a boat load dark and red fruits, licorice, a pluck of sweet tobacco in the background, stay with you from the mid-palate to the deep and long lasting finish.

This wine has bright acidity, making it a food pairing champion, this wine is chameleon enough to blend with just about anything you could throw at it, so don't be afraid to experiment and explore many different options. This folks is how you do it, classic Toscana style and elegance, dressed to impress from the moment it's uncorked. Buy this one by the case and never look back, it can cost anywhere from $30 to $40 per bottle, but in my opinion it's well worth the price of admission.

Banfi says; this wine is almost exclusively a Sangiovese blend, which was fermented in their patented temperature controlled oak barrels, aged for 14 months before being nitrogen bottled unfiltered in an effort to minimize sulfites. The grapes were harvested from their estate vineyards, in the southern hills of Montalcino. However you slice, this is a wonderfully well made wine, which I know will put a smile on any vino-sapiens face, save any of the fussy-pants set who has built-in disdain for any wine over 13% abv.

Looking for pairing recommendations? Well as I mentioned above briefly I paired this wine with Manicotti; a recipe I found online that uses crepes, a basic marinara sauce and three different cheeses. If you like to follow the recipe I used to create my own so-call masterpiece, click on this link and enjoy.

I really love the label-art as well, just fantastic. So what are you waiting for, get out there and order some, because this tasty 2009 Belnero Proprietors Reserve; is ready to be uncorked, commanding a drink often and drink now recommendation. I’m giving this wine a score of 91 points. Until next time folks, sip long and prosper cheers!