ExcelsuS
⏳ Drinking Window
2026 - 2042
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Grilled prime ribeye steak, slow-braised wild boar or beef ragu, and aged cheeses such as Pecorino Toscano.
✨ Technical Specifications
Castello Banfi, founded in 1978 by the Italian-American Mariani brothers, revolutionized the viticultural landscape of Montalcino. While the estate is world-renowned for its Brunello, ExcelsuS represents their premier exploration of Bordeaux varieties in Tuscan soil. Crafted from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, this Super Tuscan is born from estate vineyards characterized by clay and calcareous soils strewn with marine fossils. The grapes undergo temperature-controlled fermentation in Banfi's signature hybrid wood-and-steel tanks, followed by aging for roughly 18 to 24 months in French oak barriques. The result is a wine of immense structure and complexity, marrying the rich, dark-fruit character of Cabernet with the velvety softness of Merlot, all framed by Tuscan warmth.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1978 by Italian-American brothers John and Harry Mariani alongside consulting enologist Ezio Rivella, Banfi transformed the viticultural landscape of southern Tuscany. Centered around the medieval fortress of Castello di Poggio alle Mura in Montalcino, the estate spans over 2,800 hectares, with approximately one-third under vine. The soils present a complex mosaic of calcareous clay, sand, and marine deposits along the Orcia and Ombrone river valleys, exposed to warm Mediterranean breezes and balanced diurnal shifts. Pioneers of rigorous Sangiovese clonal zoning, Banfi has expanded beyond Montalcino into classic regions across Tuscany and Piedmont. Certified sustainable under the Equalitas standard, the producer combines technological precision with meticulous parcel selection. While renowned globally for benchmark Brunello di Montalcino, Banfi exhibits equal dexterity across diverse white and sparkling expressions, ranging from traditional-method Alta Langa and Cuvée Aurora sparkling cuvées to coastal Vermentino like La Pettegola and crisp, mineral-inflected Cortese from Piedmont.