I tried replying to an existing topic, but the WS boards are having some sort of database issue... So I'm going to type this up for the third and last time! *grumble*

Background: I went to the Banfi Estate in Montalcino from Florence while on my honeymoon, and had a fabulous five-course wine tasting lunch. They kept pouring the wine for the course until we finished it, so we had to hang around for a while after lunch! (Get a reservation ahead of time.)

Fortunately, the grounds are beautiful and peaceful... the air clean... the staff was great. They have a glass museum. All we lacked was a pair of hammocks on which to nap. Despite being a tourist stop of sorts, it's not at all like the "Disneyland" some people have called it in my opinion. We didn't tour the very big winery, which we spotted in another location.

There was a debate about how good a value buying wines at the Estate was... I think the deals were very good. I'll put the numbers below and let you decide.

After the wine, I put the price I paid in Euros and US dollars, and then I put the best price I could find using wineaccess.com as a comparison.

Even without considering shipping, the Estate prices beat the US prices across the board. And the availability of larger formats was a bonus.

1) 1999 Brunello di Montalcino (94pts)
- 32Eu/$39.04
- [$39.95 on sale in CA]

2) 1999 Brunello di Montalcino (1.5L) (94pts)
- 66Eu/$80.52
- [not available]

3) 1999 Brunello Poggio alla Mura (94pts)
- 43Eu/$52.46
- [not yet available in US]

4) 1998 Brunello Poggio alla Mura (93pts)
- 43Eu/$52.46
- [$76.99 from NY]

5) 1997 Brunello Poggio al'Oro (96pts)
- 65Eu/$79.30
- [$89.95 from CA]

6) 2002 Rosso di Montalcino
- 13Eu/$15.86
- [$18.49 for previous vintage from NY]

7) 2002 Florus
- 14.50Eu/$17.69
- [not available]

We got the six 750's in a beautiful flat box branded with pictures of the estate. The 1.5L came in its own nice box.

Bottom line- I think Banfi is a great destination, and I certainly think their prices were good - certainly not ripoffs.

Futronic mentioned that the prices may be better at shops in Montalcino.

I think compared to what you see in the States those are decent prices, but I agree with futronic--the many, many stores in Montalcino have better deals. If you go back, find a good size Conad (Not sure if that is the right name), but it is one of the major grocery store chains. There is one in Montepulciano that has amazing deals on really great wines--BdMs as well as Vino Nobile (18E for the 98' Banfi BdM--only a few of those)--I also found those prices to fluctuate considerably based on location--

And I second the rave on lunch at La Taverna--a little pricey, but worth it.

Lentini, did Banfi ship the wine to your home address by air or did you carry it on board on a return flight home? I see you mention the costs of shipping but don't know if that is something you paid as an extra charge for luggage on a return flight home or what. In the summer of 2006 we're going to Tuscany, Rome, and the Isle of Capri, would like to buy some wines but don't know about dragging our purchases around with us for a 3 week trip with hot cars, inconvenience, etc. So, if you have any useful tips on the matter, please post. Thanks.

we did the dinner on our honeymoon(a short 2 years ago). made reservations months in advance. we were the only people there. i had expected it to be a zoo... not that i'm complaining. it was fantastic! but we didn't buy anything, as we found much better deals elsewhere. about the same as buying winery direct here.
dhg, you most certainly do not wanna be hauling any wine around with you during a tuscan summer. i have no tips to share, i didn't ship anything back....

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www.mojorib.com

Thank you, TBird! It must have been a fantastic trip for you. When we go, it will be for our 25th anniverary. Banfi's web site indicates its restaurant is a 1 star Michelin restaurant, and to have had it to yourself with your new bride must have been a treasured memory.

I think we had a total of 12 bottles, one of them a 1.5L.

We checked the Banfi six-pack wooden box in a soft sided bag in amongst clothing. It got a minor crack from being thrown around, but all the wine was fine.

We carried all the other bottles (five plus the 1.5L in its own box) in our carry-ons.

We put down everything we had on our declaration forms coming back into the US, but no customs official made any comment about the wine or paying a customs fee for being over our alcohol limit or anything. They were far more concerned with what food we brought back.

Having gone through the process, I would take a carry-on with me that would hold the bottles a little more conveniently (and be a pull bag since they are heavy). There are bags specially designed for that purpose. And I would take as much as I could carry or fit... without worrying about customs. Anything I checked I would pack really well to absorb impacts.

I missed one of your questions:

We never ran into a situation where we would have had to leave bottles in a hot car.

I'd consider taking a cheap styro cooler or insulated bottle holder if you have a day where you'll hit a few wineries and have the car in the sun.

At worst (everyone we met was so nice...) I'd just consider bringing my bottles inside with me at the next stop and asking them to stick it behind a counter until you left, so they wouldn't get cooked in the car. I don't picture them getting offended at that.

Thanks, Lentini. If you should see this reply, did Banfi offer any kind of service to ship your wines for you by air, and, if so, at what costs if you should recall?

I want to buy some wine when I'm over there but I just don't know about toting it with me for several days while touring. Perhaps the thing we do is plan our trip to end in Tuscany with a few places specifically in mind, such as Banfi, for purchases a couple days or so at most before we would otherwise depart.

quote:

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Originally posted by DHGOYINS:
at what costs if you should recall?

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Generally shipping a case of wine from Italy to the States will cost about 130 euro ($156 right now). It can cost more or less depending on who you use to ship it, but not much less. I've never looked into it beyond this because at those costs I just won't ship it.

As for Banfi offering shipping services, I don't know. If you're willing to pay those prices for shipping wine though, you're probably better off going through one of the online retailers in Italy, then you can order whatever and whenever you want it.

Banfi will NOT ship any wine from the estate. They will refer you to their resellers in the US.

If you wanted to ship Banfi wines, I would buy the wine and ship it through a retailer in town (Montalcino/Sienna/Florence), but I don't have any wisdom as to how to arrange it or how much it would cost.

quote:

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Originally posted by DHGOYINS:
Thank you, TBird! It must have been a fantastic trip for you. When we go, it will be for our 25th anniverary. Banfi's web site indicates its restaurant is a 1 star Michelin restaurant, and to have had it to yourself with your new bride must have been a treasured memory.

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it was definately an incredible night. much luck to you on yours as well. congrats on 25!

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www.mojorib.com

I was in Italy just last week and noted that the Duty free shop at the Milan airport had the 1999 Banfi BdM for 32 euro, I opted not to buy it seeing as how the hassle of lugging it back wasnt worth the few nickles and dimes I would save.

I did end up bring back 3 bottles of the 1999 Frescobaldi BdM (WS 94 point Cellar Select), plus one bottle given to my gf and I as a gift one night at a restuarant. I carried them onto the plane and must say they felt like lead bricks after awhile!!

quote:

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Originally posted by Looking4Moccagatta2000:
I did end up bring back 3 bottles of the 1999 Frescobaldi BdM (WS 94 point Cellar Select)

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Actually it was 95 points.

I'm surprised that the Duty Free shop had the Banfi at 32 euro; that doesn't sound duty free to me. There are a few places in Naples that are selling the 99 for 27 euro/bottle. 32 euro is full-duty and full retail.