When the Italian-American brothers John and Harry Mariani arrived in Montalcino in 1978 and founded Banfi, they laid the first stone in transforming the land of Brunello. Thanks to their collaboration with Ezio Rivella, they ushered in a new era for Italian wine. Just a year later, their horizons expanded with the acquisition of the historic Bruzzone winery, introducing the Piedmontese sparkling wine tradition into the Banfi world. From that moment on, Banfi Piemonte became a benchmark for quality sparkling wines from the region. It’s no coincidence that, in the early 1990s, Banfi was among the key players in the Alta Langa project, which culminated in 2008 with the recognition of the Docg. Today, the winery continues to interpret the Metodo Classico with rigor and creativity, enriching its range with labels that tell the story of time, the vocation of Piedmont’s hills, and the beauty of a unique territory—as demonstrated by the new Cuvée Aurora Blanc de Blancs.
WineCouture’s Tasting of Alta Langa Docg by Banfi
Exploring Alta Langa Docg through Banfi is a journey into nuances and complexity. The tasting lineup began with Cuvée Aurora Extra Brut 2020 (disgorged 4/25), 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, Metodo Classico aged 36 months on the lees: a studied mix of saline notes, freshness, and well-integrated acidity.
Next came Cuvée Aurora Rosé Extra Brut 2021 (disgorged 4/25), made exclusively from Pinot Noir with brief skin maceration: fruity, floral, indulgent, with a dense and consistent mousse—perfect for aperitif, a true ode to pleasure.
Then, Cuvée Aurora Blanc de Noirs 2017 (disgorged 6/23), 100% Pinot Noir vinified as white, aged 60 months on the lees: complex, austere, with hints of yeast, bread, and citrus, finishing slightly bitter and elegantly smoky.
Finally, the showpiece of Banfi’s Alta Langa Docg: Cuvée Aurora Riserva 100 Mesi 2020 (disgorged 10/22), 85% Pinot Noir and 15% Chardonnay, available only in Magnum format and, as the name suggests, aged 100 months on the lees: layered, gourmet, with honeyed notes and a striking freshness chiseling its finish.
The Big News: The Debut of Cuvée Aurora Blanc de Blancs
The Alta Langa Docg family at Banfi is now complete with the launch of Cuvée Aurora Blanc de Blancs, unveiled in Milan on November 4.
A Metodo Classico Pas Dosé, 100% Chardonnay, aged 60 months on the lees, expressing the purity of Alta Langa’s calcareous-clay hills.
In the glass, the perlage is fine and persistent, while the palate is elegant, complex, and harmonious, with delicate freshness and captivating sapidity.
The label reflects the Liberty style of the Alta Langa Banfi line, an aesthetic language celebrating harmony between art and nature.
Highlighting the importance of this new release, Rodolfo Maralli, President of Banfi, stated:
“The Alta Langa project is the ultimate representation of Banfi’s Piedmontese Metodo Classico production, and the launch of Blanc de Blancs fills the only gap left in the range, strengthening Banfi’s presence in the premium sparkling wine segment.”
Tasting Banfi’s Alta Langa is not just savoring great sparkling wines: it’s entering a story made of hills, patience, and craftsmanship. Each glass is a fragment of a narrative balancing technical rigor and pleasure. From the first sip of Extra Brut to the complexity of Riserva 100 Mesi, and finally the purity of Blanc de Blancs, it’s a crescendo celebrating the beauty of Metodo Classico and Piedmont’s finest bubbles—an experience that leaves freshness on the palate and the certainty in the mind that time, when well spent, becomes art in a bottle.
