2008 2007 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996
Centine Rosso 2008
Shows clean currant and blackberry flavors. 87 POINTS
James Suckling's Recommended Wines - Wine Spectator
A fruity, red with clean currant and blackberry character on a medium body. This has a pleasant finish.
Winespectator.com
Supple on the palate with lively cherry, mixed berry and earthy notes.
Jeffery Lindenmuth - myrecipes.com
Centine Rosso 2007
A fruity young red, with crushed berry and mineral character on a soft, silky medium-to-full body, with plump fruit and a clean finish. Always good value.– 87 Points.
James Suckling - Wine Spectator - October, 2008
Dark cherry-red color with vanilla, earth, charred oak and red fruit on the nose. Soft yet finishes with mouth drying tannins. Flavors of tart cherries, plum and black fruit.85 Points.
Wine centric - July, 2009
The current economy has made all of us look for bargains. In that vein, try Castello Banfi's 2007 Centine, a delightful blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with uplifting acidity that will complement, not overpower, the bird.
Michael Apstein - winereviewonline.com
Awarded a Gold Medal.
Winemaker Challenge
Great Bargain - Terrific wine under $15
Food & Wine
Exceptional blend: supple, quite rich, full bodied, and well balanced; a wine with smooth texture, and a long finish, tasting of boysenberry, cedar, toast, and red currant. Exceptional - 5 Stars
Restaurant Wine
Bright aromas and flavors of cherry, tart raspberry, cinnamon, and some edgy spice; medium to full bodied with a medium finish.
Sante Magazine - June, 2010
Gold Medal
Critics Challenge International Wine Competition 2010 - July, 2010
Centine Rosso 2005
Sweet red fruit aromas coupled with spice and toasty notes. Attractive redcurrant and cherry flavours, dusty tannins and good acidity. Well balanced with moderate length. Up to 3 years. * * *
DECANTER (UK) - August, 2007
Flavors of cherry, mushroom, and smoked meat are wrapped around a core of spice. Medium bodied with moderate tannins and a slightly bitter finish.
Sante - July, 2008
Flavors of cherry, mushroom, and smoked meat are wrapped around a core of spice. Medium bodied witih moderate tannins and a slightly bitter finish.
Sante - February, 2009
Centine Rosso 2004
"The 20-percent each Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot makes a difference in this Sangiovese-dominant wine with cinnamon, sandal wood, and menthol in the nose. Sweet fruit flavors, black cherry pits and dried herbs; Centine shows some Tuscan character."
David Falchek - Connecticut Beverage Journal - May, 2007
"This vibrant red blend consists of 60 percent Sangiovese and equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Medium-bodied, it offers plenty of bright red berry and plum fruit flavor, enhanced by a subtle but distinctive dusty Italian undertone. Fairly priced, it should show especially well when balmy evenings start inviting you to go outside for early season al fresco suppers. Blends like this tend to be used in more expensive Italian reds, the so-called "super Tuscans." These are usually fuller-bodied and more serious, meaning more firmly structured, as they are built for aging. By contrast, "Centine" is a wine to enjoy young. Vivacity constitutes its charm. At the same time, though, there's nothing thin or watery about this wine. It has plenty of stuffing, enough certainly to complement grilled poultry, pork or even beef when you first fire up the barbecue this spring." Wine of the Week
Paul Lukacs - Washington (DC) Times Insider - March, 2007
"Dark ruby red with violet highlights, fruity aromas that jump out of the glass that are ready though young, aromas reminiscent of mature red fruits with touches of vanilla, full bodied, silky on the palate, tannins that are well balanced by the fruit, with agreeable acidity and a long finish. It is a classic Super Tuscan wine."
José R. Garrigó - Diario Las Américas - February, 2007
" In the glass, this Banfi Centine is a deep, semi-opaque violet-red color with a fine, even core going out into a pinkish rim definition with medium viscosity. On the nose, there are powerful crushed black fruits with spicy, almost peppery undertones, loganberry juice, sweet chewing tobacco and earthy minerals with hints of milk chocolate and violets. In the mouth, the wine is deliciously medium-bodied on the palate with ripe, rounded black fruit, herbs and red cherries, then chewy and fat in the middle with bright red plum skins, and ending with a lengthy well-structured and velvety smooth finish, that is permeated by fine ripe yet soft tannins. It is a thoroughly well-made wine, showing a good concentration of fruit and a good price. Banfi Centine is a clear alternative to pricey Super Tuscan wines. It should be enjoyable with a portabella mushroom risotto and a dash of truffle oil. This wine will peak in 2008 and drink well through the end of the decade." "Wine of the Week"
Gil Lempert-Schwarz - Las Vegas (NV) Review Journal - February, 2007
"Fresh, clean and approachable, this wine offers simple linearity in terms of structure and concentration but holds its own in terms of aromas. Buried within are notes of ripe cherry, forest floor and white mushroom."
Wine Enthusiast - February, 2007
"Here's a Super Tuscan that won't break the bank and goes great with meats. It's dark violet and has wonderful aromas of earth and smoky spice. On the palate, fresh flavors of cherry, blackberry and licorice coat the mouth, with less acidity than most Chiantis. Drink with: Grilled chicken or grilled portabella."
Jeff Anderson - St. Clout Times - May, 2006
"Here's a thoroughly satisfying burger, pizza and red sauce pasta wine, well-made and nicely balanced. It's young, fresh and grapy, bursting with smoky, spicy black currant and plum scents and flavors nestled in a slightly shaggy, chewy texture. Gratifying richness and intensity for the price." Very Good
Fredric Koeppel - Koeppel On Wine - April, 2006
"This Tuscan blend (60 per cent Sangiovese, 20 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon, 20 per cent Merlot) is dark violet in appearance, with earth, smoky spice, a hint of anise and a touch of bell pepper on the nose. Medium to full-bodied and smooth, with soft tannin, good velvety spiciness and a medium finish. Fruitier and less acidic than its rougher Chianti counterparts, consider this wine highly recommended on its own, with pizza or with pasta in marinara sauce."
Ben MacPhee-Sigurdson - Winnipeg Free Press - December, 2005
Centine Rosso 2003
"A succulent, chewy Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon blend with intense aromas of coffee, tar, leather and toasted wood. The tannins are still a bit raw and beg for hearty meat. Tightly packed cherry and blackberry linger over a long finish. Castello Banfi performs the extraordinary vintage after vintage: They produce almost 1 million cases per year and continue to offer excellent quality on their lowest-priced products." 87 - Editors' Favorite Value Wines
Wine Enthusiast - November, 2005
Centine Rosso 2002
"To keep the connoisseurs content, you have to think outside the bottle, so leave 'em guessing with this modern Italian. A 60/20/20 split between Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, the Centine is updated cool, like those new Vespas prowling urban streets. You'll get classic Sangiovese styling: cherries jubilee with a tart, earthy core, while the addition of Cab Sauv and Merlot beefs things up."
James Nevison & Kenji Hodgson - Province - October, 2005
"Another wine that has 'value' written all over it. . . This is a Super Tuscan blend of Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon without the overpriced ticket. It has a polished and plush fruitiness akin to California wines, with a delicious and soft flavor profile. These wines are great with pizza, too. And you can glug and quaff them long after the kids go to bed."
Roberto Viernes - Honolulu Star-Bulletin - August, 2005
"This fruit-forward blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot is young and fresh but well balanced and has loads of character, perfect for pizza, pasta with red sauce, xiaolongbao, Peking duck."
BK Magazine (Bangkok) - September, 2005
"Firmly structured in the manner of a French claret but with a core of juicy, Tuscan fruit, this smooth blend of 60 percent Sangiovese, 20 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 20 percent Merlot is delicious as an aperitif red and has the requisite complexity to pair with grilled or roasted red and white meats."
Ben Giliberti - Washington Post - February, 2005
"Deep, dark, extracted. Rich, ripe fruit with a perfumed hint. Dense fruit, full and ripe tannins, lifted acidity. 2-8 years." * * *
Decanter - January, 2005
"Centine blends Sangiovese (60 percent) with Cabernet and Merlot, melding together in a red fruit scent and tight black tannins. It's a simple, fresh Tuscan red for steak Florentine."
Wine & Spirits - October, 2004
"Lovely blueberry and cherry flavors and a cinnamon/violet nose, as well as the tannic oomph to keep it serious. The accent's Italian, but show it a steak and it speaks fluent American."
Jennifer Rosen - Rocky Mountain News - August, 2004
"Full bodied and very fruity in style, with toasty, oaky overtones. It is moderately intense, smoothly textured and medium long on the finish. It tastes of raspberry, cedar and oak." (2004-2005)Unusually smooth for the wine’s type and age, and a good wine by-the-glass choice. * * * * +
Ronn Weigand - Restaurant Wine Issue - August, 2004
"Another good value from Italy,. . .it sports forward fruit redolent of tart berries."
Tom Marquardt & Patrick Darr - The Capital - July, 2004
"This inexpensive red is a fave for pizza or fast pasta in my house, fruity but enough acid to hold up to the food well. Drink now."
Bill Van Ollefen - Greenwich Time - June, 2004
"The wine is a combination of 60 percent Sangiovese, 20 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20 percent Merlot fruit and opens with an array of cassis, blackberry and spice aromas. The cassis fruit dominates the flavors with a slight astringency in the finish. Match with braised veal short ribs served with glazed carrots and a mushroom sauce." Recommended Very good (85-89)
Bruce May - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - May, 2004
"I have tasted this wine several times in recent months with considerable pleasure, but saw it twice yesterday with very different foods, and was amazed at its versatility and completeness. Blended from 60% Sangiovese, and 20% each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, it is generous and fruity enough to satisfy any devotee ofNew Worldreds while remaining authentically Tuscan with its acidic grip and linear flavors. Notes of red cherries and dark berries are pure but not overtly fruity, and the structural elements of acidity and tannin are nicely integrated with the fruit."
Michael Franz - WineReviewOnline.com - December, 2006
Centine Rosso 2001
"This trattoria wine has it going on. The nose offers bacon and smoke at first, and then lots of red berry fruit and a bit of light wood. Snappy red fruit dominates the palate, while the zesty finish is lean and tight, with freshness and length. Great for pastas and pizza."
Wine Enthusiast - October, 2004
"Medium to full bodied with bright notes of cherry and strawberry. Veal Marsala. Fully mature, serve now."
Santé - June, 2004
"Created from 60 percent Sangiovese, 20 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 20 percent Merlot, Centine offers jammy plum, cherry and berry impressions. This wine has very soft tannins (no wang), good balance and an elegance that makes it perfect for the occasion that calls for great wine at a reasonable price. Much better than most wines in this price range."
Patrick Gerl - News-Star (LA) - April, 2004
"A Tuscan blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, is very flavorful, with cherry, a slight peppery note and overtones of violets."
Laurie Daniel - San Jose Mercury News - April, 2004
"Simple but generous flavors dominate this wonderful blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Firm, young berry fruit and excellent balance."
Tom Marquardt and Patrick Darr - The Capital (MD) - February, 2004
"Always a good buy from this reputable Italian producer, Centine is a soft blend of Sangiovese (60 percent), Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. A bright aroma of blackberries and raspberries leads to simple berry flavors and a dose of spice. This would go well with pasta."
Tom Marquardt & Patrick Darr - The Capital (MD) - December, 2003
". . .a mix of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It has rich blackberry, blueberry, cassis and vanilla flavors and a spicy kick on a long finish. ...would be terrific with roasted meat and steak."
Linda Murphy - San Francisco Chronicle - December, 2003
"A bit firm, but I like the fresh currant, berry and vanilla character. Medium-bodied, with fine tannins and a long finish. Dig into a steak with this one. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best after 2003." 86
Wine Spectator - October, 2003
Centine Rosso 2000
"... a blend of 60% Sangiovese, 20% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. All I could think of when I was drinking this wine was how much better it is than $12 Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from the United States. It is also better than California Sangiovese selling for three times the price. While a decidedly modern wine there is real structure here holding up the bright fruit and oak flavors. Tasting Notes: Bright ruby, just translucent. Floral aromas with blueberries, cherries and cinnamon rounded out with spicy oak. Forward smooth fruit with just enough tannin to balance. Ripe cherry and wild strawberries notes open into woody, earthy flavors. The Sangiovese flavors clearly appear in the finish. One thing that stands out is the excellent structure of this wine that keeps it interesting even with its very modern style. A very well made wine for drinking within the next 3 or 4 years. Of course Centine will go with Italian dishes, but its balance and style cry out for robust American style steaks and chops.
Its tannins certainly make it a much better foil for grilled meats than most American wines at this price range." 89 EXCELLENT
Craig Camp - Racolta - September, 2003
"A blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet and Merlot gives this Tuscan a New World elegance that's knee deep in cherry, blackcurrant, dense raspberry and chocolate."
Peter Rockwell - Halifax Daily News - August, 2003
"A blend of 60% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot. Bright garnet-ruby red color with an aroma of tobacco, dried herb, cherry. Medium-full with moderate fruit, balanced tannins and acidity and an earthy, herbal finish. Drink over the next year."
Tom Hyland - de to Italian Wines - August, 2003
"Blending Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, Banfi, a leading producer of Brunello di Montalcino, has created a marvelously supple wine, rich and full of character."
Michael Apstein - The Boston Globe - June, 2003
"This was a dark, slightly purple wine with spicy aromas of cinnamon and clove with support from ripe, red berry fruit. Scorers found flavors of sweet, red berries with touches of earth, cedar, vanilla and leather. Very drinkable, this was a well-balanced, medium-bodied wine that finished with some tannins and pleasant red fruit and spices. Food Friendliness: Think veal chop or perhaps a baked pasta dish stuffed with cheese and served with a chunky tomato sauce."
The Wine Report - March, 2003
"This deep and intense red wine blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet and Merlot boasts aromas of plums, cherries and blackberries with a full, good structured body and long finish."
Wine.com - January, 2003
"Centine offers all of the character of a great Italian table wine at a bargain price. It's a medium-bodied wine whose well-developed fruitiness is perfectly in proportion. A judicious balance of bitterness and acidity makes it both substantial and refreshing on the palate and there's a length to the finish that you don't have a right to expect in a $9 bottle of wine."
Lynn Hoffman - Philadelphia Daily News - June, 2002
Centine Rosso 1999
"...offers pleasant aromas of cherries, mint and chocolate followed by fruity plum flavors and firm tannins."
Dave DiSimone - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - November, 2002
"...a steal from a great producer in a great vintage."
Robert Whitley - Times of Trenton - September, 2002
"...a superbly balanced wine with a developed bouquet displaying spicy plums and berries, with luscious ripe fruit, soft tannins and gently acidity harmoniously rounded in the mouth. Elegant, with some complexity, this is a stylish drop and a very good value..."
Sean Wood - The Chronicle-Herald - June, 2002
"Ruby red with an aroma of cedar, cardamom, cherry and brown spice. Medium-full body with good concentration. Moderate tannins in the finish."
Tom Hyland - Guide to Italian Wines - July, 2002
"...a tasty wine featuring heaps of juicy black currant, cherry and plum flavors, toasty oak, lavender and violets, all nestled in moderately plush, polished tannins. Very good and a great bargain."
Fredric Koeppel - Scripps Howard - April, 2002
"...offers well-rounded fruit and appealing black cherry, blackberry, vanilla and herb flavors."
Michael Dresser - The Baltimore Sun - April, 2002
"...another fine buy. The nose is quite complex with slightly earthy, chocolaty, sandalwood notes. The harmonious, plumy, red-pepper flavours are offset with some cedar and red licorice."
Michael Vaughan - National Post Online - April, 2002
"...skillfully blended from three varietals, has delicious dark fruit, spice and oak flavors, a soft texture and a generous finish."
Robert Neralich - Arkansas Democrat Gazette - March, 2002
"This Tuscan blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot has an abundance of character, outperforming its modest price with outstanding fruit complexity and structure."
Robert Whitley - W.O.W. Report - February, 2002
"...very deep ruby in color and has good legs. The nose is rather forward and appetizing with aromas of beef, black cherries, and spice. Light to medium bodied, it initially delivers beefy flavors that yield to tart plum, cedar, and some subtle spice."
Wine of the Week - TableWine.com - January, 2002
Centine Rosso 1998
"A delicious, unoaked but with tantalizing black fruit, mushroom and earthy flavors and aromas and remarkably smooth tannins, this is a fun wine, fully ready for drinking now or in the next year or two. Not prestigious, but great pleasure in the drinking."
Ha'Aretz (Israel) - May, 2001
"...has lively berry flavors, velvety tannins and a light finish... a good choice when you're hungry for pasta or roasted meats."
Wine Spectator - May, 2001
"An outstanding wine for the price, Banfi's "Super Tuscan" from Montalcino is a blend of 60% Sangiovese and 20% each of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. It's aromatic with round cranberry and blackberry fruit, complex earth tones, moderate tannin, and oak spice. A wine that's easy to match with a wide range of food, and sure to please both connoisseur and novice alike."
Epicurean (CA) - January, 2001
"Medium red. Ripe fruit with decent acidity. Nice cherry fruit, soft tannins... good value." Very Good
Robert Helms - Bacchus Wine Forum - January, 2001
"Faint earthiness alongside excellent fruit, based around plum, cherry tomatoes, and a hint of sage. This blend of Sangiovese with small amounts of Cabernet and Merlot is light in the entry, but has the acid balance to match beautifully with Italian dishes. An excellent value, and a wine that will grow with a year or two in the bottle. From the outstanding 1998 vintage. Made by Banfi, and always a good value." Wine of the Week
Dan Berger's Vintage Experience - January, 2001
"A dark nose of rich berry, plum, blackberry, black raspberry, black cherry, coffee, and chocolate leads to a rich, forward palate with luscious fruit, mostly raspberry, blackberry, cherry, red currant, and strawberry accented with some spice before a medium to long, moderately broad finish. Good balance, acidity, and freshness characterize this meaty rich wine which drinks nicely now but will hold and improve for several years. A bargain."
The Colorado Wine News - December, 2000
"...very attractive on the nose with its bracken notes and blackberry-cherry fruit. On the palate there are the same seductive fruit flavours. It is a very modern Italian wine, easy to love, enjoyable today and will age for a few years yet."
Malcolm Anderson - The Gazette - September, 2000
"This bright ruby-red blend... offers a traditional Sangiovese-dominated Chianti taste filled out by mouth-filling New World fruitiness contributed by the Cabernet and Merlot. An ideal companion to pasta and grilled or roasted red and white meats, this has surprising complexity for the price range."
Ben Giliberti - WashingtonPost.com - August, 2000
Centine Rosso 1997
"In the glass, this wine is a rich, dense garnet color with a mature dark-red tinge on the rim. On the nose, there is powerful, spicy black fruit with peppery undertones, earthiness, tobacco and minerals with hints of chocolate and maturity. In the mouth, the wine is deliciously full-bodied with ripe rounded black fruit, herbs and smoke on the palate, then chewy and fat in the middle, and ending with a lengthy, well-structured and velvety-smooth finish permeated by fine ripe tannins."
Gil Lempert-Schwarz - Las Vegas Review Journal - May, 2001
"General Qualities: Medium-full-bodied, moderately complex, dry, balanced acidity, little or no oak, modest tannins. Color: Dark ruby. Aromas: Black cherry, cherry, leather, violet. Flavors: Black currant, chocolate, currant, dried herbs. Other Descriptors: Classic, plush, ripe, succulent."
WineToday.com - September, 2000
87 - Highly Recommended / Best Buy
Tastings.com (Beverage Testing Institute) - August, 2000
"...medium-bodied, flavorful, made from ripe grapes of known pedigree (60 percent Sangiovese and 20 percent each Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot) from one of the world's most respected regions for red wine and by hands that also make some of the most exquisite and costly Brunellos of the appellation. In short, it's a remarkably generous wine that could easily pass for one costing twice as much."
Bloomberg.com - August, 2000
"This Italian red is not only ready for drinking, it won't strain the budget. It's very ripe in style, a bit rustic, with raisin and spice character, medium body, soft tannins and a fresh finish. Go for it." 86 - Best Buy
Wine Spectator
"...a delightful wine, made of 60% Sangiovese, and the remainder split between Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Sangiovese, you probably know, is the light fruity grape that one encounters in that happy wine, Chianti. So it is with Centine, a red that's light-bodied and loaded with berry, but that's given a little "ooomph" by the Cabernet and Merlot."
AlcoholReviews.com - July, 2000
"Mature black cherry and plum aromas, with cedar and tobacco. Medium- to full-bodied, with mature fruit flavors; moderately long finish with an earthy endnote."
Santé - June, 2000
"Fresh aromas of black cherry and vanilla. Tangy cranberry fruit imbued with peppery tannins. Drying, spicy, nervy finish."
The Wine News
"Another good value, this blend of sangiovese, cabernet sauvignon and merlot has quaffability. Light, fresh, with oak flavors and a long finish, a good value."
Maryland Gazette
"Inky, dark ruby. Ripe red and black cherry aromas, fresh and appetizing. Full, juicy tart-cherry fruit and lemon-squirt acidity in balance."
WineLoversPage.com - November, 1999
"Earthy and rich, with good fruit character."
Philadelphia Inquirer
Centine Rosso 1996
"A youthful, somewhat vigorous wine, with floral, grapey flavors and a lightly tannic finish. Excellent value."
Restaurant Wine
"...aromas of apples, lemons and apricots, all overlaid by hints of honey and oak."
Ha'Aretz (Israel) and The International Herald Tribune (Daniel Rogov)
"Medium full bodied, very fruity (fresh, dried berries), and moderately rich; a youthful, somewhat vigorous wine, with floral, grapey flavors and a lightly tannic finish. Excellent value."
Santé
"It is designed to be the perfect quaffing wine for big outdoor meals, especially if those meals are Italian in nature."
South Florida Newspaper Group
Centine Rosso Vintage Not Specified
"50 Wines You Can Always Trust"
"Importing Italian wine to America wasn't enough for John and Harry Mariani (though their family has been doing so for over 70 years); they wanted to make Italian wine as well. Now, with 2,400 acres of vineyards in Montalcino, the brothers produce excellent Tuscan reds under the Castello Banfi brand, including Centine, an earthy blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet and Merlot."
FOOD & WINE - April, 2007
"For outstanding achievement matching all kinds of Italian food. Whether you're ordering in pizza or serving your secret-recipe, homemade lasagna, this generous wine loves Italian food even more than you do. It's got the rustic Sangiovese cherry rush we love but it's been seasoned with a dash of Merlot and a splash of Cabernet, and, it's got enough gorgeous structure for its own backless, Oscar-ready gown. "
FT Myers (FL) News-Press - February, 2007
"This lighter Italian red has a 'bright, red-fruit character with an almost haunting earthiness to it. It's delicious with tomato-based sauces and the simple, unadulterated flavors of Italian cuisine.'"
Marnie Olde - Philadelphia Inquirer - February, 2004
Centine Rosso Vintage Not Specified
50 wines you can always trust
Importing Italian wine to America wasn't enough for John and Harry Mariani (though their family has been doing so for over 70 years); they wanted to make Italian wine as wel. Now, with 2.400 acres of vineyards in Montalcino, the brothers produce excellent Tuscan reds under the Castello Banfi brand, including Centine, and earthy blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet and Merlot.
Food and Wine Magazine - April, 2007