The winery was founded in 1903 by Bartolomeo Baldi, great-great-uncle of the current owners, the brothers Guido and Gherardo Betti: the Betti family is in fact originally from Florence and in the past the cellar was the so-called country house. In 2003 Guido and Gherardo made a very important decision that would define their lives: that is, they decided to devote themselves totally to viticulture and therefore transformed what had always been the second family business into a modern winery, Guido, born in 1978, oversees the Italian Commercial and Export sectors while Gherardo, born in 1983, manages all the oenological and agronomic part
Guido and Gherardo Betti's work has always been oriented towards the highest quality, both in the vineyard and in the cellar. The basic intention is to constantly enhance the innate characteristics of the wines of the territory - finesse and liveliness in the first place - without any forcing, but simply accompanying a soil that was already born perfect. The cultivation includes partial grassing and organic fertilizers (for example the plants of favette cut and buried at the time of flowering release nitrogen into the soil) and an attitude of interventionism only when it is really needed, without any forcing. Harvesting is partly manual and partly mechanical, depending on the plots.
Guido and Gherardo therefore consider themselves as custodians of a marvelous territory, which they have the duty to defend without distorting it: in their thinking, modern technologies and everything that involves innovation is absolutely looked upon with great favor, as long as it is aimed at guaranteeing a production in which every single bottle expresses personality and genuineness.
Farnio Chianti Montalbano Riserva is made from 90% Sangiovese, 5% Canaiolo and 5% Colorino.
Brilliant ruby red with plain ruby shades, fairly clear. Blackberry and violet notes emerge on the nose with spiced and vegetal tones, leading to a leathery and pencil lead finish. Elegant, pleasant, pure and intense aromas but vigorous and round. Slightly tannic and fresh, balanced and full-bodied.
Wild boar in sauce, grilled meat, casseroles, game and mature pecorino cheese.
Farnio Chianti Montalbano Riserva is made from 90% Sangiovese, 5% Canaiolo and 5% Colorino.
Brilliant ruby red with plain ruby shades, fairly clear. Blackberry and violet notes emerge on the nose with spiced and vegetal tones, leading to a leathery and pencil lead finish. Elegant, pleasant, pure and intense aromas but vigorous and round. Slightly tannic and fresh, balanced and full-bodied.
Wild boar in sauce, grilled meat, casseroles, game and mature pecorino cheese.
All older vintage wines have been purchased from a single collectors cellar. Pictures can be requested before shipment.
Ancien Pinot Noir is 100% Pinot Noir.
The Mink Vineyard is located next door to the winery, in the Coombsville Viticultural Area of Napa Valley. Open to the same morning fogs and afternoon breezes that cool Carneros to the west, Coombsville is consistently one of the coolest pockets in Napa. Mink sits inside a small “bowl”, allowing cooler air to settle during the evenings, and making Mink’s mesoclimate a couple degrees cooler, even, than the surrounding hills. But the real secret to Mink’s explosive flavors, smooth, mouth-coating minerality, comes from the soil. Underneath is a layer of compressed volcanic ash, called tufa. The tufa drains the topsoil, storing moisture in its porous structure. The vines are able, with some work, to grow roots into the tufa layer, accessing moisture during the long, dry growing season.
The Mink Pinot Noir exhibits bright and refreshing notes of pomegranate, cherry, and fresh herbs. It gradually opens to deeper and darker berry fruit, blueberry and plum. This vintage is on the more structured side of the spectrum and will continue to evolve over time. Its enchanting mouthwatering minerality invite sip after sip together with bite after bite. A lively wine at release but it will continue to improve over the next 4 - 7 years and can age well beyond a decade as shown by its 20+ year track record.
Review:
"Ripe in flavor and luxurious in texture, this wine is difficult to put down. It is saturated in black cherry, black currant and black fig while staying light on the palate. It's a wonderful indulgence to enjoy by itself or with a roast pheasant or duck breast. — Jim GORDON"
- Wine Enthusiast (April 1st 2024), 95 pts