The story of Baffonero starts with the idea of a challenge, not an official competition, but one that evokes the spirit of the America’s Cup, where whoever has the courage can become the Challenger and try and beat the Defender.
Which is the greatest and most famous wine of Maremma? Undoubtedly Masseto, created by Lodovico Antinori at Ornellaia with the help of one of the worlds’ most fascinating enologists, the white russian Andrej Chelicef, for many years professor at the University of California Davis. A wine that comes from the vineyard bearing the same name, 7 hectares, all Merlot grape as Chelicef had recommended.
For many years the ownership of Ornellaia and therefore Masseto passed from an Antinori to a Frescobaldi, another Noble Tuscan family with many centuries of tradition in winemaking. Under the careful guidance of Giovanni Geddes da Filicaia, CEO of Frescobaldi, Masseto gained the coveted 100/100 Wine Spectator rating and became the first Italian wine traded by the French Negociants, just in the same way as a Premier Cru Classe’. Therefore it is Masseto that holds the absolute primacy in Italy.
Baffonero the challenger, not in an arrogant way but for the fun of it, essential in winemaking if only to improve the final result. Baffonero also takes its name from the vineyard, 100% merlot. Among the first vines to be planted at Rocca di Frassinello, the joint venture between Castellare di Castellina and Domaines Baron de Rothschild - Lafite, the most famous Chateaux in the world. The Baffonero vineyard is at the foot of the winery designed by Renzo Piano, its perfect exposure planned meticulously by the agronomist and enologist Alessandro Cellai. Its name is all part of Maremma’s history, of hunting, human endeavour, fierce boars and brave dog packs. It lies a few yards from where men and dogs assemble to challenge the boar, the master of the Maremma woods. The head of the hunt, as indeed the dog handlers and the beaters receive a name for the duration of the boar hunt. He is called ‘Baffonero’, similarly others are called ‘Pallettone’ or ‘Dollaro’ (because he gets lots of money for the dogs he has trained) or ‘Pittima’ (because he moves in the marshes with the ease of the bird bearing the same name).
Baffonero is a wine that with its name encapsulates not only these stories, but at the same time the power and elegance hidden until now in the unique landsacpe of Maremma. Baffonero the Challenger to Masseto. 93/100 in Wine Spectator, Tre Bicchieri from Gambero Rosso, ‘Il sole’ from Veronelli, all for the first vintage, 2007.

100% Merlot. A deep ruby red colour. An explosion of fruit with an unending range of black fruits, in particular blackberry and blueberry wrapped in a soft veil of vanilla. In the glass the aromatic components evolve towards tobacco, chocolate and a touch of coffee. The complexity is immediately apparent to the palate with a fullness that remains throughout the tasting.
Full, vigorous, fresh and extremely enjoyable

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