THE BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO CASE IS NOW CLOSED: FOUR BARGAINS, ONE ACQUITTAL ON FALSE INFORMATION TO A PUBLIC PROSECUTOR (PAUL HARRI, EX BANFI WINEMAKER), ONE INDICTMENT: SO DECIDED THE JUDGE IN SIENA

Four plea bargains, one indictment and an acquittal: thus decided the Judge (Gup) Monica Gaggelli in Siena this morning at the preliminary hearing, to close the investigation on the Brunello di Montalcino case. The Prosecutor in Siena had opened an investigation to check compliance of specification on Brunello wine lots, which states that only the Sangiovese grape can be used production and to determine whether those who carried out the checks had hid any irregularities.

The manager and supervisor of the Brunello Consortium, Stefano Campatelli settled for a sentence of 16 months and the former president of the Consortium, Baldassarre Filippo Fanti settled for a sentence of 12 months. They were both accused of ideological falsehood committed by a public official on public documents. The two were also accused of continued commercial fraud and selling products with misleading information in competition with Lamberto Frescobaldi and Niccolò d’Afflitto, legal representative and winemaker of the Castelgiocondo company: they bargained for a sentence of 3 months and 1 month, respectively, which were reduced to fines. Giampiero Pazzaglia, legal representative of Argiano, is accused of continued commercial fraud and selling products under false pretences: the first hearing is scheduled for March 16, 2011.
Paul Rudolf Harri, former winemaker of the Banfi winery, was acquitted of rendering false information to the Public Prosecutor.