The appeal of Montalcino and Brunello still grows: the colossus Lvmh under negotiation with Banfi

As anticipated by WineNews, Montalcino and its Brunello are at the center of interest of many potential investments, even from large groups of wine and French luxury. And among the negotiations in progress, for months, there is one of particular importance, that between the luxury giant Lvmh, and Castello Banfi, leader in the area and fundamental, in recent history, for the development of the entire Brunello market, especially in the USA. To date only one negotiation, still in the process of being defined in terms of scope and form, and if it were successfull, one has to imagine that it would not be the last arrival in Montalcino of the French brand, after the purchase of the “cradle” of Brunello, the Tenuta Greppo of Biondi Santi, by the Epi Group of the Descours family.
What is certain is that the possible arrival of Lvmh, already at the top of the wine world with absolute level brands such as Moët & Chandon, Krug, Veuve Clicquot, Hennessy, Château d’Yquem, Cheval Blanc and Dom Perignon, would further consecrate the Brunello territory, in a context of the highest level in terms of market positioning, communication and prestige. In Montalcino, home of Brunello, with Castello Banfi, Lvmh would find one of the most beautiful and renowned wineries in the world, with an extension of 2.400 hectares of land, 900 of which are vineyards (173 of which are Brunello), but also arable land and woodland, with the peculiarity of the confluence of two rivers within the company, the Orcia and the Ombrone, and a renowned producer of important wines, but also plums, honey and oil, with a “collage” that makes Castello Banfi not only a great winery but also a farm of incomparable beauty and value.
There are the villas inside the estate, and the Castle of extraordinary beauty, with monumental parts of the fourteenth and fifteenth century Tuscany. And with a relais that international guides place among the best in the world. A winery that developed a turnover of 68 million euros in 2018, and a profit (net result) of 2.2 million euros (Mediobanca data), thanks to wines exported all over the world and awarded by Italian and international critics.
A deal that, if it materialized, would mark the second French step in Brunello land, after the acquisition of Tenuta Greppo di Biondi Santi (by the Epi group of the Descours family). So far, however, from what WineNews has heard, in a negotiation that has been going on for over eight months, there is nothing definite and definitive. It could result in the acquisition of Castello Banfi by Lvmh, in the entry of the French into the capital of the Mariani family’s winery, in a different kind of agreement or even in nothing at all. Anything is possible. But what this negotiation tells us, which is certainly in progress, is the confirmation of the appeal of the Montalcino territory at a world level. And the beauty of a company, and the quality of its products, that pushes one of the giants of wine and world luxury to invest in the hill of Brunello. A district that of Montalcino, which is confirmed in the thoughts, objectives and desires of investors around the world.