Rudy Buratti

The Climb

Formal training at Agricultural Institute of San Michele all’Adige gave Buratti a base, but the job in Montalcino asked for more than study. Wine had to be handled once it left the classroom, and Buratti worked that reality first as winemaker at Castello Banfi in Montalcino, Italy (1983–1999), then as chief winemaker at Castello Banfi in Montalcino, Italy (1999–2018). Across those years, the work centered on consistency, refinement, and a closer reading of site within the estate’s house style. The record here is not one of quick turns, but of accumulated decisions: vintage after vintage, each asking for judgment, restraint, and timing. In both roles, Buratti helped define how Castello Banfi spoke across changing seasons and shifting ideas of what the wines could be, while staying rooted in the specific character of Montalcino. His service as board member at Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino (2010–2013) carried that same perspective beyond the cellar, into the shared responsibilities of the appellation.

Today

"The tannins must be silky from the fruit in the vineyards." Buratti’s phrasing points to a practical view of texture: elegance comes from the raw material, then has to be preserved through the cellar rather than forced afterward. He also described a movement in approach: "We are 30 years old in terms of winemaking, but more and more we are moving to a cru approach in the past 10 years, to understand each single vineyard, each cru as a component of the blend." The shift is toward finer separation, closer attention, and a more exact use of each vineyard in the final wine.

In Their Words “The tannins must be silky from the fruit in the vineyards.” “At least for a vintage or two to see if I could learn something.”