Piccolo Banfi winery is in Colonia, just on the border of San José, and specialises in Tannat, Petit Verdot and Pinot Noir from their estate vineyards in Altos de Cufre.

About Piccolo Banfi winery

The Banfi family arrived from southern Switzerland, near Italy, to Argentina at the beginning of the 20th century and invested in a winery in Mendoza in 2000. In 2004, the Banfi family decided to invest on the other side of the River Plate too, and purchased an estate in Colonia in Uruguay near the border with San José region.

The estate is in Altos de Cufre, an emerging wine region in western Uruguay, which has gently sloping hills and a mild climate which is moderated by the river and maritime influence.

About the Piccolo Banfi vineyards

With eight hectares of vines planted, the vineyard has a combination of Tannat, Petit Verdot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc and Merlot varieties planted which go towards the winery’s monovarietal wines and blends.

The vineyards were all planted in 2006 and are overseen by the same winemaking and viticulture team as in Mendoza.

About Piccolo Banfi wines

Piccolo Banfi has a handful of wines produced in Uruguay: Estigma is a blend of Tannat, Petit Verdot and Merlot which spends several months ageing in oak barrel, making a fruit-forward and spicy red wine; Estigma Gran Reserva Blend is a more concentrated blend of Tannat and Petit Verdot that spends a year in French oak barrels for a more complex and structured expression. There is also a single varietal Petit Verdot and Pinot Noir within the Estigma Gran Reserva line, and an Estigma Rosé made from Tannat.

The winemaking in both wineries (in Uruguay and Argentina) is overseen by Michel Rolland and Gabriela Celeste as consulting winemakers, and Gustavo Ozamis and Mauricio Rodriguez working as the Head Winemakers on a daily basis. Marcelo Casazza is also a consultant.

Visiting Piccolo Banfi winery

You can organise a visit to the winery for a tasting with previous booking, which includes a walk through the vineyards.