2018 Brancaia Il Blu
2018 Brancaia Il Blu Brancaia’s 2018 Il Blu is stellar. Dark, layered and enveloping, the 2018 is wonderfully expressive from the outset. Black cherry, mocha, espresso, licorice, cloves and new leather fill out the layers effortlessly. The 2018 balances power with energy, all with plenty of the style that has long made this Merlot-based blend one of the top wines in Tuscany, Italy.
97 James Suckling: Beautiful aromas of currants and mushrooms with bark and flowers. Violets and chocolate, too. It’s full-bodied with firm, creamy tannins that are long and poised. It has such attractive tension and focus. Lovely sweet currants and berries at the finish. So succulent and intense. 80% merlot, 10% cabernet sauvignon and 10% sangiovese. The merlot is from the area of Radda and the cabernet and sangiovese from Castelina in Chianti. Drink or hold.
Brancaia Estate
It was in 1981, when the Swiss couple Brigitte and Bruno Widmer fell in love with the at the time abandoned Brancaia estate (Castellina in Chianti) and purchased it. Only two years later, Brancaia made the first rank in an important Chianti Classico tasting and then rapidly gained international recognition.
This lead to a continuous extension of the activities resulting in purchasing the Poppi estate (Radda in Chianti) in 1989, followed in 1998 by the founding of Brancaia in Maremma, only 10km from the Mediterranean coastline.
Since 1998 Barbara Widmer, oenologist and daughter of the founders, has been responsible for the winemaking as well as for the vineyards on all three estates – she thereby relies on the consultancy of the famous oenologist Carlo Ferrini.
Today BRANCAIA is one of Tuscany’s leading wineries, receiving important national and international awards every year. The wines are successfully sold worldwide.