ILATRAIA Rosso IGT - Brancaia - 2020

75 cl

James Suckling: 95 points

Robert Parker: 94+ points

Alcohol content: 14.5%vol.

Grape varieties: 40% Petit Verdot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc

Vinification:

Mash contact time up to 18 days - Ageing 18 months, 1/2 in new barriques, 1/2 in used barriques - Bottle ageing at least 12 months

Tasting note:

This is a really great wine, really. The Brancaia 2018 Ilatraia is 40 % of Petit Verdot, 40 % Cabernet Sauvignon and 20 % Cabernet Franc, and it impresses from the start with the wonderful intensity and clarity of its dark fruit, spice and delicate toasty flavours. This full-bodied wine shows the Italian or distinctly Mediterranean side of the blend with rosemary, dried lavender buds and some warm, earthy flavours that remind me of a walk through a chestnut grove in autumn. This wine packs a double punch of power and elegance. 40,000 bottles were released.

Brancaia:

Brancaia, with 28 hectares of vineyards, lies in the heart of the Chianti Classico region with the two vineyards Brancaia and Poppi. The owners have been the Swiss Brigitte and Bruno Widmer since 1981. Since the late 1990s, their daughter Barbara and her husband Martin Kronenberg-Widmer have taken over the management. Barbara, an oenologist by training, is responsible for production and Martin for the management and worldwide distribution of the wines.Today, Brancaia is one of Tuscany's flagship companies and receives the highest national and international awards every year. The top wine Il BLU has become an integral part of Italy's top wines and is already considered a classic by many wine lovers.