2015 Brancaia Il Blu

"The balance and beauty to this wine shows real Super Tuscan character. Aromas of flower, dark berry and licorice follow through to a full body, ultra-fine tannins and a flavorful and focused finish. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese. Drink now or hold." Review Date: October 2017

"This red is sleek and focused, with blackberry, black currant and tobacco aromas and flavors that cut like a laser through the linear frame. Delivers fine harmony and a long finish. Best from 2020 through 2033." Review Date: March 2019

"The 2015 Il Blu is powerful, deep and fleshy with generous dark cherry, plum, mocha, new leather and spice overtones. In this vintage, Brancaia is quite open and approachable. Plush fruit and soft, inviting contours add to the wine's sheer appeal. Drinking dates 2022 - 2035. " Review Date: February 2019

This is the wine that put Brancaia on the map of Tuscany's most celebrated estates. A blend of 70% Merlot, 25% Sangiovese and a smaller percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon (fermented with indigenous yeasts in conical steel vats and aged in new and neutral barrique for 20 months), the 2015 Il Blu is a wine that enthusiastically embraces the energy, heat and sunshine of the vintage. The fruit is dark and slightly sweet with aromas of black cherries and dried blackberries. Those flavors deliver rich, soft intensity. The wine is not quite full-bodied, because the mouthfeel is elegant and finessed, but it does deliver lasting power, freshness and polished tannins. Some 40,000 bottles were made. Review Date: October 2018