Review: 2020 Brancaia Il Blu Toscana IGT
Il Blu — denoted by its blue label — is the wine that “put Brancaia on the map.” One would hope so, as it’s the Tuscan winery’s most expensive offering, a super-Tuscan blend of 80% Merlot and 10% each Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon which spends 20 months aging in French oak.
Bracing tannins offer a kick of anise and white pepper before moving into restrained notes of fruit — dark raspberries, rhubarb, and underripe cherries are dominant — layered with touches of vanilla and dried florals. Emerging black pepper notes on the nose make for an intriguing contrast, with a hearty note of black tea on the finish. Never even remotely sweet, this is a brooding wine for a serious meal, silky but dense and, ultimately, quite weighty. Pair it with a meal of the appropriate gravity and you’re in for quite a night.
A / $120 / brancaia.com
2020 Brancaia Il Blu Toscana IGT
$120
