DECANTER 97: This beguiling blend lingers and demands time. Intense inky fruits and herbal notes leap from the glass. Morello cherry, some sweet oak and chocolate echo along the finish, guided along by a beam of palate-extending, ringingly ripe acidity. It's a complex and age-worthy wine with immaculate length and balance.
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 96 Points This blend of 70% Merlot, 25% Sangiovese and a smaller percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon has one of the most impressive track records of a modern Tuscan blend that I can think of. The 2016 Il Blu is a beautifully balanced and precise blend that pits the freshness and authenticity of Sangiovese against the softness and fruitiness of the Merlot. Although the Sangiovese plays a supporting role in the blend, its influence and signature go far to creating the overall identity of this special wine. It's a very nice effort to celebrate with a grilled T-bone.
James Suckling 96 Points This is a beautiful Brancaia feathering a fine line of decadent dark fruit and complex herbal and spicy notes. Blackberries, dark cherries, Thai basil, peppermint tea, bark, cassis and pure blackcurrants all come to mind. A full body, characterized by layered but racy rich fruit, yet there’s an unmistakable current of acidity that doesn’t let go. Very classy and elegant with remarkable finesse and freshness.
Wine Spectator 95 Points A bright, tension-filled style, offering blackberry, black currant, iron, tar and rosemary aromas and flavors. The tannins are formidable yet refined, with sweet, ripe fruit returning on the finish. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
VINOUS 93 points: 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.
