Please wait ...
2007 Brancaia Ilatraia
Proprietary Blend: 1500ml
$124.99
about this wine:
Ilatraia is the first wine from the winery's new estate in the Maremma: Brancaia in Maremma. Only 62 miles from Brancaia (Chianti Classico) we find a completely different climate - winters are milder and summers are much hotter and very dry. This allows us to produce a wine with distinct varietal character with the same high quality standards. Ilatraia is an intense, elegant and terroir-typical blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Petit Verdot. It ages for 18 months in barriques. The name Ilatraia has been the name of a hill on our estate for centuries - today it is a Petit Verdot vineyard.
points awarded:
ST 90 WA 92 WS 96Alex Shaw, JJ Buckley, March 2010
A lovely, perfumed nose of lavender, dark cherries and just a hint toasty oak adding depth and complexity. Very inviting. On the palate, the dark purple fruits of blackberry and black cherry are carried along on soft, almost velvety tannins- more new world in style than classic Italian. The wine lingers on the finish with notes of wildflowers and brighter red fruits for what feels like minutes. This was one of the top wines in a large lineup- another excellent release from Brancaia.
92 points,
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, May 2010
The 2007 Ilatraia is awesome. Black cherries, violets, minerals, mocha, spices and French oak are some of the nuances that flow from this round, enveloping wine. Today, the 2007 Ilatraia is quite intense, dark and brooding. While the richness of the fruit makes the wine delicious today, it will be even better in a few years. Ilatraia is Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Petit Verdot from vineyards in Maremma that spent 18 months in French oak. The warmth and sheer volume of Maremma comes through in spades in this vintage, which is among the finest I have tasted of this relatively young bottling. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2027. -Antonio Galloni
90 points,
Stephen Tanzer's IWC, October 2010
Fully saturated inky ruby. Superripe blackberry, coffee liqueur and plum jam aromas convey an almost decadent quality. Supple, sweet and densely packed, with savory and floral notes adding interest to the smooth, rich berry flavors, and ripe, harmonious acidity giving shape and energy to the wine. Finishes with big, broad tannins and notes of milk chocolate and licorice that coat the entire palate. Another very well-made modern-style wine that lays on wave after wave of sweet, low-acid, chocolatey-ripe fruit. Not my idea of wine I want to enjoy at dinner, but it will undoubtedly appeal to many.
96 points,
Wine Spectator, October 2009
Currant, blackberry, mint and licorice aromas lead to a full-bodied palate, with a solid core of beautiful, ripe, opulent fruit and polished tannins. Lasts for minutes on the palate. Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Petit Verdot. Best after 2012. 3,500 cases made.

