Violet to the rim with amazing aromas of blackberries, black cherries, lead pencil shavings, minerals that leads to a full-bodied mouth with sweet and round tannins and creamy vanilla flavours. Long finish of 45+ seconds with a charcoal aftertaste. In a few years this wine will be exceptional. 94+
I had a bottle over the weekend and I agree with Luc's description and score almost down to the letter. An incredibly enjoyable wine, though not a traditionalist's Italian red by any means.
"I am not a great fool, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you."
Posts: 880 | Location: Newport Beach, CA | Registered: Jan 18, 2006
Yeah, I paid around $40 or 45 for my two bottles last November, but they got snapped up pretty quickly once the reviews came out and I don't think they are easy to find now. If I could find it for anywhere near that price now, I'd buy a lot more.
I'm guessing the price will bump up quite a bit for future vintages with the reviews and demand for the Ilatraia and Il Blu the last few vintages. The Il Blu used to sell at the Wine Club in Santa Ana for $30 or so a year or two ago, now when I look on winezap it's $50-75 everywhere.
"I am not a great fool, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you."
Posts: 880 | Location: Newport Beach, CA | Registered: Jan 18, 2006
Beaultiful dark cherry color. Super ripe. Aromas of roast coffee bag intermixed with red sweet fruit. Intense fresh rasberry sauce on attack that carries through finish. This wine has everything - full body that never heavy, good acidity backbone for aging, and refined velvety tannin with gentle toasty oak finish. Long after taste 30+ seconds. This is obviously too young at this stage but should be at its best between 3 to 10 years from now. 95 points.
DP
Posts: 486 | Location: NY | Registered: Jan 16, 2003
Originally posted by steve8: Thanks for taking one for the team Luc. I haven't opened any of mine yet, but one of the Montreal forumites did and was raving about it too.
There are very few Italian wine notes lately. I felt the urge to correct this situation. The following wine left me heavilly impressed:
2003 La Brancaia Ilatraia Maremma Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Maremma, Maremma Toscana IGT (8/14/2007) Deep dark purple color, almost black at the core. Rich tones of raspberry, cherry, tobacco and hints of black pepper and mint. Following trough full bodied on the palate with lots of fruit and chewy tanines. No 'overly bright fruit' here, as many other Tuscan wines of the '03 vintage show! Very long, fresh, finish. Attractive, but still very young. I would say drink 2009 - 2018. A fruit bomb with refinement and complexity. Great old world/new world crossover. (95 pts.)
Albert Jochems - life is to short to drink bad wines -
Posts: 411 | Location: The Netherlands | Registered: Aug 19, 2006
Hiya Luc I think you have tasted the Brancaia Toscana Il Blu 2004 as well, how does it compare to the Ilatraia 2003 ? Btw, let's get organized and have you in Montreal soon, I have a few good Italian reds left over from my Tuscan vacation
Posts: 168 | Location: Montreal | Registered: Dec 19, 2006
Couldn't resist to open one more bottle while we had some friends over today:
2003 La Brancaia Ilatraia Maremma Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Maremma, Maremma Toscana IGT (10/27/2007) Deep dark ruby color, hints of purple at the rim. Delightifull aromas of blackberry, cherry, raspberry and tobacco and hints of spices that keep on being facinating. Following trough full bodied and lively with fresh fruit and layers of chewy tanines. Long, long finish with lots of depth. A facinating wine! Too beatifull not to drink now. But I expect this one will graciously develop over many years to come. Drink now - 2020.
Popped and poured. This time at home, so no distracting Tuscan atmosphere to blurr my judgement (as was the case with my previous note). This is an impressive wine! (95 pts.)
Decanted about 20 minutes before drinking. Dark red, almost black and totally opaque. Big nose of black fruit, flowers and cocoa. Full bodied with delicious plum, black cherry and chocolate flavours. Great mouthfeel, well balanced, young wine with firm tannins. Super wine that will improve, but still a joy to drink now. 95 pts.
Huge nose of blackberry, licorice, rosemary. Nice omnipresence of acidity framed with well integrated blackberry fruits and fine tannins. Slight minty taste on the nice finish. Needs more time. Decanted about 1 hour or so. 92+ for now.
*********************** "I have drunk not to the clouding of my reason, but just so much that I can still surely distinguish the syllables with my tongue." Athenaeus
Posts: 3390 | Location: montreal | Registered: Feb 21, 2004
Had this over the weekend...was in a hotel room with wife, sister in law, my 2 kids and my 2 nephews so less than ideal tasting conditions. Drank out of stemless wine glasses.
In any case, this wine was exceptional. As others have stated this wine has beautiful black fruit, licorice, and just a hint of earth/leather that I often find in Italians.
Everyone loved it...I couldnt get enough and was sad to see it go. 94+ points and an absolute steal for the $45 I paid a few weeks ago.
I had the 02 version of this a few weeks ago and while that was a very nice wine, it was nowhere near the 03.
Posts: 1153 | Location: Chico, CA | Registered: Oct 22, 2006
2003 La Brancaia Ilatraia Maremma Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Maremma, Maremma Toscana IGT (12/20/2008) Deep ruby colour with some purple at the rim, almost black at the core. Rich aromas of ripe black fruit and some raspberry with hints of spices, mint and tobacco. Following trough full bodied with silky and layered tannins, lots of fruit and a great acidity balance. Long finish that follows trough seamlessly from the palate.
What a great wine! It has developed more than I expected. Much more harmonious and smooth right now. There is still lots of structure left to age. But considering its development right now I would say drink now - 2015. (95 pts.)
I enjoyed this last evening as well with friends, and I gave it an additional point actually (96). Very fresh and alive. I also agree with your drinking window you mention.
It lacked the complexity of the 99 CdN Cerretalto it was in the line up with, but then these are admittedly quite distinct from each other.
2003 La Brancaia Ilatraia Maremma Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Maremma, Maremma Toscana IGT (12/20/2008) Very deep rube red. Nice nose of red fruits; cherries, raspberries, strawberries with oak and vanilla, also some notes of thyme. Nice smooth mouth feel with well integrated tannins. Very nice finish. Refreshing to have tried this one after the dud we had a few months back (95 pts.)
I opened this up on xmas day and it was just as nice as during the past weekend. Lots of dark cherries, blackberry and some black raspeberries with a sumptuous scents of licorice and chocolate and vanilla. I rated it both time 95-96 points. Will develop nicely over the next 3 years but I wouldn't hold too past that as this is already drinking quite well now with decanting.
*********************** "I have drunk not to the clouding of my reason, but just so much that I can still surely distinguish the syllables with my tongue." Athenaeus
Posts: 3390 | Location: montreal | Registered: Feb 21, 2004
