Brancaia Chianti Classico Riserva 2013
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Robert
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Wine
Spectator -
James
Suckling - Decanter
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Perfect with grilled meats, beef and veal roasts, stews, and grilled fish and pasta dishes with strong sauces.
Blend: 80% Sangiovese, 20% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 Chianti Classico Riserva hits all the high notes expected of this historic denomination. The wine is brimming with cherry fruit and luscious darkness with spice, leather and unsweetened chocolate. The blend is 80% Sangiovese and 20% Merlot, and the wine is aged in medium toast barrique (both new and neutral) for 16 months. Like the other successful interpretations from this classic vintage, this expression reveals an impressive sense of balance. If I had to make a 2013 Chianti Classico short list, this wine would be on it.
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Wine Spectator
Rich, boasting black cherry, plum and iron flavors matched to dense tannins. Shows intensity and power, with lively acidity driving the long finish. Best from 2018 through 2022.
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James Suckling
Bright and lightly austere with a dried mushroom and blackberry character throughout. Medium to full body, fine tannins and a fresh finish. Silky texture. Drink now or hold.
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Decanter
Evolved aromas of eucalyptus and wild berries with plenty of mocha and chocolate character on the palate. A polished and modern style with ripe, smooth tannin and a long finish.
Other Vintages
2020-
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Robert
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Jeb
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James
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Robert
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Robert
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James
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Spectator
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James
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Spectator -
Robert
Parker
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James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker -
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Spectator
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James
Suckling
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James
Suckling
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Robert
Parker - Decanter
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Enthusiast -
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Spectator
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Robert
Parker
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Robert
Parker
Founded by Swiss couple Brigitte and Bruno Widmer in the famed hillsides of Tuscany more than 30 years ago, Brancaia is the modern face of luxury Italian wine. Rooted in the bold Super Tuscan movement that forever changed Italy’s winemaking culture, the wines of Brancaia blend classic Italian grapes with international varieties, bringing a decidedly modern touch to a centuries-old wine region.
Today the winery is still family owned and operated, led by the Widmers’ daughter, winemaker Barbara Widmer. Barbara has excelled at perfecting the style and quality of Brancaia wines by producing elegant, complex wines with a strong Tuscan identity.
Among Italy's elite red grape varieties, Sangiovese has the perfect intersection of bright red fruit and savory earthiness and is responsible for the best red wines of Tuscany. While it is best known as the chief component of Chianti, it is also the main grape in Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and reaches the height of its power and intensity in the complex, long-lived Brunello di Montalcino. Somm Secret—Sangiovese doubles under the alias, Nielluccio, on the French island of Corsica where it produces distinctly floral and refreshing reds and rosés.
One of the first wine regions anywhere to be officially recognized and delimited, Chianti Classico is today what was originally defined simply as Chianti. Already identified by the early 18th century as a superior zone, the official name of Chianti was proclaimed upon the area surrounding the townships of Castellina, Radda and Gaiole, just north of Siena, by Cosimo III, Grand Duke of Tuscany in an official decree in 1716.
However, by the 1930s the Italian government had appended this historic zone with additonal land in order to capitalize on the Chianti name. It wasn’t until 1996 that Chianti Classico became autonomous once again when the government granted a separate DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) to its borders. Ever since, Chianti Classico considers itself no longer a subzone of Chianti.
Many Classicos are today made of 100% Sangiovese but can include up to 20% of other approved varieties grown within the Classico borders. The best Classicos will have a bright acidity, supple tannins and be full-bodied with plenty of ripe fruit (plums, black cherry, blackberry). Also common among the best Classicos are expressive notes of cedar, dried herbs, fennel, balsamic or tobacco.