Tradition Meets Innovation HOW BRANCAIA MERGES OLD AND NEW WINEMAKING TECHNIQUES Dazzled by Tuscany’s Castellina region, with its rolling burnt
Buy it they did. By the time they released their second vintage,
sienna-hued hills and sun soaked palazzos, Swiss couple
Brancaia had been singled out as a top-tier wine in a regional
Brigitte and Bruno Widmer fell in love with an abandoned hillside estate. In purchasing the property, the Widmers also became, perhaps unintentionally, stewards of the sprawling vineyard blocks that surround Brancaia.
Chianti Classico tasting and was rapidly gaining international acclaim. “The IGT or Super Tuscan movement was crucial as a means BRIGITTE AND BRUNO WIDMER, WINEMAKER FAMILY
of improving quality in the region. Most people are not aware of what [Chianti Classico] was like 40 years ago; they weren’t
As the family settled into a life defined by the ebb and flow
the sort of wines I would like to drink,” she smiles warmly.
of passing seasons, the Chianti region was still wrestling
“Legally, in the beginning, the first Super Tuscans were
with its identity in 1981. The Super Tuscan movement had
declassified table wines. Then, in the 1980s, Parker dubbed
gained serious momentum a decade earlier led by a handful
them ‘Super Tuscans. They became a huge success, and they
of vintners who railed against restrictive DOC practices of the Chianti zone. As outsiders, the Widmers fully embraced this modern vision of Tuscan winemaking as they set out to recalibrate the estate. This intellectual shift, from Chianti Classico’s traditional Sangiovese-dominant blends to wines incorporating international varieties, is reflected in Brancaia’s minimalist labels—an unadorned blue square with a bold orange capsule that perfectly illustrates the extent of their departure from tradition. “My father created the label with the help of an art director,” explained Barbara Widmer, winemaker at the estate. “A lot of people told my parents they were foolish, that nobody would buy the wine.”
August 2017 winedialogues.com
BARBARA WIDMER, WINEMAKER
©2017 Ernest & Julio Gallo Winery, Modesto, CA. All rights reserved.
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Tradition Meets Innovation
were much better than their predecessors. This evolution
Widmer introduces additional varietals to her blend with
created a serious problem for Chianti’s vintners. At first,
ILATRAIA. This is a surprising, non-traditional blend of 40%
they tried to change the rules; the next step was to add the
Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Petit Verdot and 20% Cabernet
IGT designation that is now typical for the region.”
Franc, crafted from fruit sourced from Maremma. It shows its Tuscan pedigree as it quietly unspools with notes of plums
It is through this lens—the lens of an outsider in Chianti’s
and ripe blackberries steeped in thyme. Burning embers, dust
rapidly shifting stylistic enological landscape—that Widmer
and juniper berries add layered complexity. On the palate,
finds the contours of her wines. She blends Sangiovese with
it’s round and velvety, with mouth-coating tannins that lend
international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet
structure and finesse to a core of juicy, dark fruit. Tasting this
Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot from Brancaia’s three estate
wine, it’s not surprising that the 2012 vintage garnered a
vineyards, capturing an exquisite sense of freshness and
94-point score from the Wine Spectator.
modernity while retaining an underlying structure that is purely Tuscan. “The last move the Consortium made was to reposition its pyramid of quality, not for the Super Tuscan,
Brancaia’s crowning jewel, IL BLU, is an elegant wine, a wholly
but for Chianti Classico.”
modern Super Tuscan composed of 50% Sangiovese, 45% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon that plunges into a dark fruited and savory mid-palate. Her dedication and technical care shows in her wines; it’s a trait that spills over into the vineyards. “We will be organically certified within two years; I was convinced I could find ways to be more ecological in the vineyard, and giving consumers information about nature and our farming practices has become more important. We measure our carbon foot print, and we try to improve each year.” Widmer’s efforts are paying off. “People often ask me, ‘What should I pair this with?’ My wines are all about mood, more than about what I’m cooking. If I
BRANCAIA CHIANTI CLASSICO POPPI PROPERTY
really want pasta with tomato sauce, I’ll pick the IL BLU—why not? My wines are all very international, they can be easily
“We haven’t really focused on these changes,” she admits.
matched to other cuisines. When I have guests, I like to show
We love our IGTs and think there is space for them in
Brancaia’s versatility, I tell them, ‘If you enjoy them with the
addition to our Chianti Classico designated wines.” All her
food you’re eating, then it’s a good pairing for you.’”
compositions, in particular TRE, ILATRAIA and IL BLU, show her skill in teasing depth from Brancaia’s richly-varied parcels. TRE, the winery’s entry level label, is a blend of 80% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon from all three of the winery’s estate vineyards. It’s an openhearted wine, softly textured on the nose and palate, a basket of freshly harvested, sun-ripened Italian plums and black cherries rendered more complex by classic leather, earth, and warm spice notes.
August 2017 winedialogues.com
©2017 Ernest & Julio Gallo Winery, Modesto, CA. All rights reserved.
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