2015 Il Borro Toscana IGT 750 ml

Stealing the Show in Florence

The nearly four-inch thick beef steak at Florence’s Buca Lapi doesn’t go with just any wine. As we learned last month at the lamp-lit, 140-year-old restaurant, this chargrilled wonder pairs exceedingly well with a bottle of Il Borro’s coveted Super Tuscan.

Bursting with dark berries and etched with violet and freshly ground espresso, the muscular yet sophisticated 2015 Il Boro floored us sip after sip and bite after bite, stealing the show from its savory partner. It’s no wonder James Suckling awarded it 97 points, calling the 2015, “the best Il Borro to date,” while Robert Parker followed up with 96 more. And while both critics have routinely lavished high scores on Il Boro’s flagship wine, the 2015 is the highest rated by both. 

The 1,750-acre Il Borro estate near Arezzo—owned by Ferruccio Ferragamo, the son of footwear designer Salvatore Ferragamo and Chairman of the luxury goods brand founded by his father—has a regal history, having twice passed through Medici hands before Ferragamo purchased it from Italian royal Duke Amedeo d'Aosta.

In 1993, Ferragamo began a renovation of massive scope: He not only replanted the vineyards, but restored the game preserve, the adjacent village, and the roads and bridges that traverse the property’s four river valleys. The results, unsurprisingly, were stunning.

The 2015 Il Borro represents the culmination and pinnacle of Ferragamo’s efforts. It is the estate’s first wine grown entirely from organically farmed grapes—50% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 15% Syrah—and the most critically acclaimed in its history. In his 96-point review, Robert Parker called the 2015 “an important and thickly enriched expression that shows ample power and muscle but remains elegantly modulated and contoured at the same time.”

Back at Buca Lapi, when the meal was over, there were still a few slices of perfectly grilled steak left on our plates. The Il Borro, however, was long gone. Similarly, we don’t expect our small case allocation to last. As one of the most beloved categories for Wine Access clients, this outstanding Super Tuscan will go quickly.