2016 Il Borro Pian di Nova Toscana IGT 750 ml

Last year, the high-scoring, ultra-high-value Il Borro Pian di Nova from Italy’s Ferragamo family (yes, the fashion icons) became one of our top Tuscan offers of the fall. Since then, we went to the Il Borro estate in Tuscany to secure the new release, and we’re thrilled to announce that it’s here—and it’s another Super Tuscan stunner! With dual 92-point scores from both Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate and former Wine Spectator European Bureau Chief James Suckling, the 2016 Pian di Nova delivers the red and blue fruit and dried herbs of classic Super Tuscans, all at $25 per bottle.

Suckling praised the “beautiful nose of violets, lavender, dried strawberries, hibiscus and a touch of vanilla” in his 92-point review, and Wine Advocate joined in, citing the Ferragamos’ track record for providing excellence in the value Super Tuscan realm, and praising the wine’s “brightness and energy” and “fresh fruit and soft tannins.” Their conclusion: They “can’t imagine a better choice for your favorite pasta dish.”

We agree—and then some. With its deep and enticing red ruby core, festival of red and purple flowers, and succulent red cherry, dried herbs, and elegant finish, this is a pitch-perfect food wine, full stop: Drink it with mid-rare steaks, pizza, braised lamb shanks, and just about any other food that would be elevated by a savory, red-fruited Tuscan gem. Then again, it’s perfect on its own.

When we offered last year’s Pian di Nova, we had never set foot on the 1,750-acre Il Borro estate near Arezzo, which had twice passed through Medici hands before Ferruccio Ferragamo—the son of footwear designer Salvatore Ferragamo and Chairman of the luxury goods brand founded by his father—purchased it from Italian royal Duke Amedeo d'Aosta. Needless to say, we righted that wrong on our last visit to Tuscany, when we visited the breathtaking property, which includes the Ferragamos’ house (which has been featured in Architectural Digest) 7,000 olive trees, and rotating crops of wheat, sunflowers, corn, legumes, and lavender, in addition to the 100 acres planted to vine. 

It’s no surprise that such a place produces such a lovely wine. What is surprising is that the pristine estate—with its replanted vineyards and impeccably restored adjacent village, roads, and bridges—produces a wine as accessible, price-wise, as Pian di Nova. Its first vintage was in 2001, which made it the second wine produced at Il Borro on Ferragamo’s watch.

Pian di Nova is a blend of Syrah and Sangiovese grown in the property’s sandy, loamy soils, and it’s made in a way that makes it perfect for early drinking. The grapes are destemmed and sorted, vinified separately, and after six months in tank it spends 12 months softening in used oak barrels. The finished product is irresistible, offering fresh fruit, soft tannins, and a finish that goes on and on. Once again, we’re thrilled to bring it back.