2017 Il Borro Toscana IGT 750 ml

The Wine Access members who got their hands on last year’s tiny allocation of the 2016 Il Borro already understand why we never pass up a release from the Ferragamo family’s Il Borro estate. Grown on a legendary property, their flagship red masterfully channels Tuscan terroir into a genre-defining red—and despite piles of top critic reviews, manages to do so for under $100, something that’s becoming a rarity among elite Tuscan wineries. 

Il Borro’s signature Super Tuscan is a renowned Wine Access favorite, and a wine we literally can never get enough of: Our allocations of this rare Tuscan stunner have sold out time and time again, and the 2017—with its smooth red fruit aromas and powerful tannins—is likely destined for the same fate. 

Wine Access devotees will remember this as the wine for which we skipped Michelangelo’s David, and we’d do it again for the 2017 release. It outscored $100+ wines from Brancaia, Nittardi, and Petrolo in the eyes of Tuscan expert James Suckling, who noted Cabernet-heavy wines like Il Borro are “standouts” in 2017. 

Built around a core of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine has only gotten better since Suckling called it “very pretty” from barrel—rare praise for wines known for being powerfully tannic in their youth. Opening with captivating floral tones and freshly picked black and red fruit, the 2017 cascades across the palate with understated power and a cashmere texture. And now that this wine has spent time in the bottle, we’d take Suckling’s review a step further: This is a standout to stock up on before the other critics weigh in. By then, Il Borro and its dynamite price will be long gone. 

Raised entirely on 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. It twice passed through Medici hands before Ferragamo purchased it from the Italian royal Duke Amedeo d'Aosta. 

The last time we sat down with the Ferragamos, we were wowed by this wine, and by their devotion to the estate: They 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, are stunning. 

The 2017 Il Borro demonstrates the success of Ferragamo’s efforts. It is made from 100% organically farmed vines, which are densely planted in sandy loam soils 900 feet above sea level. It translates to a bold and powerful red that combines New World power with classic Tuscan elegance and structure. Equal parts power and grace, this is a Super Tuscan that no red-wine lover should miss.