Barone Ricasoli : CeniPrimo Gran Selezione 2022

A bold and lively Tuscan Red wine

The estate

The Ricasoli family, one of the oldest Italian families whose origins date back to the seventh century, is behind the oldest wine estate in Italy. Indeed, in 1141, it acquired Château Brolio, marking the beginning of its commitment to winemaking. Aware of the exceptional potential of this terroir, the family undertook extensive vineyard restructuring and modernization of viticultural techniques, with the aim of producing outstanding wines from the Brolio terroir.

The Tuscan wines from the Barone Ricasoli estate quickly gained international renown, particularly when the Brolio wine won the gold medal at the 1867 Paris World's Fair. After extensive research, in 1872 Bettino Ricasoli devised the Chianti “formula”, now known as Chianti Classico.

The vineyard

The CeniPrimo Gran Selezione from Barone Ricasoli is a Tuscan wine from a 6.35-hectare vineyard, planted in 1998 at 300 meters above sea level in the southernmost part of the estate. Southwest-facing, this vineyard sits on poor silt and clay soils derived from an ancient Pleistocene river terrace. These characteristics, combined with excellent exposure, provide a unique terroir that gives the wine its complexity and structure.

The vintage

The winter was mild and wet, followed by a warm and dry spring. Despite a hot and dry summer, the vines adapted well. Late August rains cooled the climate, promoting véraison, and ideal conditions in September enabled optimal grape maturation, ensuring a high-quality harvest.

Winemaking and aging

The berries are hand-harvested before destemming and transfer to tanks for fermentation. After a maceration period of 14 to 16 days, this Chianti Classico wine benefits from 22 months of aging in new barrels (30%) and in wine barrels (70%).

Grape variety

This 2022 CeniPrimo Gran Selezione from Barone Ricasoli is 100% Sangiovese.