Barone Ricasoli : Castello di Brolio Gran Selezione 2018

The finesse and refinement of an exceptional Chianti Classico Gran Selezione

The estate

The Ricasoli family, whose origins date back to the 7th century, is one of Italy's oldest families. Barone Ricasoli is the oldest wine estate in Italy, dating back to 1141, when Château Brolio was acquired by the Ricasoli. Aware of the estate's considerable potential, the Ricasoli family undertook extensive work to restructure the vineyards and modernise winegrowing practices, with the ambition of producing great wines from the Brolio terroir.

The estate's wines from Tuscany were soon exported beyond Italy's borders and recognised for their quality, notably in 1867, when the wine from Brolio won the first gold medal at the Exposition Universelle in Paris. After years of research and experimentation, in 1872 Bettino Ricasoli created the “formula” for producing Chianti, now known as Chianti Classico.

Covering 1,200 hectares, 240 of which are planted with vines, the estate's vineyard is the largest in the Chianti winegrowing area.

The vineyard

Barone Ricasoli's Castello di Brolio Gran Selezione 2018 comes from a 26-hectare vineyard planted between 1994 and 2005 at altitudes of 400 to 490 metres. Facing south-southwest, this terroir, located right next to Château de Brolio, owes its distinctive character to three geological formations: Macigno del Chianti (sandstone), Scaglia Toscana (galestro) and Monte Morello (alberese).

The wine

The estate's grand vin, produced only in exceptional vintages, Barone Ricasoli's Castello di Brolio Gran Selezione 2018 comes from the finest Sangiovese terroirs surrounding the castle.

The vintage

2018 was marked by wetter conditions than in previous years. High temperatures during the summer and throughout September and October, combined with sufficient water reserves, were beneficial for the ripening of the berries.

Winemaking and ageing

Harvested by hand, the grapes are rigorously sorted to retain only those of the highest quality. They are then destemmed before being transferred by gravity into 100 hl truncated-cone stainless steel vats. Temperature-controlled fermentation at 24–27°C is accompanied by daily punch-downs, followed by 14 to 16 days of skin maceration. The wine is aged for 18 months in 500-litre barrels, 30% of which are new.

Blend

Barone Ricasoli's Castello di Brolio Gran Selezione 2018 is made from 100% Sangiovese.