Bettino Ricasoli, 1st Count of Brolio, 2nd Baron Ricasoli  

Ricasoli was born in Florence. Left an orphan at eighteen, with an estate heavily in debt, he was by special decree of the grand duke of Tuscany declared of age and entrusted with the guardianship of his younger brothers. One of the most influential figures in the history of Chianti is the Italian statesman Bettino Ricasoli, who created the Chianti recipe that would later be canonized in DOC regulations. The Ricasoli family traces their lineage in the Chianti region to Lombard barons who ruled during the 11th century. The family estate in Brolio is located in what is now known as the heart of the Chianti Classico region in the province of Siena. Orphaned at a young age, his family estate was crippled with debt and in disarray shortly after Ricasoli got married. Restoring the estate and its vineyard became his primary focus. Ricasoli traveled throughout France and Germany, studying the latest winemaking methods and brought back with him vine cuttings of new grape varieties. He began to experiment in his vineyard and cellar on which grapes produced the best wines at his estate. His work eventually settled on a blend of three Tuscan grapes-Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Malvasia.

Ricasoli choose Sangiovese to be the base of Chianti because it provided the most aromatics. Canaiolo brought fruitiness to the wine that soften the tannins of Sangiovese without lessening the aromatics. The addition of the white wine grape Malvasia was to provide further softening. Wine expert Hugh Johnson noted that the relationship that Ricasoli describes between Sangiovese and Canaiolo has some parallels to how Cabernet Sauvignon is softened by the fruit of Merlot in the traditional Bordeaux style blend. Ricasoli continued with his winemaking endeavors until 1848 when his wife died. Stricken by grief, he had little desire for his vineyards or his wine. During this time the tides of the Risorgimento were growing stronger and Ricasoli found himself in the political arena which would eventually lead to him becoming the Prime Minister of Italy.

PHOTO ©TOM HYLAND

Some historical background is needed to fully explain the significance of Barone Ricasoli as Francesco is great-grandson of Bettino Ricasoli.  Today, Francesco Ricasoli, the 32nd Barone Ricasoli, is president of the company, which he has renamed Ricasoli 1141. He assumed his current duties in 1993 and over the past 25 years, has increased and fine-tuned the portfolio, taken the necessary steps to increase quality and at the same time, bring more attention to this historic property. The sheer size of this estate, located in Gaiole in Chianti, in the southern sector of the Chianti Classico territory, is breathtaking, with a total of 3000 acres, of which 590 acres are planted to vines. This is by far the largest estate in Chianti Classico; in fact, the amount of vineyards here is only a few acres smaller than the commune of Barbaresco in Piedmont, home to several dozen producers.

While I thought the wines were each highly distinctive and of exemplary quality, the Ceni Primo stood out as my favorite. Both versions of Ceni Primo are among the best Tuscan wines of their respective years, and point to the bold vision of Francesco Ricasoli. The 850-plus year history of Brolio continues with a new perspective, one that has never wavered from a simple goal - to produce classic wines from Chianti Classico. Bravo, Francesco!

2015 Barone Ricasoli Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Ceniprimo

SANGIOVESE: Ripe, round and soft, this is altogether more fruity and floral. I found the the tannins to be coarser. Medium bodies, soft tannins and relatively smooth acid. Ruby red with a condensed feel, with a soft mouthfeel. Drink now or in the coming 2 years.