2014 Barone Ricasoli Brolio Chianti Classico Riserva, Italy
91 Points, James Suckling
Tasting Notes
Intense ruby red color. Clear notes of strawberries, raspberries, spice and vanilla stand out on the nose. The wine is soft and enfolding on the palate; the right balance between acidity and tannins leaves a pleasant and persistent aftertaste in the mouth.
Vineyard
This wine was produced from a selection of grapes from the estate vineyards located between 400 and 300 meters above sea level. The lands vary much one from another but include the typical soil of the Chianti Classico area, from sandstone to marl, from marine deposits to calcarenites (also known as alberese).
Growing Season
The weather leading up to the 2014 grape harvest was an unusual year, humid and not very hot. Winter was mild and Spring was drier than in the past. Temperatures were average and began to rise in the second half of June. Bud break was from the end of March to the beginning of April and proceeded regularly. Flowering was abundant and began in early June. The summer was much cooler than average, and rainy. This slowed the veraison of the grapes, which only began in mid-August. Fortunately, September was warm and featured significant day-to-night temperature ranges, favoring the accumulation of polyphenols in the grape skins.
Grape harvesting officially began on 10 September, about 12 days later than in previous years.
Ricasoli is the most representative wine producer in the Chianti Classico wine area. With its gentle hills, velvety valleys and thick woodlands of oaks and chestnuts, the 1,200 hectares of property include almost 240 hectares of vineyards and 26 of olive groves.
This creates a continuous succession of colors and hues around the Brolio Castle, which is located within the town limits of Gaiole in Chianti. Since 1993, Baron Francesco Ricasoli has been guiding this central Tuscan company in innovative challenges. This has been done with the deepest respect for his renowned ancestors who have made this territory great, Bettino Ricasoli first and foremost.
Francesco Ricasoli, current owner and President of the company, has generated new ideas and concepts to render the vineyards sustainable. The ongoing study of soil types and the clonal selection of the Brolio Sangiovese are among his greatest passions, and he has totally renovated the vineyards and completely mapped them.
The new wines are therefore the expression of research carried out with the same scientific rigor of his illustrious ancestor but with a contemporary spirit, like a runner receiving the baton and carrying it forward with renewed energy.
Available States
AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Barone Ricasoli Brolio Chianti Classico Riserva
2014 Barone Ricasoli Brolio Chianti Classico Riserva, Italy
91 Points, James Suckling
Tasting Notes
Vineyard
Growing Season
Specs
What’s Included
6-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
not for sale on winery website, $720/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Oct 19 - Thursday, Oct 22