Ask Andy about this wine

Italy / Tuscany

Established in the Chianti Classico region at the Castello di Brolio in 1141, Barone Ricasoli is one of the four oldest wine estates in the world.

With a history that dates back nearly a thousand years the story of Ricasoli has, not surprisingly, become closely interwoven with that of the region. The strength and importance of this long association has been captured in a number of historical documents, including a reproduction of the Ricasoli family tree that was printed in 1584, which is one of the first references to wine in the Chianti region. Later documentation shows Ricasoli’s growing importance in the region, with records from the 1600’s detailing its first exports to Amsterdam and England. Bettino Ricasoli, who was known as the ‘Iron Baron’, is also credited with producing the original Chianti Classico blend in the 19th Century. He was the interior minister of the Tuscany region and become Prime Minister of the newly unified Italy on two occasions in the late 1860’s.

Today the company is presided over by Francesco Ricasoli, great-grandson of Bettino, who is the driving force behind the company’s vision of bringing new meaning to the regions wine and winemaking culture. As owner and president of the company he has been instrumental in generating new ideas to ensure the long term sustainability of the vineyards, including the ongoing study of soil types, and the clonal selection of the Brolio Sangiovese, both of which are among his great passions. He has also totally renovated the vineyards and mapped them in great detail.