Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Here is Barone Ricasoli's bread and butter wine. Some 600,000 bottles of the 2013 Chianti Classico Brolio were made and all the fruit that goes into this wine is estate-grown. This is a powerhouse wine in terms of production numbers and the 2013 vintage is an especially delicious one. I highly recommend this excellent value wine. The wine shows crunchy tannins and youthful fruit nuances with bright cherry and blackberry. The mouthfeel is generous and fresh.
-
James Suckling
A red with dried fruits and burnt orange peel. Full body, firm tannins and a silky finish. Bright acidity.
-
Wine Enthusiast
Fresh aromas of red berry, violet and aromatic herb lead the nose of this blend of 80% Sangiovese, 15% Merlot and 5%, Cabernet Sauvignon. The vibrant palate delivers wild cherry, crushed raspberry, white pepper and a hint of coffee alongside bright acidity and silky tannins. Drink through 2017.
Among Italy's elite red grape varieties, Sangiovese has the perfect intersection of bright red fruit and savory earthiness and is responsible for the best red wines of Tuscany. While it is best known as the chief component of Chianti, it is also the main grape in Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and reaches the height of its power and intensity in the complex, long-lived Brunello di Montalcino. Somm Secret—Sangiovese doubles under the alias, Nielluccio, on the French island of Corsica where it produces distinctly floral and refreshing reds and rosés.
One of the first wine regions anywhere to be officially recognized and delimited, Chianti Classico is today what was originally defined simply as Chianti. Already identified by the early 18th century as a superior zone, the official name of Chianti was proclaimed upon the area surrounding the townships of Castellina, Radda and Gaiole, just north of Siena, by Cosimo III, Grand Duke of Tuscany in an official decree in 1716.
However, by the 1930s the Italian government had appended this historic zone with additonal land in order to capitalize on the Chianti name. It wasn’t until 1996 that Chianti Classico became autonomous once again when the government granted a separate DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) to its borders. Ever since, Chianti Classico considers itself no longer a subzone of Chianti.
Many Classicos are today made of 100% Sangiovese but can include up to 20% of other approved varieties grown within the Classico borders. The best Classicos will have a bright acidity, supple tannins and be full-bodied with plenty of ripe fruit (plums, black cherry, blackberry). Also common among the best Classicos are expressive notes of cedar, dried herbs, fennel, balsamic or tobacco.