Winemaker Notes
Intense ruby red color. Rich and complex nose, which recalls ripe red fruits, spices and sweet notes of vanilla. In the mouth, it is voluminous, with structured, appreciable tannins. Long and persistent finish.
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
Sweet spices, savory plums, cherries, dried citrus and minerals on the nose. Fine-grained on the palate, with a medium to full body and a convincing amount of tannins. Long and fresh.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
In the bottle with the black label, the Barone Ricasoli 2021 Chianti Classico Riserva Brolio has ripe fruit, toasted spice and a hint of scorched earth. Made with all Sangiovese, the wine presents mid-weight intensity with an intense bouquet that is driven by savory notes and a hint of something charred, such as dustings of campfire ash.
-
Vinous
The 2021 Chianti Classico Riserva Brolio is a gorgeous, complex wine. Dark cherry, plum, leather, licorice, lavender and graphite bring out the darker side of Sangiovese in this mysterious, introspective Riserva. A wine of dynamic energy and substance.
-
Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
Serious, inviting, and full of life, the 2021 Ricasoli Chianti Classico Riserva opens with immediate energy and follows through with lasting ripe fruits and well-placed oak nuances. Enjoy it with a Bistecca alla Fiorentina con Erbe Toscane—a classic Porterhouse grilled over high heat, finished with Tuscan herbs, coarse sea salt, cracked pepper, and a drizzle of good olive oil. (Tasted: December 3, 2025, San Francisco, CA)
-
Wine Spectator
Infused with cherry, strawberry, iron and spice flavors, this bright red is also solidly built. Smooth in texture, nimble and intense, finishing with echoes of red fruit and dusty tannins. Best from 2026 through 2040.
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.