2004 Castello di Brolio Chianti Classico Barone Ricasoli

To find this wine on  www.wine-searcher.com please click here

I have to say that I do have a soft spot for Tuscan wines; I really enjoy that particular quality they have (well, the better ones anyway) of perfectly balanced intense fruit, firm acidity and quite drying, almost bitter tannins. The combination just seems to work so well with a wide range of food and is usually pretty decent on its own. I was very happy indeed then to happen across this particular Chianti. The Barone Ricasoli Chianti Classico is a deliciously enticing wine, beautifully crafted and an absolute pleasure to drink.
Castello di Brolio is an ancient estate dating back over a thousand years (wine was exported to England in the 1500s). The Ricasoli family has been in charge since the very beginning except for a brief time in the seventies and eighties, and the 32nd Baron is currently in charge. So, you would have to hope they know what they are doing with their land, and this wine is brilliant evidence that they certainly do.
This wine is their top label (sangiovese, a smidge of cabernet) and sees two thirds new oak but it is the fruit you notice first. The nose is fabulous with so much going on you could get plenty of satisfaction just sniffing it all night. But of course, you never would and the palate is equally fabulous. Masses of fruit, plenty of complexity, lots of blackcurrant, bitter cherry, berryfruit, some mineral notes, hint of spicy oak and some pretty floral note. Dense but elegant, this is a very harmonious wine, silky, textural, with those delicious drying tannins, firm acidity and a very, very lengthy.
If like me you are a fan of this region of Italy, then you will not be disappointed; if you are new to these wines, then this is a brilliant introduction.

(EJ)

Browse articles by author or topic