Ricasoli
The oldest Italian winery is not owned by the noble Antinori family or Frescobaldi family. The title goes to the Ricasoli family. The history of the family has been linked to wine since 1141, when there is written testimony attesting that the Ricasoli family already possessed the imposing Brolio Castle in the Gaiole commune of Chianti Classico, engaging in viticulture.
With their armies, generations of Ricasoli nobles have charted the course of history against the backdrop of Brolio Castle, defending Florence since 1200, from the eternal battles against Siena until the unity of Italy. For their contribution, Bettino Ricasoli (1809-1880), the Iron Baron, served twice as Prime Minister of the newly united Italy.
Interestingly, the family were among the first to dedicate themselves to the improvement of agriculture and vineyards in Tuscany.
In fact, the family tree, reproduced in a print from 1584, is one of the first images of the Chianti area. Documents from the late 1600s report the first exports to Amsterdam and England, whereas at the start of the 1900s, the wines from Brolio were well known and appreciated, requested and exported all over the world: from China to Saudi Arabia, from South Africa to Guatemala, from Costa Rica to the one-time British colonies in Africa.
Most significantly, in 1872 Baron Bettino Ricasoli, with a plethora of interests from the study for phylloxera to gemstones and horticulture, devised a formula for Sangiovese dominant wine blend – roughly an average 70% Sangiovese as the varietal base, along with 15% Canaiolo, 15% white grape Trebbiano and sometimes a little Colorino (red) – that would become what is known today as Chianti Classico wine.
Today, the estate is run by Francesco Ricasoli, the 32nd Barone Ricasoli and great-great-great grandson of Bettino. He is carrying his family torch to continue to revolutionize Chianti wine by conducting an ongoing study of soil types and the clonal selection of the Brolio Sangiovese to better understand the grape and terroir.
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