Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Castello di Brolio DOCG

Name: Ricasoli Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Castello di Brolio DOCG
Brand: Ricasoli
SKU: WRW1310BS
Price: 2700 THB
Availability: InStock

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SKU:WRW1310BSIn stock

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From our sommelier team

Castello di Brolio is Ricasoli's Gran Selezione and, in the estate's own words, the "great wine" of the property. It is drawn from 26 hectares at Brolio in Gaiole, planted between 1994 and 2005 at 400-490 metres with south and southwest exposure, at 6,600 vines per hectare on the estate's own Sangiovese di Brolio clone with 420A and 110R rootstocks. The selection is built deliberately across what Ricasoli calls the three most representative soils at Brolio: Macigno del Chianti, a sandstone; Scaglia Toscana, the schistous galestro; and Monte Morello, the limestone alberese. With the 2018 the wine became, for the first time, entirely Sangiovese, and the 2020 and 2021 releases are likewise given as Sangiovese 100%, though the analytical profile moves by vintage - the 2020 is published at pH 3.22 and 5.87 g/l total acidity. Fermentation and maceration run in stainless steel at a controlled 24-27°C with 14-16 days on skins, followed by 22 months in 500-litre tonneaux, 30% new and 70% second passage. The 2021 was bottled in February 2024 at 14.5% alcohol, pH 3.10, total acidity 6.31 g/l. Recent labels carry the Gaiole geographic unit.

Producer history

The Ricasoli name is anchored to 1141, the date of the written testimony that the family already held Brolio Castle, which makes this one of the longest continuously family-linked estates in Italian wine. Its most consequential figure is Baron Bettino Ricasoli, 1809-1880, politician and wine entrepreneur, who in 1872 set down the formula for Chianti, the wine now called Chianti Classico. Since 1993 Baron Francesco Ricasoli has led the company, and his defining contribution has been below ground rather than in the cellar: the ongoing study of soil types and the clonal selection of the Brolio Sangiovese, alongside a complete renovation and mapping of the vineyards. That mapping work is precisely what makes the Castello di Brolio bottling legible, since the wine is defined by a selection across three named Brolio soil formations. The property today runs to 1,200 hectares, of which almost 240 are vineyard and 26 olive grove.

Signature pairings

Grilled veal chop with rosemary and white beans — The estate itself points this wine at white and red grilled meats. Grill char meets the tonneaux spice, and the meat's fat rounds the Sangiovese tannin without burying the wine's acidity.
Pappardelle al ragù di cinghiale — A long-cooked wild boar ragù has the savoury depth to match a Gran Selezione's concentration, and the wine's 6.31 g/l acidity cuts cleanly through the rich sauce.
Thai grilled pork neck with a dry tamarind and coriander-root marinade (คอหมูย่าง) — Charcoal-grilled pork neck is fatty and caramelised, which is exactly what this wine's tannin and grill-friendly profile want. Served with the dipping sauce on the side rather than through the meat, so the chilli does not sharpen the tannin.

Ricasoli's Castello di Brolio Gran Selezione represents the pinnacle of Chianti Classico tradition, built on a foundation of 90% Sangiovese with supporting Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. The 2020 vintage delivers a medium-full-bodied expression with bright red cherry and plum on the nose, framed by violet florality and herbaceous undertones. Secondary oak and spice notes add complexity, while tertiary leather and earthy minerality emerge on the palate, suggesting graceful aging potential. This is a wine of balance and restraint—neither overpowering nor austere—making it an ideal companion to grilled meats, braised beef, and aged cheeses.