Italy · Tuscany

Barone Ricasoli

Barone Ricasoli is Italy's oldest wine estate, with documented origins at Castello di Brolio in Gaiole in Chianti dating to 1141. Baron Bettino Ricasoli, who later became Prime Minister of unified Italy, is credited with defining the modern Chianti formula in the 1870s—a blend of Sangiovese with Canaiolo and small amounts of white varieties. The estate was repurchased by the Ricasoli family in 1993 after a period of outside ownership and subsequently underwent significant quality investment under Francesco Ricasoli. The Brolio Chianti Classico averages $42 across 43 lots; the Casalferro at $36 is a pure Merlot IGT Toscana. The Gran Selezione tier includes Ceniprimo ($85 average, 8 lots), Colledila ($40, 7 lots), and Castello Brolio ($41, 11 lots). The Ceniprimo Gran Selezione is the price leader, reflecting the DOCG's top classification tier introduced in 2014. Portfolio average of $38 across 191 lots positions Barone Ricasoli as accessible fine Chianti Classico with deep historical prestige. The 1993 family repurchase and the subsequent investment in single-vineyard Gran Selezione expressions significantly improved the estate's critical standing, with scores in the 90–96 range from international critics for multiple recent vintages. The estate's 1,200 hectares in Gaiole—including the historic Brolio castle—make it one of Tuscany's largest single-family landholdings.