Castello di Brolio (2015)

About this wine

Castello di Brolio 2015 is a Chianti Classico Gran Selezione from Barone Ricasoli in Gaiole in Chianti. The blend is 90 percent Sangiovese with 5 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 5 percent Petit Verdot, giving the wine extra depth and grip alongside classic Sangiovese brightness. Aromas lean toward cherry, red plum, and darker berry notes, with balsamic tones and clear hints of vanilla and sweet spice. On the palate it is firm at the start, then opens to a rounder mid palate with sweet, well integrated tannins and balanced acidity that keeps it lively. Fermentation and skin contact take place in stainless steel for about 14 to 16 days, followed by 18 months in tonneaux with about 30 percent new wood, which explains the measured oak notes and the smooth texture. The fruit comes from selected estate vineyards sitting roughly 250 to 450 meters above sea level with south and south west exposures, and the wine was bottled on June 20, 2017. The Ricasoli family traces its winemaking history back to 1141, making this bottling a modern snapshot of one of Chianti Classico’s most historic estates.

About the grape

Sangiovese is Tuscany’s key red grape, and at Castello di Brolio it is the backbone of the 2015 blend at 90 percent, grown across the estate’s higher, stony sites in Gaiole in Chianti, around 250 to 450 meters, with selections coming from classic Chianti Classico soils like Alberese limestone and Galestro schist based ground. Cabernet Sauvignon, a Bordeaux variety now known through DNA work to be a 17th century crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, is used here at 5 percent from Brolio plots where Ricasoli’s research links it closely with the calcium rich Alberese zones. Petit Verdot also comes from Bordeaux and is famous for late ripening, which is why it is traditionally used in small amounts, in this wine it is 5 percent, added as a focused blending tool rather than a main variety. Together these grapes reflect Ricasoli’s long tradition of studying and planting both local and nonnative varieties at Brolio, then selecting lots plot by plot for the flagship Castello di Brolio bottling.

Quick facts

• 📜 The “1141” on the label nods to the earliest recorded documents of the Ricasoli family’s link to Brolio Castle, a paper trail that goes back to 1141.
• 👑 Castello di Brolio is described by the estate as its “grand vin”, made only from a meticulous selection of the best grapes across the Brolio property, so quantities can change vintage to vintage.
• 🧩 This 2015 is a distinctly “Tuscan meets Bordeaux” blend: 90% Sangiovese with just 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot for a subtle twist on classic Chianti Classico character.
• ⛰️ The grapes come from high, sun-soaked sites in Gaiole in Chianti, with vineyards around 250–450 meters and south to south west exposures over very stony soils.
• 🌡️ The 2015 growing season saw real summer heat spikes (up to about 40°C), yet good water reserves helped avoid drought stress, and the wine was bottled on June 20, 2017.

Palate profile

Producer

Ricasoli 1141 is based at Castello di Brolio in Gaiole in Chianti, and the family traces documented ownership of Brolio back to a public deed dated 1141. Over the centuries the Ricasoli family helped shape agriculture in the Chianti Classico hills, building a long reputation for estate grown wines around the castle. In the nineteenth century Baron Bettino Ricasoli, a major political figure in Italy, carried out viticultural experiments at Brolio and in 1872 set out an influential formula for Chianti based on Sangiovese. In the modern era the estate has been led by Baron Francesco Ricasoli since 1993, with a focus on detailed site studies, Sangiovese selection, and vineyard renewal. Today the property remains one of the largest landholders in Chianti Classico, combining vineyards, olive groves, and hospitality around Brolio Castle.