Barone Ricasoli : Colledilà Gran Selezione 2011

A fruity and elegant Chianti Classico

The estate

The Ricasoli family, whose origins date back to the 7th century, is one of the oldest families in Italy. Barone Ricasoli is the oldest wine estate in Italy, following the acquisition of Castello di Brolio by the Ricasoli family in 1141.

Fully aware of this estate’s potential, the Ricasoli family carried out major work to restructure the vineyards and modernise the viticultural practices, with the ambition of producing fine wines from this Brolio terroir.

The wines from this Tuscan estate were then exported beyond the Italian borders and praised for their quality, notably in 1867 when the Brolio wine won a first gold medal at the Universal Exhibition in Paris.

Following years of research and experimentation, Bettino Ricasoli created the "formula" for making Chianti in 1872, now known as Chianti Classico.

With a surface area of 1,200 hectares, of which 240 hectares are vineyards, the estate's vineyard is the largest in the Chianti winegrowing area.

The vineyard

Barone Ricasoli's Colledilà Gran Selezione is a Tuscan wine that stems from vineyards planted on one of the most typical Chianti Classico clay-limestone soils. The Colledilà vineyard is located on a geological formation called Monte Morello, also known as Alberese.

With a surface area of 7.62 hectares and a south-eastern exposure, these vines were planted in 2002. They are poised at an altitude of 380 metres and on a very stony soil, rich in calcium carbonate and clay, but poor in organic matter.

This wine stands out due to its complex structure and modern elegance. The research carried out at Barone Ricasoli over the last fifteen years into the original clones and the work on the specific characteristics of the various plots have now resulted in a single variety, Sangiovese, which perfectly expresses the richness of this terroir.

The limited production of this Colledilà Gran Selezione makes it a rare and exclusive wine.

The vintage

While the winter is marked by an average rainfall and temperatures, the beginning of spring is mild and rainy. The rainy periods between June and July ensured sufficient water reserves and enabled the vines to develop early. The month of August is very hot and dry and led up to cool nights in September which complete the ripening of the grapes.

Vinification and ageing

Hand-picked, the grapes are rigorously sorted and selected.

The best grapes are then destemmed and transferred by gravity into open-top 100 hl stainless steel tanks and then inoculated with selected yeasts.

Fermentation is carried out at a temperature of 24-27°C.

The wine is aged for 18 to 21 months in new barrels and casks.

The blend

Sangiovese (100%).

Barone Ricasoli’s Colledilà Gran Selezione 2011: Characteristics and tasting tips

The tasting

Barone Ricasoli's Colledilà Gran Selezione 2011 has a medium acidity and a perfect extraction of colours and aromas.

The wine is seductive with intense fruity notes (black cherry, cherry, strawberry, vanilla, cocoa) mixed with soft and well-integrated tannins. Intense and rich floral notes are combined with a great elegance and a delicious minerality.