Barone Ricasoli - Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Colledilà 2019

These are the best set of wines I've seen from Francesco Ricasoli and the team at Barone Ricasoli in my two decades in this job. When I say "the best," specifically I mean that they are the most assertive in their individual identities. This historic Castello di Brolio estate boasts a winemaking legacy spanning an almost unthinkable nine centuries. There have been many excellent vintages born in these cellars, and this estate has proudly produced groundbreaking wines that have shaped the very course of modern Italian wine. However, this set of releases is different because it comes after an exhaustive research project led by the estate's technical team and very much by Francesco in person. "Back in 2005, I still didn't know that I was going to confront such a lengthy and arduous challenge," he says. "More than 10 years of research and hard work have translated a vision into concrete results: bringing into life the finest expression of the Brolio terroir." In 2005, the Council for Research and Experimentation started a mapping project and soil study to better understand the characteristics of the estate's 240 hectares and the 19 different soil types found there. Focused only on Sangiovese and its best clones, some 200 single-vineyard fermentations were regularly carried out in order to select the best cru sites for the Chianti Classico Gran Selezione series. Of these soil types, five stand out: Macigno del Chianti (sandstone and little organic matter), Monte Morello (limestone, also called alberese), Terrazzo Fluviale Antico (silty alluvial deposits with clay), Scaglia Toscana (schistous-based soil, also called galestro) and Depositi Marini (sandy deposits with marine sediments and fossils). The Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Castello di Brolio is a blend of selected fruit from 26 hectares around the landmark castle itself. This flagship wine is born mostly from the soil types Macigno del Chianti, Scaglia Toscana and Monte Morello. There are three single-vineyard Chianti Classico Gran Selezione expressions. CeniPrimo draws its fruit from a vineyard that was planted in 1998 in soils that originate from an ancient river in the Val d'Arbia at the southernmost part of the property. The delightful Roncicone is characterized by marine deposits. Lastly, Colledilà comes from clayey limestone with lots of stones.'