The story of Ricasoli and Castello di Brolio stretches back to 1141, making it one of the oldest family wine estates in the world. Today, Francesco Ricasoli represents the 32nd generation of the family at Brolio, continuing a relationship with this corner of Chianti Classico that has endured for nearly nine centuries.
Few families are as closely connected to the history of a wine region. In the 19th century, Baron Bettino Ricasoli, statesman and later Prime Minister of Italy, carried out years of research and experimentation at Brolio that led to his documented formula for Chianti wine in 1872.
Today, the estate extends across a remarkable mosaic of vineyards surrounding Castello di Brolio. Differences in altitude, exposure and geology create distinct growing environments, and under Francesco Ricasoli the estate has undertaken extensive research to better understand these individual sites and the character they give to Sangiovese.
That work has helped shape the modern identity of Ricasoli: deeply historic, but never static. From its research into soils and clonal selection to the increasingly precise expression of individual vineyards, Brolio continues to evolve while remaining firmly rooted in the landscape the Ricasoli family has cared for for generations.
