BARONE RICASOLI 2021 CENIPRIMO GRAN SELEZIONE CHIANTI CLASSICO

Like a phoenix, the iconic Ricasoli wine estate not only returned to its former glory when its namesake family reacquired it in 1993, but has since soared to new heights! Now is a perfect opportunity to see how far they've risen with their elegant 2021 Gran Selezione Chianti Classicos, which received glowing reviews from Wine Spectator (95 to 97 points). This is a vintage to go big on according to Italian wine critic Antonio Galloni, who wrote that 2021 is "the single greatest young vintage" he's tasted in his 25+ years of visiting the region! The Ricasoli name happens to be one of the most important in Italian wine, and especially so in Tuscany! The family tree is rooted in the b>historic Chianti region (the stretch of hill country between Florence and Siena) going back to at least to the middle-ages. It was 1800s ancestor, Baron Bettino Ricasoli, who helped shape what the iconic wine from these already-famous hills should be, including promoting the noble Sangiovese grape to its current starring role. Things have changed a bit, but we think the ancestors would be proud - and impressed - with the exciting wines the family is putting out from their ancient fortress, Castello di Brolio! The Gran Selezione category is meant to be a winery's flagship Chianti Classico, a wine that represents the best from their neck of the woods. Reflecting the Ricasoli's long history in the southern area of Gaiole, they have a fantastic collection of vineyards represented through four Gran Selezione bottlings! The Castello di Brolio Gran Selezione comes from vineyards of different characteristics around the castello itself, which is strategically perched on a high foothill of the Chianti Mountains. Ricasoli's three single-vineyard Gran Selezioni, on the other hand, are focused on pure expressions from renowned sites in the cascade of hills flowing down from the castello; they are extremely elegant, firmly-cored renditions of Chianti Classico, with a sense of lift and aromatic intensity rather than overt power. All of their 2021s are delicious to drink now, given a little time to breathe (even better with an hour in the decanter), but they'll develop true ethereal complexity in the years to come... if you can hold onto them that long! Lowest down the descending cascade of hills, the Ceni vineyard area is on ancient river deposits in one of the warmest parts of Gaiole. Still, the vines finish ripening a little later, like the Colledil. It's the supplest of the trio, fleshier and more warmingly spiced; the core of acidity and mineral sensations are tucked into the fruit texture, giving this 15% abv bottling a lively and expansive feeling! WINE SPECTATOR 96 POINTS - "A beam of acidity cuts through this scintillating red, lending energy and driving its cherry, strawberry, mineral and spice flavors. Both ripe and supple, this firms up while playing out on the long and lively finish. All of the elements add up to great potential in 57 years. 916 cases made, 500 cases imported."