San Giusto a Rentennano La Ricolma: A Complete Retrospective
BY ANTONIO GALLONI |
So many of Tuscany’s most famous wines achieved their vaunted status by accident. That is the case with San Guido’s Sassicaia, which for several decades was made solely for the Incisa della Rocchetta family’s home consumption. In 1978, Piero Antinori had more Cabernet Sauvignon than he needed for his Tignanello, so he bottled it separately. That wine became Solaia. Masseto was an experimental wine when it was first produced in 1986 as Il Merlot dell’Ornellaia. What about San Giusto a Rentennano’s Merlot La Ricolma? Well, it turns out La Ricolma has a pretty interesting story too. This complete vertical of La Ricolma was the first ever complete retrospective ever held at the estate.
Luca Martini di Cigala in the
original La Ricolma Merlot vineyard, planted in 1991.
A Rich Tuscan History…
San Giusto a Rentennano and the Martini di Cigalas trace their roots back several centuries, all the way back to Medieval Tuscany. The property is located in the Monti district of Gaiole, which borders Castelnuovo Berardenga in the southern reaches of Chianti Classico, just a few kilometers from Siena. The estate was a Cistercian monastery in the 11th century before it was acquired by the Ricasolis, owners of Brolio and one of the most important families in Tuscany to this day. The Ricasolis fortified the property, which marked part of the border separating Florence from Siena, during the War of the Ghibellines. Quite remarkably, some of those ancient battlements are still standing.
This 1905 book contains detailed maps of a number of the Ricasoli-Firidolfi family’s agricultural holdings.
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So many of Tuscany’s most famous wines achieved their vaunted status by accident. That is the case with Sassicaia, Masseto and Solaia. What about San Giusto a Rentennano’s Merlot La Ricolma? Well, it turns out La Ricolma has a pretty interesting story too. This complete vertical of La Ricolma, the first ever held at the estate, provided a fabulous opportunity to learn more about the wine and the Martini di Cigala family’s rich lineage.
