Historia Familiae 2021 75cl

Dark, restrained aromas of cassis, black cherries, Mediterranean herbs, lavender and fresh black pepper. Full-bodied and savory with ripe velvety tannins, juicy acidity and a sweet, toasted aftertaste. A precise wine for the long haul. A bit young now. Try from 2026, but it will be at its best from 2031.

Here's a wine I haven't tasted in 10 years. Back then, I sampled the 2011 vintage that was created to celebrate the two decades that Francesco Ricasoli had led Barone Ricasoli after buying back controlling shares from other family members. The celebratory 2021 Historia Familiae is packaged in a heavy glass bottle and red wax capsule (with only 3,000 bottles made) with handwritten family names in gold stenciling on the front label. With a sweet-smelling bouquet, this wine is lots of fun to drink thanks to its very abundant tones of blackberry coulis, sweet spice, cinnamon biscuit and cured tobacco. Those aromas imply ample oak on face value, but the effect is happily balanced. The wine is full-bodied and unabashedly modern. There's plenty of family history to build upon.

here's a touch of resin on the nose, giving way to plum, blackberry, pomegranate and iron flavors. This is a serious red, focused and well-structured, with excellent balance overall, a long, complex aftertaste and a lightly chewy finish. Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2026 through 2042. 250 cases made, 50 cases imported.