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2012 Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG (7.6.2021)
A blend of Sangiovese (90%), Canaiolo and Colorino. Fermented and macerated with the skins for 18-20 days in stainless steel tanks. Aged for approximately 18 months in French oak barriques and 500-liter demi-muids. 14% alcohol.
Youthful, luminous and moderately translucent cherry red color. Ripe, clean and very classically styled CC nose with aromas of fresh red fruits, some ripe cherries, a little bit of licorice, light meaty tones, a hint of darker forest fruits and a touch of tobacco. The wine is firm, dry and noticeably bitter on the palate with a medium body and savory flavors of fresh cranberries and pronounced sour cherry bitterness, some dark forest fruits, a little bit of tobacco, light gravelly mineral tones, a hint of wood spice and a touch of licorice root. High acidity with gently grippy medium tannins. The high alcohol lends a bit of warmth to the palate. The finish is firm, long and slightly warm with flavors of pronounced sour cherry bitterness, tart lingonberries, some savory wood spice, a little bit of ferrous blood, light notes of tobacco and a hint of ripe dark berries.
A nice, fresh and gastronomic Chianti Classico that performs very gracefully despite the rather high alcohol%. The overall feel here was surprisingly bitter; for sure sour cherry bitterness is to be expected from a Sangiovese, but in our tasting 12 Chianti Classicos, this wine was noticeably more bitter than any other wine we had. I can imagine this kind of pronounced bitterness can be a distracting element for people less familiar with Chianti Classico, so be warned. Other than that, the wine is a terrific food wine with well-proportioned fruit, bright acidity and firm yet unobtrusive tannins. Seeing how youthful the wine still is, I can imagine it will continue to age nicely for years more. Priced according to its quality at 23€. (89 pts.)
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1987 Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG (7.6.2021)
A blend of Sangiovese (90%), Canaiolo and Colorino. Fermented and macerated with the skins for 18-20 days in stainless steel tanks. Aged for approximately 18 months in French oak barriques and 500-liter demi-muids. 13% alcohol.
Aged, quite translucent syrupy-brown color. Pungent, noticeably oxidative nose with aromas of rancio, some Marsala tones, a little bit of chopped nuts, light raisiny tones and a hint of sun-baked earth. The wine is dry, oxidative and quite flavor on the palate with flavors of rancio, raisins, some nuttiness, a little bit of beef jerky and a hint of salinity. The wine is quite high in acidity with moderately grippy tannins. The finish is long, flat and oxidative with quite thin flavors of raisins, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of nutty rancio, light beef jerky tones and a metallic hint of rusted iron.
Past its peak. Either a poor bottle or then this vintage just isn’t alive anymore. Not worth the price at 40€. NR (flawed)
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1990 Castello di Monsanto Nemo Vigneto Il Mulino Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT (7.6.2021)
100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Mulino vineyard planted in the mid-1970. Fermented and macerated with the skins for 20-22 days in stainless steel tanks. Aged for approximately 18 months in French oak barriques. Labeled “Vino da Tavola di Toscana”. 13,5% alcohol.
Developed, slightly maroon-hued figgy color. Developed, somewhat dusty and slightly Bordelais nose with aromas of evolved meatiness, some minty notes, a little bit of sweet, toasty oak, light juicy notes of wizened blackcurrants, a hint of blood and a touch of mocha coffee. The wine is ripe, suave and silky on the palate with a full body and evolved flavors of juicy blackcurrants and wizened dark plums, some toasty oak spice, light minty notes, a little bit of espresso, a hint of meaty umami and a woody-smoky touch of cigar box. Although the wine tastes dry, the flavors have a subtly sweet edge to them. Nice, high acidity and firm, somewhat grippy medium tannins. The finish is ripe yet quite dry and very savory with rather persistent flavors of gamey meat, wizened blackcurrants, some dried figs, a little bit of toasty oak spice, light mocha tones, a hint of raw, bloody meat and a touch of roasted spices.
A tasty, sophisticated and enjoyable Super-Tuscan that retains a rather modernist, polished quality to its aromatics even at 30 years of age, but has fortunately evolved into a something very nuanced and harmonious. I guess this must have been quite an oak bomb in its youth, but now the developed savory tones have come to the fore and most of the oak has integrated with the fruit, so the overall feel doesn’t come across as too modern, but instead has an air of an aged Left-Bank Bordeaux. Although I’m not a big fan of these heavily oaked Super-Tuscan reds, this wine was a positive specimen in its genre. Priced according to its quality at 40€. (92 pts.)
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2006 Castell’in Villa Chianti Classico - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG (7.6.2021)
100% Sangiovese blended from 8 different vineyards. Aged for approximately 12 months in old, large oak casks. 13,5% alcohol.
Moderately translucent blood-red color with a slightly evolved maroon hue and a pale, almost colorless brick-orange rim. Quite open, fragrant and somewhat evolved nose with layered aromas of wizened black cherries, some bouillon, a little bit of sweet raisiny fruit, light balsamic tones, a hint of game and a touch of dried figs. The wine is lively, firm and medium-bodied on the palate with pure flavors of cranberries and sour cherry bitterness, some wizened black cherries, light savory notes of meat stew, light ferrous notes of blood, a hint of earth and a touch of game. The overall feel is enjoyably structured, thanks to the high acidity and somewhat grippy medium tannins. The finish is dry, gently grippy and long with a savory aftertaste of sour cherry bitterness, wizened cranberries, some sanguine notes of iron, a little bit of savory meat stew, a hint of tobacco and a touch of tart lingonberries.
A very lovely, balanced and classically built Chianti Classico in a terrific spot right now. Not a grand vin in any way, just a perfect everyday Sangiovese that can be easily paired with just about anything that calls for bright, fresh red wine. Starting to show some age, but I can imagine the wine still has stuffing to improve for at least a handful of years more. Drink or keep. Solid value at 23€. (91 pts.)
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2006 Castell’in Villa Chianti Classico Riserva - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG (7.6.2021)
100% Sangiovese made with the highest-quality fruit sourced from 8 different vineyards. Aged for 2-3 years in old, large oak casks. 14% alcohol.
Somewhat translucent blood-red color with a slightly evolved brick-red hue and a pale garnet rim - looks slightly more youthful compared to the Castell’in Villa Chianti Classico 2006 that was tasted alongside. Brooding, restrained and subtly sweet-toned nose with somewhat closed aromas of ripe figs, some leather, light earthy notes, a little bit of tobacco, a lifted hint of VA and a touch of woody spice. The wine is ripe, somewhat concentrated and moderately full-bodied on the palate - the overall feel is fuller, weightier and somewhat more bitter than the regular CC 2006. Pure flavors of fresh wild strawberries, quite pronounced sour cherry bitterness, some crunchy notes of red plums, a little bit of tobacco, light gamey tones, a hint of ripe dark forest fruits and a touch of savory wood spice. The overall feel is quite structured with the rather high acidity and moderately grippy medium-plus tannins. The finish is long and somewhat grippy with dry flavors of sour cherries and tart lingonberries, some gamey tones, a little bit of savory wood spice, light earthy notes and a hint of pipe tobacco.
A very nice, pure and quite stern Chianti Classico Riserva which has quite a bit of stuffing, yet doesn’t feel overdone one little bit. The regular Castell’in Villa Chianti Classico 2006 was more expressive and accessible at this point, whereas this Riserva bottling came across as slightly closed and more tightly-knit, yet this wine felt more impressive in comparison - and also relatively youthful for its age. The regular CC 2006 was already starting to show some age, but this Riserva 2006 wasn’t - on the contrary, it felt like this wine could use another 5-10 years or so before it really starts to enter its drinking window. Honestly, this feels like a wine that is going to make some beautiful old bones. Expect the score to go up as the wine ages. Highly recommended. (93 pts.)
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2010 Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva Il Poggio - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG (7.6.2021)
A blend of Sangiovese (95%), Canaiolo and Colorino. Fermented and macerated with the skins for 20-22 days in stainless steel tanks. Aged for approximately 18 months in partly new 500-liter demi-muids. 14% alcohol.
Somewhat translucent garnet color with a pale brick-red rim. Ripe, somewhat sweet-toned and slightly closed nose with aromas of meat stew, licorice root, some wizened black cherries, a little bit of cranberry marmalade, light lifted notes of ethery VA, a hint of earth and a touch of toasty oak spice. The wine is ripe, silky and enjoyably firm on the palate with a moderately full body and dry flavors of fresh dark plums, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of savory wood spice, light notes of game and blood, sweeter hints of wild strawberries and wizened figs and a touch of asphalt. The overall feel is quite structured, thanks to the rather high acidity and moderately grippy medium-plus tannins. The high alcohol lends a bit of warmth to the palate. The finish is juicy, moderately grippy and somewhat warm with bright flavors of tart red plums, sour cherry bitterness, some sweeter notes of wild strawberries, a little bit of savory wood spice, light figgy tones, a toasty hint of dark-toned chocolatey oak and a touch of leather.
A quite impressive and promising Chianti Classico Riserva that still feels very youthful, but also quite tightly-knit and aromatically somewhat closed at this point. The wine isn’t tough, unyielding or forbidding, but it feels like it is more about future potential than instant gratification. Although the wine isn’t oaky in any way, there’s still a bit of new oak character that peeks underneath the fruit at times. This feels like a wine that needs another 10 years before it will start to show its best and most likely the wine will continue to age gracefully for multiple decades. Although the wine is pretty impressive now, I’d recommend leaving this wine in the cellar and drink Monsanto’s CC and CC Riservas instead. (90 pts.)
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2006 Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva Il Poggio - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG (7.6.2021)
A blend of Sangiovese (95%), Canaiolo and Colorino. Fermented and macerated with the skins for 20-22 days in stainless steel tanks. Aged for approximately 18 months in partly new 500-liter demi-muids. 14% alcohol.
Quite deep, dark and only very little translucent blackish-red color with an evolved maroon hue. Somewhat restrained nose with aromas of dusty earth and asphalt, some wizened black cherries, a little bit of dried figs and raisiny fruit, light licorice tones, a hint of savory wood spice and a touch of blood. The wine is ripe, silky and juicy on the palate with a full body and moderately evolved flavors of sweet, dark fruits, tobacco, some bitter sour cherry and lingonberry tones, a little bit of wizened cranberries, light dried-fruit notes of raisins and dates, an umami hint of meat stew and a touch of peppery spice. The overall feel is pretty structured, thanks to the high acidity and ample, grippy tannins. The finish is long, quite savory and rather tannic with flavors of peppery spice, sour cherry bitterness, meaty umami, some wizened cranberry tones, a little bit of toasty oak spice, light dried-fruit notes of raisins and figs, a hint of charred game and a touch of dusty, sun-baked earth.
A savory and rather sunny Chianti Classico Riserva that doesn’t feel super-ripe, but certainly has a solar quality to it, lending a somewhat roasted feel to the flavors. There’s a lot of good stuff here - especially the combination of impressive structure and bold yet not overdone fruit - but the wine is still not a bullseye. Although this wine is very lean, sinewy and well-proportioned in a world of jammy, overripe wines, this nevertheless feels a bit too roasted, sunny and extracted for a Chianti Classico - it might not be that obvious when drunk alone, but in our tasting of 12 Chianti Classicos, this wine felt a bit “too much”, if it makes sense. Nevertheless, this is a terrific wine that is in a great spot right now. Structurally the wine might continue to soften with age, but aromatically the wine seemed like it is very close to its apogee and I suspect that any development in this department is going to remain pretty limited. Drink or keep. (93 pts.)
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2003 Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva Il Poggio - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG (7.6.2021)
A blend of Sangiovese (95%), Canaiolo and Colorino. Fermented and macerated with the skins for 20-22 days in stainless steel tanks. Aged for approximately 18 months in partly new 500-liter demi-muids. 14% alcohol.
Very dark and deep maroon color that permits relatively little color through. Big, rich and somewhat wizened nose with sweetly-fruited aromas of raisins and wizened black cherries, some prune juice, a little bit of dried dates, light thinner notes of alcohol, a hint of pipe tobacco and a touch of balsamic richness. The wine feels full-bodied, concentrated and quite structured on the palate with obvious sense of ripeness, yet the wine doesn’t feel one bit overripe, unlike so many other Tuscan 2003 wines. Dry flavors of wizened black cherries, some old leather notes, a little bit of peppery spice, light lifted notes of balsamico, sweeter dried-fruit hints of raisins and dates and a touch of sour cherry bitterness. The overall feel is very structured and quite tightly-knit with the high acidity and quite tough, assertive tannins. The finish is ripe, juicy and slightly sweet with firm, grippy tannins and rather long flavors of wizened black cherries, some pruney tones, a little bit of balsamic richness, light raisiny fruit, a hint of pipe tobacco and a touch of old leather.
I was expecting an overripe, boozy mess of a wine from this 2003 vintage, but unlike many of its peers, this Il Poggio 2003 doesn’t really show any signs of the exceptionally hot vintage. Instead it is remarkably dry, fresh and balanced in style, just like a great Chianti Classico should be - only perhaps a bit bigger and more muscular than Il Poggio normally is. It’s hard to say whether the dried-fruit notes are the result of the vintage, bottle age or both, but fortunately they never manage to dominate. There’s still a lot of stuffing here and most likely the wine will continue to improve for a good number of years. One of the best 2003 Italian wines I’ve tasted. Terrific stuff, highly recommended. (93 pts.)
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1997 Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva Il Poggio - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG (7.6.2021)
A blend of Sangiovese (95%), Canaiolo and Colorino. Fermented and macerated with the skins for 20-22 days in stainless steel tanks. Aged for approximately 18 months in partly new 500-liter demi-muids. 13,5% alcohol.
Quite dark, moderately deep and somewhat translucent garnet color with a brick-red rim. Somewhat dull, stuffy and slightly dusty nose with aromas of earth and damp wood, followed by sweeter notes of wizened figs and raisins, some old leather and a little bit of sunny dark fruit. Overall the nose doesn’t give much and feels perhaps a bit off. The wine is ripe, full-bodied and silky with quite savory flavors of juicy black cherries and sunny plummy fruit, some toasty oak spice, a little bit of dried figs, light ferrous notes of blood, a hint of sour cherry bitterness and a touch of dusty, sun-baked earth. The overall feel is rather modest in acidity for Il Poggio and the medium tannins start to feel rather resolved at this point. The finish is dry with a quite long aftertaste of ripe dark plums, some wizened red cherries, a little bit of savory wood spice, light dusty tones, a hint of earth and a touch of sour cherry bitterness. The alcohol becomes quite pronounced towards the end of the aftertaste.
At first the wine seemed corked, but it never seemed to get worse (as opposed to how corked wines usually behave) and there was quite a bit of fruit left in the wine. However, I see that many users in CT have commented that the wine isn’t up to par, so I’m inclined to think that we really didn’t have an off bottle, but there seems to be some kind of systemic problem with this vintage; too many notes seemed to exhibit the same traits as our bottle. All in all, a somewhat disappointing vintage of Il Poggio - even if the wine wasn’t aromatically sound, the structure and persistence here wasn’t at the same level with the other Il Poggio vintages we tasted at the same event. (85 pts.)
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1985 Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva Il Poggio - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG (7.6.2021)
A blend of Sangiovese (95%), Canaiolo and Colorino. Fermented and macerated with the skins for 20-22 days in stainless steel tanks. Aged for approximately 18 months in partly new 500-liter demi-muids. 13,5% alcohol.
Luminous, somewhat evolved and quite translucent brick-red color with a deep ruby core. Mature, somewhat wizened and wonderfully complex nose with seductive aromas of wizened dark forest fruits, some ripe black cherries, light leathery tones, a little bit of earth, dried-fruit hints of raisins and dried dates, a touch of pouch tobacco and a whiff of cranberry sauce. Lovely! The wine is full-bodied, silky and resolved on the palate with complex, evolved flavors of wizened red cherries and sour cherry bitterness, pouch tobacco, some beef jerky tones, a little bit of charred game, light salty-umami notes of soy sauce, a hint of dried figs and a touch of old, cracking leather. The wine still retains great sense of structure, thanks to its rather high acidity and still moderately grippy medium-plus tannins. The finish is long and savory with persistent, layered flavors of sour cherries, meaty umami, some crunchy cranberry tones, a little bit of charred game, light notes of tobacco, a hint of smoky cigar and a touch of beef jerky. The wine ends on a moderately grippy note and the sour cherry bitterness seems to grow in intensity towards the end of the aftertaste.
A beautiful, wonderfully evolved and remarkably complex Chianti Classico that is in a terrific spot right now. While not a “big” wine by any means, the wine is surprisingly ripe and concentrated for an 80’s Chianti Classico. I doubt the wine is going to evolve much further from here, but most likely this will keep good for years - maybe even decades. Easily one of the most impressive Chiantis I’ve tasted and ever-so-slightly more impressive than the almost as exceptional Il Poggio 1983. Stunning stuff, highly recommended. (95 pts.)
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1983 Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva Il Poggio - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG (7.6.2021)
A blend of Sangiovese (95%), Canaiolo and Colorino. Fermented and macerated with the skins for 20-22 days in stainless steel tanks. Aged for approximately 18 months in partly new 500-liter demi-muids. 13,5% alcohol.
Evolved, moderately translucent maroon color with an orange-yellow rim. Ripe, somewhat sweet and quite dark-toned nose with mature aromas of wizened black cherries, tobacco, some dried dates, a little bit of sweet balsamic VA, light salty liquorice notes, a hint of smoke and a touch of cranberry sauce. The wine is evolved, full-bodied and silky on the palate with a taste that at first feels juicier and sweeter, then turns drier and more savory. Flavors of sour cherries, meaty umami, some licorice root, a little bit of ripe forest fruits, light tart lingonberry tones, a hint of beef jerky and a touch of pouch tobacco. The sour cherry bitterness seems to kick in on the backbeat. Wonderfully high acidity with rather resolved medium tannins that still retain a bit of grip, but contribute more to the texture rather than the structure. The finish is ripe, savory and gently grippy with long flavors of wizened cherries, some crunchy cranberries, a little bit of game and beef jerky, light salty liquorice tones, a hint of tart lingonberry and a touch of earth.
A beautiful, classically built Chianti Classico with a lot of age, but not a bit too much. The wine is very evolved, yet retains quite a bit of fruit, so that it doesn’t come across as too tertiary. The structure feels perfectly in balance with the body and the fruit, so that the wine drinks just wonderfully with and without food. All in all, a very impressive and rewarding wine for an aged Chianti Classico; only an inch less impressive than the excellent Il Poggio 1985. Highly recommended. (94 pts.)
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1983 Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG (7.6.2021)
Confusingly, this wine had the label of Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva, but the label said “Chianti Classico Riserva del Poggio”. The wine was tasted next to Il Poggio Chianti Classico Riserva 1983, which had a different label and tasted different. Can’t say if this was normal Monsanto CCR or a distinct bottling. 13,5% alcohol.
Evolved, moderately translucent maroon color with an orange-yellow rim. Quite tertiary and subtly oxidative nose with aromas of raisins, tobacco or cigar wrapper, some wizened sour cherries, light minty notes, a little bit of oxidative beef jerky, a hint of autumnal leaves and a touch of sous-bois. The wine is developed, silky and slightly oxidative on the palate with a full body and dry, tertiary flavors of beef jerky and salty soy sauce, some wizened sour cherries, light sanguine notes of gamey meat, a little bit of rich hoi sin, hints of earth and tobacco and a crunchy touch of tart cranberries. The structure relies mostly on the high acidity, as the powdery, fully resolved tannins feel very mellow and do not grip anymore. The finish is savory, slightly more grippy and somewhat earthy with slightly oxidative flavors of beef jerky, dried sour cherries, some autumnal leaves, a little bit of licorice root, light hoi sin notes, a hint of tangy-umami soy sauce character and a touch of old, dried cigar.
A pretty lovely, old Chianti Classico with quite a bit of age. Tasting this side by side with Il Poggio 1983, it was very obvious that this wine was noticeably more evolved and already getting somewhat oxidative, whereas Il Poggio was just singing. This wine still offers quite a bit of pleasure and is far from getting too old for enjoyment, but there’s no denying that the wine slowly gliding downhill and it must’ve been in a better shape some years ago. Time to drink up. (90 pts.)
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1995 Castello di Monsanto Vin Santo del Chianti La Chimera - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Vin Santo del Chianti (7.6.2021)
A blend of Trebbiano Toscano and Malvasia del Chianti, normally in approximately 50/50 proportions. The grapes are harvested very late and then left to raisinate until the February following the harvest. The dried grapes are pressed and the resulting must is fermented and aged for 8-10 years in 55 and 110-liter oak, cherry wood and chestnut caratelli. 15,5% alcohol.
Medium-deep golden yellow color with an evolved, pale brown hue and a reddish-bronze core. Intense and moderately oxidative nose with complex aromas of chopped nuts, syrupy molasses, some oat biscuits, light sweet notes of lifted VA, a little bit of bitter almond oil, a hint of maple syrup and a touch of vanilla blossom. The wine is quite sweet and very intense on the palate with a full body, moderately sticky mouthfeel and complex flavors of caramel and burnt sugar bitterness, some tangy salinity, light evolved notes of cooked cream, a little bit of almondy nuttiness, a hint of vanilla and a touch of oat biscuits. The high acidity lends great sense of balance to the wine and keeps the sweetness nicely at bay. The high alcohol lends some obvious warmth to the palate. The finish is sweet, moderately sticky and very long with intense flavors of oxidative nuttiness and tangy rancio, some burnt sugar bitterness, light salty notes, a little bit of maple syrup, a sweet hint of vanilla pod and a lifted touch of nail polish VA. The wine ends on a rather hot note, thanks to the high alcohol.
A distinctive, wonderfully complex and very fascinating Vin Santo that shows some oxidative qualities, but also lots of other more fine-tuned nuances as well. The wine isn’t super-sweet in style, nor is it from the drier end of the Vin Santo spectrum, but instead is somewhere in the middle - shows quite a bit of sweetness, but isn’t as rich and sweet as most dessert wines are. The rather high alcohol shows a bit through, making the wine feel a bit hot at times, but other than that, this is just lovely. As it isn’t super-sweet, it drinks really well on its own, but due to its intensity and balanced sweetness, it goes really well with savory desserts. I doubt the wine will continue to improve much from here, but most likely the wine will keep just fine for many years, perhaps even decades. Delightful stuff. (94 pts.)
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