Castello di Monsanto tasting note archive
Castello di Monsanto produces wines of thrilling tension and what I call 'ballerina power'—they are lithe, weightless, and elegant, yet possess an incredibly deep, driving core of fruit. Across their entire lineup, you will consistently find a highly aromatic profile marked by tart black and red cherry, distinct citrus oils, and an exotic, savory edge. Supported by firm, beautifully polished tannins and the underlying salinity of San Donato's marine soils, these are benchmark Chianti Classicos built for decades in the cellar.
Castello di Monsanto Il Poggio Chianti Classcio Gran Selezione
- Blend: 90% Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Colorino
- Vineyard Source: The Il Poggio vineyard, south facing on Pietraforte.
- Fermentation: In temperature controlled truncated conical steel vats with emptying system (Délestage) and pumping over for about 18/20 days.
- Aging: One part aged in 3800 litre oak casks and the other in second passage tonneaux for around 18 months.
All wines were tasted on release
2020 Castello di Monsanto Vigna Il Poggio Chianti Classico Gran Selezione
Smells quite of potpourri, dried balsamic notes, floral, wild berries, cherries, iris, and sage. Juicy on entry, lithe in the mouth, supple yet abundant tannins support a finely rendered core of willowy yellow and light red fruits along with gentle floral notes and a fine savory soil element. This is very well balanced, with real verve in the mouth, love drinking this. Finishes with a slight excess of tannin, but the delicate fruit ultimately wins out on the finale. Needs food today but a fine rendition of a unfettered expression of site. With lovely nuanced flavors and real succulence. 93pts
2016 Castello di Monsanto Il Poggio
Very citrussy on the nose with salted plum undertones, hints of green tea and poppy seeds. Smooth, polished, rich with just the nearest suggestion of weight, polished tannins, a bit of a truffly edge early ont he palate, then this reveals sleek black fruits, really remarkably polished in style. The finish reverts to a more typical CC expression, slightly angular tannins, great transparency, good length with a lovely blend of berry fruit, tobacco, and soil flavors, but wow this is remarkably well integrated on the palate. I would have liked to see a bit more complexity on the midpalate but that nitpicking. 93pts
2017 Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna Il Poggio
A little dark on the nose, recalls poppy seeds along with hints of leather, gardenia, preserved lemon and dark, bitter cherry fruit. Bright, lots of acid here, and very focused but the acid is just a bit dominant. A nice subtle chewiness helps to buffer the acidity, but this is tart right through the long finish. Subtle flavors, again the poppy seeds along with small black cherry fruit and some soil tones that all sort of evaporate on the modest finish. These bottles could have been open from yesterday so it’s tough to say whats going on with this, but it’s a bit lean and ordinary for Il Poggio. 90pts
2011 Monsanto ccr Il Poggio 14%
A hint of patisserie along with wonderful aromas of cherries jubilee grace the nose here. Intense and fresh and offering great detail with hints of vanilla oak, sweet violet, moist earth, and peppery spice all adding detail in turn. Smooth yet focused in the mouth, and still very youthful, theres a gracefulness here that belies the wine’s size. Slightly exotic fruit flavors emerge slowly on the taut palate, crabapple, wild plum, and pomegranate take their place besides the wild cherry core. Complexity comes in waves with floral, fresh herbal and fennel seed nuance coming and going int he mouth. The finish remains a bit tight, long, savory, laced with blond tobacco and clay. A tour di nuance! This is really lovely and has a track record of a life measured in decades. Perhaps the archetype for great CCR, this is a wine that everyone should try and cellar. 93
2020 Castello di Monsanto Vigna Il Poggio Chianti Classico Gran Selezione
Smells quite of potpourri, dried balsamic notes, floral, wild berries, cherries, iris, and sage. Juicy on entry, lithe in the mouth, supple yet abundant tannins support a finely rendered core of willowy yellow and light red fruits along with gentle floral notes and a fine savory soil element. This is very well balanced, with real verve in the mouth, love drinking this. Finishes with a slight excess of tannin, but the delicate fruit ultimately wins out on the finale. Needs food today but a fine rendition of a unfettered expression of site. With lovely nuanced flavors and real succulence. 93pts
2016 Castello di Monsanto Il Poggio
Very citrussy on the nose with salted plum undertones, hints of green tea and poppy seeds. Smooth, polished, rich with just the nearest suggestion of weight, polished tannins, a bit of a truffly edge early ont he palate, then this reveals sleek black fruits, really remarkably polished in style. The finish reverts to a more typical CC expression, slightly angular tannins, great transparency, good length with a lovely blend of berry fruit, tobacco, and soil flavors, but wow this is remarkably well integrated on the palate. I would have liked to see a bit more complexity on the midpalate but that nitpicking. 93pts
2017 Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna Il Poggio
A little dark on the nose, recalls poppy seeds along with hints of leather, gardenia, preserved lemon and dark, bitter cherry fruit. Bright, lots of acid here, and very focused but the acid is just a bit dominant. A nice subtle chewiness helps to buffer the acidity, but this is tart right through the long finish. Subtle flavors, again the poppy seeds along with small black cherry fruit and some soil tones that all sort of evaporate on the modest finish. These bottles could have been open from yesterday so it’s tough to say whats going on with this, but it’s a bit lean and ordinary for Il Poggio. 90pts
2011 Monsanto ccr Il Poggio 14%
A hint of patisserie along with wonderful aromas of cherries jubilee grace the nose here. Intense and fresh and offering great detail with hints of vanilla oak, sweet violet, moist earth, and peppery spice all adding detail in turn. Smooth yet focused in the mouth, and still very youthful, theres a gracefulness here that belies the wine’s size. Slightly exotic fruit flavors emerge slowly on the taut palate, crabapple, wild plum, and pomegranate take their place besides the wild cherry core. Complexity comes in waves with floral, fresh herbal and fennel seed nuance coming and going int he mouth. The finish remains a bit tight, long, savory, laced with blond tobacco and clay. A tour di nuance! This is really lovely and has a track record of a life measured in decades. Perhaps the archetype for great CCR, this is a wine that everyone should try and cellar. 93
Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva
- Blend: 90% Sangiovese, 5% Canaiolo, 5% Colorino
- Vineyard Source: A blend of vineyards plots, featuring the estates older vines grown on yellow sands and galestro.
- Fermentation: In temperature controlled truncated conical steel vats with emptying system (Délestage) and pumping over for about 18/20 days.
- Aging: One part aged in 3800 litre oak casks and the other in second passage tonneaux for around 18 months.
2022 Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva
A bit compact on the nose and marked with an early note of gentle wood influence followed by sandy soil tones, wild flower aromas and a core of deep, juicy, cherry, black raspberry fruit that gains a gently fresh mushroom framing note. Crystal clear on the palate but moderately rich with some gentle power to it as it delivers this brisk black cherry, wildflower inflected, sandy soil based midpalate with a hint of salinity. This is great, it has a sense of refinement and elegance already but is obviously very young. The tannins are ripe and abundant and dominate the long finish but the fruit squeaks out on the final, all fresh and floral with a candied edge to the black cheeriness. Has a light vein of balsam that traipses across the palate. Great cut and energy on the plate, will be wonderful wine in 3-5 years and last for a decade plus after that. 95pts
2021 Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva
Dark with brewed herbal notes a leathery base under a core of wild berry, mulberry, dried blood orange and citrus fruits. Firm, slight austerity, elegant, and noble in the mouth, the tannins are austere yet somehow fall into the background, the acidity lends juiciness and lift but otherwise is unobtrusive and the fruit, slightly exotic, black and spicy shows excellent depth and persistence with a huge follow through of herbal and soil driven flavors through the powerful and long finish. Ballerina power here, sinewy lean and explosive with fruit that turns nuanced and complex with almost a slightly foxy exotic edge. Superb with effortless balance. 95pts
Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva 2019*
Quite floral with hints of citrus peels, grapefruit and citron, along with fine, slightly dark fruit over a base of sandy soil tones. Gorgeous on entry, not full but filled in, and seamlessly textured. This is very lively on the palate, with black cherry skin fruit tones dominant early on the palate. The tannins are seamlessly integrated, but are quite firm and ample. Elegant and refined, with decent length. A fine inner mouth perfume of fruit and flowers emerges with some air. Very classy effort. 94pts
2019 Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva
Elegant and fine on the nose with perfumes of dried flowers, black cherry, cigar ash, and leather all framed with anote of black spice, sandy soil, and fennel. Elegant, weightless, yet fairly deep with black cherry fruit flavors. Such a good wine, and such a value. There are some fine grained tannins that emerge on the long finish, the finish has almost as much volume in the mouth as the wine does. Long, pure, restrained and understated, this really is a wine that should please all palates. 93pts
2018 Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva
A bit stemmy smelling, lots of fruit but lots of underbrush as well, quite intense with a hint of passionfruit. Real sweetness on entry, nicely filling the palate while remaining medium bodied. Tannins are significant if well covered but do clamp down on the finish. Still retains a certain sense of airiness and elegance. The first wine with significant fruit, and it gives the wine a sense of richness. Lots of mediterranean herb emerge retronasally. Complete if a little lean. 91pts
2015 Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva
Assertively aromatic, this rally explodes from the glass with rich herbal notes, sweet pink grapefruit pith, medicinal floral, and spicy cherry fruit aromas. Glassy and tense int he mouth, this is all about the purely rendered spiced cherry fruit. Theres a delicacy and finesse her, its lovely with fine distinct tannins and geed depth to the old vinyl fruit flavors. Not a large scaled wine by any stretch of the imagination, this does nonetheless delivery a deep, mouthful of pure unfettered. and slightly lacy sangiovese fruit. So aromatic too. What more could one want from CCR. Delicious if still youthful. 93pts
2013 Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva
A touch reductive, then sweet and peppery with a balsamic note and an aromatic profile that shows lots of orange rind, red chile, chinese five spice and hoisin character. It smells fantastic, but like chinese food! In the mouth its focused, finely textured and seamless. The fruit is present, juicy and slightly plummy with tannins that are present but inobtrusive and finely integrated acidity lending a slightly tart charter to the fruit. The savory complexity of the nose is replaced by a distinct fruity character that fades gently on the moderately long finish. Theres a touch of graphite on the finish, and the tannins become a touch firm, though remain well integrated with the fruit. Perhaps a touch foresquare, this wine has a track record for ageing exceptionally well, though there is not problem drinking it and enjoying it today . it is a benchmark for the region and a tremendous value. 90pts
Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico
- Blend: 90% Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Colorino
- Vineyard Source: A blend of younger vineyards plots, grown on yellow sands and galestro.
- Fermentation: In temperature controlled truncated conical steel vats with emptying system (Délestage) and pumping over for about 18/20 days.
- Aging: In 3800 liter French oak casks for 15 months.
2020 Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico
Wow, this has incredible perfumes right now with violet and almost cinnamon like notes vying for one’s attention over the pool of ripe red fruits and oily mediterranean herbal notes. Sweet tart on entry, then turning slightly tart and ever so slightly bitter with bitter cherry and herb flavors competing for attention. Powerful in a way, not overweight but deep, slightly chewy and exceptionally vinous. Could improve over the next 2-3 years but this is already a fantastic Chianti Classico. Not really sure how it gets better. 94pts
2017 Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico
Impressively aromatic, smell powerful with hints of sweetness and spices from wood along with dark, slight jammy blackberry tinged fruit. Very light on the palate though this carried fine depth of fruit and a touch of glycerine richness it remains playful and easy going, Lively, fresh and juicy with really follow through to the side cherry fruit on the finish. Slightly plummy on nose and palate, just the right bitterness and tannic bite on the finish. Classic. 88pts
2014 Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico 13.5%
Very aromatic if a touch reductive on the nose. Lots of swirling cleans things up revealing a slightly hint of oak embedded in a core of sweetly floral red fruit. This is rather spicy on the nose with a tarry overtone tot he aromas. Supple yet bright on entry, supported as much by acid as by tannin, the palate sort of unfurls in an attractive way revealing lovely tart red and white cherry fruit. Perhaps a bit uncomplicated, the texture here is very appealing with both harmony and a hint of rusticity that prevent this from feeling just a bit too slick. All tart cherry and fresh, this delivers classic Chianti Classico fruit with gusto. 87pts
Castello di Monsanto
Wow, this has incredible perfumes right now with violet and almost cinnamon like notes vying for one’s attention over the pool of ripe red fruits and oily mediterranean herbal notes. Sweet tart on entry, then turning slightly tart and ever so slightly bitter with bitter cherry and herb flavors competing for attention. Powerful in a way, not overweight but deep, slightly chewy and exceptionally vinous. Could improve over the next 2-3 years but this is already a fantastic Chianti Classico. Not really sure how it gets better. 94pts
2017 Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico
Impressively aromatic, smell powerful with hints of sweetness and spices from wood along with dark, slight jammy blackberry tinged fruit. Very light on the palate though this carried fine depth of fruit and a touch of glycerine richness it remains playful and easy going, Lively, fresh and juicy with really follow through to the side cherry fruit on the finish. Slightly plummy on nose and palate, just the right bitterness and tannic bite on the finish. Classic. 88pts
2014 Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico 13.5%
Very aromatic if a touch reductive on the nose. Lots of swirling cleans things up revealing a slightly hint of oak embedded in a core of sweetly floral red fruit. This is rather spicy on the nose with a tarry overtone tot he aromas. Supple yet bright on entry, supported as much by acid as by tannin, the palate sort of unfurls in an attractive way revealing lovely tart red and white cherry fruit. Perhaps a bit uncomplicated, the texture here is very appealing with both harmony and a hint of rusticity that prevent this from feeling just a bit too slick. All tart cherry and fresh, this delivers classic Chianti Classico fruit with gusto. 87pts
Castello di Monsanto