Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva Il Poggio 1962-2017
BY ANTONIO GALLONI |
Castello di Monsanto’s Chianti Classico Riserva Il Poggio forever changed the history of Chianti Classico as a region and wine. Consistency, a fervent belief in Sangiovese blended with a touch of indigenous red varieties, and a remarkable track record going back several decades have elevated Il Poggio to what is today – one of Italy’s most iconic wines. This unforgettable vertical back to the inaugural 1962 vintage provided myriad insights into the history of the estate and the evolution of the wine over the last five decades.
I was fortunate to be exposed to the wines of Chianti Classico pretty early on. Because of that, it did not take me long to start to understand that Chianti Classico was an exceptional appellation for fine, age-worthy wines, perhaps even more notable than some of its more famous neighbors. That interest led me to taste verticals of many, if not most, of the Chianti Classico reference points, starting well before Chianti Classico became the fashionable region it is today. Readers will find all of those notes in our database. One wine remained elusive. Monsanto’s Il Poggio. It’s not that I didn’t want to do a retrospective, but rather that I wanted something to look forward to.
An incredible flight
of Il Poggios from the 1960s.
This vertical, held at the estate last summer, provided an unparalleled opportunity to raid Monsanto’s cellar and essentially taste every vintage remaining at the property. I was thrilled to be joined by my esteemed colleague, Alessandro Masnaghetti, for this extraordinary voyage through time. It was just the two of us, and the team led Laura Bianchi, Castello di Monsanto’s dashing proprietor and one of the great ambassadors for Chianti Classico. The wines were served in flights at a leisurely pace over several hours, which provided ample opportunity to revisit them, and also replace any suspect bottles.
All the wines were sourced directly from the Castello’s ample cellar, a vast network of tunnels that require six years of work to complete. While we are on that subject, let me just say that maintaining a library is a prerequisite for any winery that wishes to consider itself elite. Cellaring older wines presents an opportunity to learn from the past, it is a sign of respect for current work, and it is also an investment for future generations to be able to glean insights from the past. Sadly, very few estates in Italy share this view, but that just makes Castello di Monsanto all the more exceptional.
Castello di Monsanto’s Chianti Classico Riserva Il Poggio forever changed the history of Chianti Classico as a region and wine. Consistency, a fervent belief in Sangiovese blended with a touch of indigenous red varieties, and a remarkable track record going back several decades have elevated Il Poggio to what is today – one of Italy’s most iconic wines. This unforgettable vertical back to the inaugural 1962 vintage provided myriad insights into the history of the estate and the evolution of the wine over the last five decades.
