Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG Il Poggio 2013 Castello di Monsanto review and tasting notes

Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG Il Poggio 2013 Castello di Monsanto is a good wine, pulpy, intense, spicy, we thought it was a little less explosive and more austere, but in the end, we are in the Chianti Classico, baby! A sunny land famous for the roundness of the fruit that Sangiovese takes on these pleasant hills, everything is illuminated and very juicy.

Perhaps the hot vintage is an accomplice, however, a little more was expected in terms of finesse and less stylization given by the wood. The wine is certainly good, at times excellent, there are no smudges, but compared to its brother Poggio 2012 Castello di Monsanto, this one seems much more muscular. On the one hand, we are happy that the wines follow the trend of the vintage, it is a sign of craftsmanship, on the other hand, all this physicality tends to jam exaggeratedly and the subtlety of the vine suffers.

We do not want to be critical or spit in the glass at all costs, it is just that when a bottle begins to have a less than popular cost, 42-45 euros, expectations also levitate at the same pace. Let’s be honest: if you find the 2012 vintage of this wine, make it yours and put it in the cellar, it has a much greater aging potential than 2013, certainly more ruddy and fiery.

The wine comes from the renowned vineyards of the Val d’Elsa, where the Monsanto Castle has been producing with great success since the 1960s, a splendid land where woods, vineyards and olive trees alternate in a fabulous, if not a fairytale, landscape. And among all the splendid vineyards of the winery, “Il Poggio” stands out, from which this noble reserve comes, produced only in the most favorable years. It is a skillful blend that is made up of 90% Sangiovese, 7% Canaiolo and 3% Colorino; refines for 20 months in French oak barrels. As you can see, it is a small work of art, not the usual carefree Chinati to uncork for pici with meat sauce and therefore the price is also justified. The quality is undeniable.

The bouquet of the Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG Il Poggio 2013 Castello di Monsanto

Classic nose with laurel and cherries that get lost in a frenetic dance. The tones of the fruit are ripe, dense with cooked plums emerging from a sea of ​​violets with notes of sweet spices and other splendid, more balsamic and pungent ones in the background. Very clean finish, earthy with graphite. Remarkable persistence.

The flavor

In the mouth it has an ample taste, still very fresh and tenacious with citrus flavors, the flavor is delicious, the tannins take hold and do not joke, but are fine-grained. On the whole, it is full, which moves with a lively and sunny spirit; the fruit is ripe and engaging, slightly bulky, but the elegance of the stroke is indisputable.

In conclusion, it is an excellent Sangiovese, plump, but with a typical cut, endowed with great expressive naturalness, indeed almost unplugged as a wine. Drunk now it is good, but with a few years of aging in the bottle, it will be able to transform all this extract and this fruity vivacity into elegance and more evolved flavors.

Price

42-45 euros.

Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG Il Poggio 2013 Castello di Monsanto food pairings

Succulent and tasty dishes such as stews, game, Tuscan crostini, grilled meat, curry chicken, baked lasagna, truffle risotto, pulled pork, Argentine meat empanadas.