{"title":"Monsanto","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"monsantochianticlassico2012","title":"Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva 2021 - 750ml","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e95pts James Suckling\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA deep and complex wine with licorice, dried cherries, pomegranates, bergamot and violets on the nose. Soft on the palate, it’s powerful and extracted yet not without grace due to velvety tannins, a full body and tight-knit acidity. Super-tense finish. Drink or hold.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e95pts Wine Spectator\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis luscious, dense red is packed with cherry, blackberry, pomegranate and violet flavors. Its tannins are ripe and refined, while the vibrant acidity keeps everything focused. An iron streak weaves through the long, energetic finish. This is approachable now yet will be better in 2–3 years. Best from 2026 through 2045.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e95pts Decanter\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe intention with Castello di Monsanto’s Riserva is to make a wine with immediate accessibility as well as serious cellaring potential. Gorgeous and precise from the get-go, the 2021 is profuse in aromas of black pepper, flint and earthy brambles. Equally perfumed, the palate ups the ante with rose, bergamot and graphite. A firm tannic spine and linear acidity are matched by fruit depth galore, all intricately and tightly stitched. My instinct is that this is only going to get better, so I prefer to wait. The solution is to buy a few bottles to enjoy its evolution.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e94pts Wine Enthusiast\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Monsanto expressions of Sangiovese are uniformly excellent, but all in marvelously different ways. The Riserva always stands out to me for the depth and texture it offers, and for the riot of Tuscan herbs that sprout on the nose, before ripe, snappy cherry notes light up the palate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e94pts Tasting Panel\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 2021 Chianti Classico Riserva is a wine of pedigree and class. Aromatic, vibrant and delineated, the Riserva captures all the best qualities of the year. Crushed flowers, dark red\/purplish fruit, mint, blood orange and pomegranate are some of the many notes that build in the glass. This is a sublime effort.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e94pts Vinous\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 2021 Chianti Classico Riserva is a wine of pedigree and class. Aromatic, vibrant and delineated, the Riserva captures all the best qualities of the year. Crushed flowers, dark red\/purplish fruit, mint, blood orange and pomegranate are some of the many notes that build in the glass. This is a sublime effort.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e92pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom a terrific vintage, the 2021 Chianti Classico Riserva shows a medium-dark garnet appearance. Like the entry-level Chianti Classico, this Riserva delivers lovely primary fruit intensity. That brightness, with plenty of wild cherry and raspberry, is the calling card of Castello di Monsanto. There is a lot of sweet ripeness with fruit preserves, a hint of earthiness and cinnamon.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Southern Wine \u0026 Spirits","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":583348125709,"sku":"083960540946","price":29.97,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2424\/3053\/files\/monsanto-chianti-classico-riserva-2021-750ml-383890.jpg?v=1760478995"},{"product_id":"monsanto-il-poggio-chianti-classico-gran-selezione-2020-750ml","title":"Monsanto Il Poggio Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2020 - 750ml","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e98pts Vinous, #1 Vinous Top 100 of 2025, #45 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2025\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 2020 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna Il Poggio is a total stunner. What a wine. Elegant and translucent, the 2020 impresses with a sublime, finessed personality that is impossible to miss. Fine tannins and lifted, sensual aromatics immediately announce a wine of utter class. On the palate, the 2020 is wonderfully deep and layered, with mind-blowing balance and exceptional pedigree. The 2020 is one of the very finest Il Poggios ever made. It has been nothing short of breathtaking on the two occasions I have tasted it so far. Don't miss it!\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e97pts James Suckling\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA restrained, reductive and transparent wine with aromas of roses, violets, rhubarb and chalky minerality. Supple and medium- to full-bodied on the palate, with elegant, velvety tannins and long, refreshing acidity that’s super juicy and tight in the finish. Tense and polished, with a touch of sternness in the aftertaste. Drinkable now, but best from 2026.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e97pts Wine Spectator\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBalsamic aromas lead off, and this red stays on the savory side, revealing eucalyptus, juniper and wild herb notes. There’s a core of sweet fruit and an underlying mineral element as this builds to the excruciatingly long and complex aftertaste. Dense tannins and lively acidity endure its longevity. Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Colorino.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e93pts Wine Advocate\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Castello di Monsanto 2020 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigneto Il Poggio shows dark fruit and baked plum with a hint of barbecue spice or campfire ash. That barbecued or savory side runs strong in this vintage and is the result of a warm growing season coupled with the beginning of tertiary complexity (albeit slightly premature). I also get a hint of sweetness to close that makes a good contrast against that savory element. This wine is 95% Sangiovese and 5% Canaiolo and Colorino from the 5.2-hectare Il Poggio vineyard at 310 meters above sea level on Pietraforte soils (a hard compact sandstone that is characteristic of this area, especially at the higher elevations). It tends to impart deep color and structure to the wines from smaller, thick-skinned berries.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWinemaker Notes\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG, Tuscany Region in Italy, this Chianti Classico is made from Hand picked grapes selected at the optimum moment of the vintage. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel at controlled temperatures with about 25 days of skin contact. Ruby red in color, tending towards garnet. Intensely aromatic and complex with strong aromas of black cherry and apricot fruit. Full bodied with rich blackberry fruit flavors, an elegant mouthfeel and a strong backbone of tannins.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis red wine is an exceptional compliment to red meat, roasts, and game.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBlend:\u003c\/strong\u003e 95% Sangiovese, 5% Canaiolo \u0026amp; Colorino\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWinery Description\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Castello di Monsanto estate was established by Fabrizio Bianchi in the hillsides of Barberino Val d’Elsa in the province of Florence in the north-central reaches of the Chianti Classico denomination. Bianchi worked to clear a vineyard he named “Il Poggio” (“The Hill”), which would be utilized for production of a single vineyard wine riserva, the first example in Chianti Classico. Always the pioneer, Bianchi began to eliminate the white varieties, Malvasia and Trebbiano, from his Chianti Classico in 1968, preferring to use only the traditional red varieties of Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Colorino.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCellar innovations in the early years included Slovenian casks for aging, instead of old chestnut barrel, as well as the introduction of stainless steel tanks for fermentation. Furthermore, Castello di Monsanto harvested the first 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, ‘Nemo,’ from the ‘Il Mulino’ vineyard. Today, the Monsanto estate totals 500 acres, of which slightly more than half are woods, while olive orchards occupy an additional 37 acres. Vineyards, situated between 800 and 1,000 feet above sea level, account for 175 acres. Three quarters of the plantings are Sangiovese, the basis for Chianti Classico, while Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are the next most widely planted varieties.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the most impressive components of Castello di Monsanto is the cellar and its underground tunnel, some 820 feet in length that serves as an aging cellar as well for a potential total of 1,500 barriques. This cave system, one of the most dazzling in all of Italy, took six years to build by hand. The gallery, connecting the new cellar with the original, is located underneath the castle and dates back to 1740.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday, Fabrizio Bianchi and his daughter, Laura, represent the tradition and elegance that have been associated with the estate throughout its existence. “Il Poggio” was not just an innovation back in 1962; it truly represented a new vision for Chianti Classico. Today, each new vintage is eagerly anticipated as one of the very best bottlings of this wine type.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach of the wines of Castello di Monsanto, from the award-winning Chianti Classico Riserva, to ‘Nemo’, a Super Tuscan, to the lush and exotic Vin Santo ‘La Chimera’, are true Tuscan treasures. Simply what you would expect from Castello di Monsanto, the grand jewel in the heart of Tuscany.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Southern Wine \u0026 Spirits","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54009763234156,"sku":"816253010013","price":89.97,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2424\/3053\/products\/castello-di-monsanto-il-poggio-chianti-classico-gran-selezione-2016-750ml-383589.jpg?v=1691446839"}],"url":"https:\/\/redneckwinecompany.com\/collections\/monsanto.oembed","provider":"Redneck Wine Company","version":"1.0","type":"link"}