Il Poggio Chianti Classico D.O.C.G. Gran Selezione
It was Il Poggio vineyard, way back in 1962, that heralded the start of Castello di Monsanto’s journey in wine production, with the first harvest overseen by founder Fabrizio Bianchi. Still to this day, the company’s most iconic bottle, Il Poggio, is the first Chianti Classico to feature the name of the specific vineyard from which it comes. White grapes were removed from the recipe in 1968. Il Poggio is the source – thanks to massal selection – of all the Sangiovese, Colorino and Canaiolo vines in the winery’s other vineyards. Over 100,00 bottles have been produced and all of them spend time aging in the castle’s historic cellar, showcasing the wine’s stunning capacity for aging.
Designation
Chianti Classico D.O.C.G. Gran Selezione
First year of production
1962
Grape varieties
Sangiovese; Canaiolo and Colorino
Training system
Guyot and spurred cordon
Vinification
In temperature-controlled truncated conical steel vats with emptying system (Délestage) and pumping over for about 20/22 days
Maturazione o invecchiamento
Aged in 3800 litre oak casks for about 20 months
Ageing
Two years of bottle aging
Climate trend
The meteorological trend in 2020 was characterized by scarce rains in the first winter months. The vines began to sprout in late March in the middle of cold days with temperatures sometimes below freezing. There was frost damage along the valley floors and on the early bloomers. Production was lower than in recent years. Flowering began between 20th and 25th May (depending on the variety) with normal development favoured by an ideal climate characterized by hot, dry and slightly windy days. As a consequence, an excellent bud set was noted which led to a good structure of the bunches, characterized by beautiful elongation and branching of the rachis. Favourable rainfall occurred in June until mid-July. The veraison on Sangiovese began slightly earlier than in recent years. The heat of August limited the presence of harmful insects and brought the grapes to perfect ripeness, also thanks to a sunny September with excellent temperature differences between night and day.
