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. Riserva
First year of production
1962
Grape varieties
70% Sangiovese; 20% Trebbiano and Malvasia; 10% 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
In 5000 litre chestnut casks for 3 years
Ageing
Two years of bottle aging
Climate trend
1966 was a unique year at Castello di Monsanto: Fabrizio and Giuliana Bianchi welcomed their second child Laura. It was also an intense period for them because they started renovating the old cellars under the castle and they enlarged the single vineyard Il Poggio by one hectare. Chianti Classico Riserva and Il Poggio 1966 were produced following the traditional formula as required by the Denomination. This vintage was vinified with the old system of “Governo alla Toscana”, which is a secondary fermentation set in motion with the addition of dried grapes in December and the grapes were not destemmed before maceration. 1966 was one of the smallest harvests ever from a quantitative perspective.
