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
90% Sangiovese; 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 Slavonian oak casks for 3 years
Ageing
Two years of bottle aging
Climate trend
The producers of the entire zone recognized the 1971 vintage as exceptional. Budding began earlier than usual (around the second week of March for the Sangiovese) and even the flowering in May, which was dry and sunny, occurred somewhat in advance. July and August were mild but extremely dry (10 mm of rainfall in August) and the miraculous 48 mm of rain that fell in the first week of September was of great assistance in the ripening of the grapes. Weather conditions were stable throughout the harvest.
