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. 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
Most Tuscan growers regard 1985 as one of the vintages of the Century. The winter was unusually cold – everyone remembers the freeze that year, which decimated the olive trees - and the spring was also rainy with below-average temperatures. However, the initiation of the vegetation cycle was generally routine and flowering and fruit set were good. At the end of July, weather conditions changed unexpectedly. A long, hot summer followed by nice weather that persisted throughout the period of the harvest assured a vintage of grapes that were healthy and endowed with extremely high levels of sugar.
