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
50% in 5000 litre Slavonian oak casks and 50% in French oak barriques for 18 months
Ageing
Two years of bottle aging
Climate trend
An early spring and warm May and June got the vineyards off to a good start, but record high temperatures accompanied by exceptionally low rainfall in parts of the region from mid-July through early September stressed the vines and slowed down ripening. Abundant rainfall at Monsanto through the first three weeks of September slightly diluted the grapes. The weather turned beautiful at the end of the month, allowing the harvest to begin in early October.
