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 500 litre French oak casks, some new and some second passage, for 18/20 months
Ageing
Two years of bottle aging
Climate trend
The weather in 2012 was ever-changing. Winter was altogether mild with temperatures above seasonal averages, except for a very few days in February when it snowed heavily and temperatures were remarkably low. A rainy Spring delayed sprouting/budding of the vines and resulted in a slight decrease in the quantity of grapes. Scarce rainfall was registered in June and July. August was hot but water-ground reserves assured the normal process of grape ripening. September was characterized by good weather and had the right amount of rainfall with noticeable day and night temperature fluctuations.