Winemaker Notes
An accessible example of the unique style and character of Castello di Monsanto wines, this multi-faceted wine can be enjoyed straight away or left to develop and evolve as the years roll by. It is the wine house’s most widely produced wine by far, underlining our company’s belief in Sangiovese, which acquires a strength and an energy from the terroir that must be patiently awaited. One of the oldest wines in Italy, it appeared on the market in the 1960s and has become an ambassador for the entire denomination around the world. It is an estate grown blend of Sangiovese, Canaiolo, and Colorino which makes it rich, intense and complex with excellent depth of red berry fruit, distinct spice, outstanding acidity and nicely weighted tannins.
It is the perfect accompaniment for meat dishes, nuts and cheese.
Blend: 90% Sangiovese, 10% Canaiolo & Colorino
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Lots of ripe cherries and berries with undergrowth and mushroom undertones, as well as ash. It’s full-bodied with round, creamy tannins and a medium-chewy finish. A solid Chianti Classico here. Give it a year or two to soften. Real deal.
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Wine & Spirits
This Riserva is impressively floral and fresh for coming out of the hot and dry 2017 growing season. It opens with scents of herbs and red cherries that continue on the palate, joined by notes of orange peel and propelled by vibrant acidity. Appealing now for its juicy red-berry flavors, it has the structure to age well too.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This is one of the icon wines of the greater Chianti Classico area. The hot vintage Castello di Monsanto 2017 Chianti Classico Riserva shows width and depth with plenty of dark fruit, cherry, blackberry and plum. The wine is steady and bright with polished tannins and a mid-weight approach that proves its overall versatility and adaptability. It is ideal for a plate of ricotta-filled gnudi.
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Wine Spectator
An intense aroma of iron and graphite leads off, followed by black cherry, black currant, leather and forest floor flavors. This is well-built, with the dusty 2017 tannins, but also a lot of juicy fruit. The dry finish is compact. Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Colorino. Best from 2021 through 2038.
Among Italy's elite red grape varieties, Sangiovese has the perfect intersection of bright red fruit and savory earthiness and is responsible for the best red wines of Tuscany. While it is best known as the chief component of Chianti, it is also the main grape in Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and reaches the height of its power and intensity in the complex, long-lived Brunello di Montalcino. Somm Secret—Sangiovese doubles under the alias, Nielluccio, on the French island of Corsica where it produces distinctly floral and refreshing reds and rosés.
One of the first wine regions anywhere to be officially recognized and delimited, Chianti Classico is today what was originally defined simply as Chianti. Already identified by the early 18th century as a superior zone, the official name of Chianti was proclaimed upon the area surrounding the townships of Castellina, Radda and Gaiole, just north of Siena, by Cosimo III, Grand Duke of Tuscany in an official decree in 1716.
However, by the 1930s the Italian government had appended this historic zone with additonal land in order to capitalize on the Chianti name. It wasn’t until 1996 that Chianti Classico became autonomous once again when the government granted a separate DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) to its borders. Ever since, Chianti Classico considers itself no longer a subzone of Chianti.
Many Classicos are today made of 100% Sangiovese but can include up to 20% of other approved varieties grown within the Classico borders. The best Classicos will have a bright acidity, supple tannins and be full-bodied with plenty of ripe fruit (plums, black cherry, blackberry). Also common among the best Classicos are expressive notes of cedar, dried herbs, fennel, balsamic or tobacco.