Monsanto, Chianti Classico Riserva, Italy 2019

“A sleek, tightly wound red, with black cherry and blackberry fruit shaded by iron, herbs and tobacco. Linear in profile and vibrant, with a long, slightly chewy finish. Needs a year or two. Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Colorino. Best from 2024 through 2037.”-91WS

The Monsanto winery is owned by the Bianchi family. Father, Fabrizio and daughter, Laura manage the Winery today.

Castello di Monsanto owns some of the best vineyard sites within the appellation and is home to the largest reserves of Chianti Classico in Tuscany. In 1962, Fabrizio Bianchi founded the winery after it was presented to him as a wedding gift from his parents. That same year, pioneering Monsanto was the first winery to make a Chianti Classico Cru from the single ‘Il Poggio’ vineyard and worked to eliminate white grapes from Chianti Classico Riserva blend. Further, in 1981 Monsanto harvested the first 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, Nemo, from the Il Mulino vineyard.

Castello di Monsanto is also renowned for its aging cellar. This spectacular cellar has a length of 300 meters where more than 1,300 barriques can be stored. The Gallery, connecting the new cellar with the original cellar, is located right underneath the castle and dates back to 1740. Three men, Giotto Cicionesi, Mario Secci and Romolo Bartalesi, worked for six long years to build this Cellar extension which links the new winery to the original cellars. This masterpiece was designed and constructed in accordance with the medieval techniques, based on the ancient Etruscan arch. It was entirely handmade with galestro stones, collected in the fields around the winery.

The Castello di Monsanto estate covers a total of 206 hectares (509 acres), of which more than half is wooded, while olive orchards occupy an additional 15 hectares. Estate vineyards, located at an altitude between 250 and 310 meters (82-1,070 feet), covers a total area of 72 hectares encompassing hand picked Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Colorino, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Trebbiano and Malvasia varieties.