Chianti Classico Riserva, Castello di Monsanto

The intention with Castello di Monsanto’s Riserva is to make a wine with immediate accessibility as well as serious cellaring potential. Gorgeous and precise from the get-go, the 2021 is profuse in aromas of black pepper, flint and earthy brambles. Equally perfumed, the palate ups the ante with rose, bergamot and graphite. A firm tannic spine and linear acidity are matched by fruit depth galore, all intricately and tightly stitched. My instinct is that this is only going to get better, so I prefer to wait. The solution is to buy a few bottles to enjoy its evolution. - Michaela Morris

The 2021 Chianti Classico Riserva is a wine of pedigree and class. Aromatic, vibrant and delineated, the Riserva captures all the best qualities of the year. Crushed flowers, dark red/purplish fruit, mint, blood orange and pomegranate are some of the many notes that build in the glass. This is a sublime effort. - Antonio Galloni

Youthful crimson. A pure cherry nose spiked with minerally, salty notes. A little peppery, too. Polished, supple and pure raspberry fruit on the palate with juicy acidity and delicious tannic bite on the finish. - Walter Speller

This wine is poised to hit the market in January 2024, and 200,000 bottles will be shipped. It shows medium-dark concentration with typical aromas of wild cherry, peat moss, blue flower and light spice. This estate consistently offers well-made and compelling wines at a value price point. - Monica Larner

Just bottled, the 2020 Chianti Classico Riserva is stellar. It offers a beguiling mix of dense fruit supported by a core of vibrant acids. Striking aromatics, notable depth and exceptional balance make the Riserva a winner. This is a such a gorgeous and compelling wine. - Antonio Galloni

Concentrated mid ruby. Balsamic, cherry and crushed-raspberry nose with a hint of eucalyptus. Succulent fruit palate with sandpapery tannins. Fresh, elegant and long. Great balance and style in this not easy-to-handle vintage. - Walter Speller

Også Monsanto er med denne riserva sluppet vældig godt fra 2017-årgangens buldrende hede. Nok er den tæt og koncentreret med det klassiske bid og et solidt svirp fra tanninerne, men de sætter sig på smagsløgene på den rigtige måde, og vinen har stadig husets raffinerede aromatiske signatur. Indsmigrende, let støvet parfume; kirsebær, kardemomme, tørret blomst og bark. Med lidt ilt kommer der er væld af indtryk og nuancer frem; muld, jern, tobak, friske urter, tørret salvie og fadkrydderier. Behagelig tørhed, fin friskhed, lethed og harmoni. - Morten Bundgaard

Monsanto’s 72 hectares of vineyards are divided into distinct parcels, each vinified and aged separately. The Riserva is the result of a collaborative tasting and blending conducted by owner Laura Bianchi, her father Fabrizio, and Andrea Giovannini, the estate’s oenologist since 2001. Striking and penetrating in its aromas, the 2017 flaunts juniper, spiced strawberry, currant, cedar and iron. While these echo in the mouth, the palate is still a bit austere and angular, with sinewy tannins - all the better for ageing. There is plenty of freshness here as well, and it finishes with loads of clove and star anise.

En dyb, rubinrød farve. Efter lidt tid i glasset er den mørk og massiv i duften: blomme og mørke kirsebær, en krydret note og lidt træ. Der er smæk på smagen med masser af solmoden frugt, men godt styret af syren og de bløde tanniner. Der er også en dybde, som ingen af de andre anmeldte vine har budt på. En vin, som smager rigtig godt nu, men som også kan gemmes nogle år. Redaktionens favorit.

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.

The 2017 Chianti Classico Riserva is a powerful, dense wine. In most vintages, the Riserva is quite forthcoming, but readers should be prepared to cellar the 2017. Perhaps it is the Colorino in the blend, but the Riserva really packs quite a punch in terms of its structural intensity. Ripe red fruit, cedar, tobacco, licorice, dried herbs, cinnamon and blood orange start to develop with some aeration. The best clearly lies ahead. - Antonio Galloni

Offering richness, density and a sharply delineated approach, the 2016 Chianti Classico Riserva is an elegant but also classic expression from this storied estate. The best qualities of this vintage come through here with tight and focused fruit flavors and clear perfumes of wild cherry, rose and button mushroom. There is a lingering note of cherry sweetness that serves to glue the wine's other attributes, like its freshness and integrated tannins, together in harmony. Pair it with a veal and mushroom lasagna. An ample 220,000 bottles were made.

The 2016 Chianti Classico Riserva is a fabulous wine that punches well above its weight. Dark cherry, plum, licorice, spice, leather, lavender and tobacco all run through this wonderfully nuanced, vibrant Riserva. Already expressive and open, the 2016 will drink well for another 15+ years. Although not quite the value it was a few years ago, Monsanto's Riserva delivers serious quality for the money. Sweet floral notes extend this finish beautifully in this mid-weight, gracious, yet nicely structured Riserva from Monsanto.

Skøn riserva med et betagende og helstøbt væsen som ejerfamilien selv. Pakket med en dyb, floral, vibrerende kraft og en eminent frugtsyre, der trækker denne læskende vin flot ud over stepperne og efterlader duft og smag af viol og hyldebær og kardemomme samt mint-chokolade og medicinskab. Fuld af nuancer og velgørende energi, og der kommer knust kalksten og tørret salvie og veldoseret fadkrydderi til syne i den lange eftersmag. Meget appetitlig og klassisk vin.

Castello di Monsanto is in a warm pocket but the vineyards are well-ventilated by sea breezes and temperatures fall sharply at night. The Bianchi family uses autochthonous grapes only for their Chianti Classico. In the Riserva, Colorino is added for colour and Canaiolo Nero for its floral bouquet. Vibrant and clearly defined aromas of pepper, dogwood flower and red cherry lead into a much more austere expression on the palate. It possesses a tight yet succulent core with assertive tannins and a long, earthy and savoury finish where nuances of iron and orange peel promise an appetising future.

The 2015 Chianti Classico Riserva is bold, ample and powerful, with a real sense of breadth in this vintage. The tannins need time to soften, as the wine is a bit burly at this stage. This is another stellar release for a wine that routinely overachieves its peer group and price. Dense and packed, with tremendous structure, the 2015 has a lot to say. But readers will have to be patient, as it is very clearly early days for this wine. - Antonio Galloni

Aromas of plums, cherries and hints of green olives. White truffles and deep earth, too. Full-bodied, so layered and beautiful with a fabulous texture and ripe tannins. It is so pure and minimalist in the end, showing the effect of traditional, hands-off winemaking. Don’t miss this. Decant before serving. One for the cellar.

The 2014 Chianti Classico Riserva is another stellar wine from Monsanto. Here the flavors are dark and deeply spiced, with plenty of black cherry, plum, leather, cinnamon and clove overtones. The 2014 Riserva boasts considerable depth while retaining the classic Monsanto midweight sense of structure. The 2014 finishes with a real sense of tannic clout. I would prefer to cellar it for at least a few years. Even at this early stage, the 2014 is a wine of real character and personality. - Antonio Galloni

Da jeg smager på Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva 2012, siger jeg med det samme til mig selv inden i hovedet og skriver i mine noter “den bedste vin. Helt perfekt”. Og det findes jo teknisk set ikke... men det er det, der gør vin fantastsik. Det er skønheden og oplevelsen af er skønhed er autonom, subjektiv og umiddelbar. Derfor tilhører vin som musik faktisk kategorien: kunst. Lige så ligegyldig og ugyldig – lige så storslået, betagende og bevægende kan vin være. Eller som popkunst, bare velsamgende og behagelig. Men der er som i kunst et overordnet krav og en betingelse om ordentlighed. Gode materialer, forståelse for komposition, balance harmoni, og for de modige vinmagere, at nedbryde dette og genskabe. God vin er ikke sjusket, god vin er et håndværk deraf kommer skønheden. - Nana Wad

Monsanto's 2012 Chianti Classico Riserva 50 Vendemmie is one of the most pedigreed wines of the year. Deep and resonant in the glass, but not at all heavy, the 2012 possesses magnificent complexity to match what I can only describe as a regal expression of Sangiovese. There is a level of purity and nuance to the 2012 that is hard to describe with words but that is very much front and center. Moreover, I can't think of too many wines from any region anywhere in the world that offer this level of quality for the money. Readers will not want to miss this stellar Riserva from Monsanto. Can the 2012 Il Poggio be better? We'll know in two years' time. - Antonio Galloni