2004 Chianti Classico Riserva Il Poggio
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Tasting notes
The 2004 Chianti Classico Riserva Il Poggio is a very pretty Il Poggio that today is in an in-between stage where it is not young, yet not mature, either. For that reason, I would prefer to cellar it for at least a few years. Readers will find a lithe, elegant Il Poggio that captures the essence of what was a long, cool growing season. This is quite lovely, an Il Poggio of understatement rather than power. This is the first Il Poggio aged in 500-liter barrels, the beginning of a return to larger format wood.
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Walter Speller, jancisrobinson.com
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Oenologist Andrea Giovannini. Medium garnet with orange reflexes. Sweet warm fruit-cake nose, with savoury notes and a touch of forest floor. Appealing. Loads of sweet, ripe fruit, with well integrated acidic vein and coating tannins. Less complex on the finish than the nose, but satisfying, nevertheless. (WS)
The 2004 Chianti Classico Riserva Il Poggio is simply gorgeous. It is a layered, finessed wine of notable detail, with tons of potential hiding behind its restrained facade. With air notes of earthiness, tobacco, spices, menthol and dark fruit gradually emerge from this classically built wine. Although the wine is beautifully balanced today, it requires additional cellaring to blossom fully. In 2004 Il Poggio was aged exclusively in aged tonneaux, which signals a move away from a percentage of new oak and smaller barrels that recent previous vintage had seen. The change in aging regime seems to allow for the full breadth of the unique qualities of Sangiovese and the Il Poggio vineyard to come through.
The 2004 Chianti Classico Riserva Il Poggio is simply gorgeous. It is a layered, finessed wine of notable detail, with tons of potential hiding behind its restrained facade. With air, notes of earthiness, tobacco, spices, menthol and dark fruit gradually emerge from this classically built wine. Although the wine is beautifully balanced today, it requires additional cellaring to blossom fully. In 2004 Il Poggio was aged exclusively in aged tonneaux, which signals a move away from a percentage of new oak and smaller barrels that recent previous vintage had seen. The change in aging regime seems to allow for the full breadth of the unique qualities of Sangiovese and the Il Poggio vineyard to come through. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2029. My recent visit to Castello di Monsanto was memorable. In addition to the current releases, I had a chance to taste a few older vintages of the estate’s benchmark Chianti Classico Riserva Il Poggio. Monsanto is one of the small handful of estates to have kept a vast library of its past vintages, a few of which it re-releases every year to select customers. Needless to say, in today’s world of highly suspect collectible wines, the chance to buy impeccably stored older vintages of unquestioned provenance is a huge service to consumers. Kudos to proprietor Laura Bianchi and oenologist Andrea Giovannini. These are simply beautiful wines. Although Monsanto’s Chiantis are impressive, readers should not overlook the Nemo (Cabernet Sauvignon) which is stunning in both 2003 and 2004. Here the use of French oak seems to be much better suited to the grape, and the wines are breathtaking. Nemo is made from the Il Mulino vineyard, which was planted in 1976. Importer: Moet Hennessy USA, New York, NY; tel. (212) 251-8200