November 4, 2020 - Another great bottle. This wine is in a perfect spot right now, but has begun its gentle decline. A 45 minute decant opened it up. It has a great aromatic profile of sweet black cherries and cedar; a medium body, sappy acidity, a lovely hint of sweetness in the mid-palate, smooth and integrated tannins, excellent balance, a smooth and mineral, beetroot finish. Outstanding QPR.
September 10, 2020 - Another delicious, balanced, understated, silky and satisfying 2011 Monsanto CCR. Consistent with my previous detailed notes. Drink up by '21-22. Outstanding QPR.
August 10, 2020 - I just had a glass of the '12 Poggio Rubino Campo Del Prete, and it would be hard to drink two Sangiovese wines back to back and have them be any more different than that wine and this. Yet both wines have their merits.
The nose here is somewhat nondescript, with a slight cherry cough drop note. This is lean & focused on the palate, with good acidity and cherry fruit. Pretty likable.
March 25, 2020 - It has been seven months since my last bottle, and the 2011 Monsanto CCR continues to be delicious and in a great place. This was fragrant and savory after only 20 minutes of air, a record for Monsanto’s CCR in my experience for bottles bought and cellared properly upon release. It is a silky, subtle, complex and flavorful wine, with fragrances and flavors of bitter cherry, sweet cherry, red meat and minerals. It has sappy acidity and gentle, slightly dusty tannins, and tremendous balance. It is a perfect food wine, and an outstanding QPR.
What style of wine do you like? If you tend towards Napa Cab, Bordeaux and most Brunelli then you may find this boring and underwhelming. If you tend towards Burgundy, Etna and Nebbiolo then you will probably enjoy it very much.
December 26, 2019 - This is growing on me as it grabs a little air - very Chianti, on the lighter-bodied side. Good acidity and decent persistence.
September 23, 2019 - fruity nose but not to intense, in the mouth fresh, tannic still, dark berries, alcohol not perfectly integrated. medium lenght
August 14, 2019 - Brick red color, medium saturation. Savory red fruits and cured meat on the nose. Palate is medium bodied with tart cherry, salumi, and dried herbs. Tasted blind with wine team. Delicious - a more rustic and herbal Chianti.
August 4, 2019 - A lovely Monsanto CCR in a great spot of its evolution, with fragrances and flavors of cheery, bitter cherry, red meat and minerals; nice, sappy acidity and gentle, slightly dusty tannins. The wine is all about balance and silkiness, and was a crowd-pleaser in an understated way. Perfect food wine, and an excellent value.
April 18, 2019 - well made in a typically lighter chianti classico style. juicy red fruits on the initial front of the palate. rose petals, iron overtones and gaminess dominate the mid palate with well integrated tannins. not an overly complex finish but very high QBR. Tasting next to 2010 Carpineto CC and the Carpineto is clearly superior.
December 15, 2018 - Initially fairly reductive, but it cleared off. After that, ripe cherry, sweet rasberry and blackberry, some smoke and herbs and a hint of leather on the nose. The medium-bodied palate adds more fruit in the form of raspberry and blackberry jam and slight beetroot, balanced by the acidity and the medium but persistent tannins. Long finish, consisting mostly of sweet mid-toned fruit and tapering towards umami notes. Balanced and delicious, with some seriousness and complexity lurking beneath the surface. Drink now if you want to capture still the sweet primary fruit, or hold if you want the more serious core to emerge.