2013 Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva

Community Tasting Notes (109) Avg Score: 88.7 points

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View wtianseter's profile
  • Report Issue

  11/16/2023 - wtianseter wrote: 90 Points

  I pulled out this bottle hoping it would be ready to drink but as PAULUS has highlighted; it isn't there yet. Perhaps a bit sooner than he is seeing but not quite there.

  1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View PaulusLoZebra's profile
  • Report Issue

  6/19/2023 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine: 92 Points

  My fourth bottle of L.111.16 and the first in over two years. I don’t change my view of the wine’s immaturity (drink 2025-2035) and firmness (see massive aeration needs below), but I do raise my rating because the inherent quality of the wine is emerging and evident. Served over three nights, it was best on nights two and three. On day one, after a 24 hour slow-ox, it was poured through a gravity aerator and was served immediately. Lovely aromatics, but still very closed and unforgiving. On night two the wine was much bigger, more relaxed, and a complex flavor profile began to emerge. The wine is changing me from a fearful sceptic to a confident dreamer, as I have more in the cellar. It remains the least open Monsanto at age ten I have ever had. If I had to drink another tomorrow I would opt for a 24 hour double decant and then a normal decant one hour before serving.

  2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View Doug Fir's profile
  • Report Issue

  4/16/2023 - Doug Fir wrote: 88 Points

  Nose of cherry, raspberry, a little vanilla and a little burnt rubber (just a little, and in a good way). Flavors dominated by bright cherry, oak, vanilla. Medium bodied and fairly high acidity. Pretty textbook Chianti to me, and not quite as good as other vintages of this that I’ve had but still very enjoyable and good QPR when purchased at Costco. This would be great with Tuscan or similar food. I fell flat on my face and had it with calamari and salmon…. And in fact it worked ok. But something closer to its home would really elevate both I’m sure. Even sitting here sipping the last glass after dinner, it’s quite good. Never been disappointed by Monsanto -

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View Outplaying's profile
  • Report Issue

  3/14/2023 - Outplaying Likes this wine:

  I really enjoyed this, and unfortunately it is my last bottle. I am finding the 2013 vintage is really good. Maybe not as good as 2010, 2015 or 2016, but Monsanto, Felsina and others made really good wines. This really strikes me as quintessential Chianti, with fairly high acidity, tartish red and black fruits, a hints of earthiness and maybe tomato leaf. Great with some assorted cheeses and pasta. Basically a $20 wine with an average score here of less than 89, but I sure enjoyed it.

  1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View kingkanu's profile
  • Report Issue

  9/4/2022 - kingkanu wrote:

  Decent Chianti, made for the table, the tannin gets a bit dry towards the end of the bottle

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

View all 109 Community Tasting Notes

Professional reviews have copyrights and you can view them here for your personal use only as private content. To view pro reviews you must either subscribe to a pre-integrated publication or manually enter reviews below. Learn more.