Early on this showed fairly tough, with medicinal herbs, earth, and a bit of unripe blackberry fruit. By the 2nd day it was shining with red plums and black cherry, menthol, a touch of smoke. Surprising how much decanting this needed, but turned out as good as it always is.
Last bottle, well improved for this year. Medium body, deep ruby colour, 14% abv. Intense but still very delicate and complex aroma of black and blue fruits, leather, tobacco and toasted oak. Black cherry and prune palate, resolved tannins and juicy acidity following by long, rounding finish. Rich and complex but well balanced and harmonies wine. Food friendly, well pairing to Parmigiano Reggiano. Serve 18ºC - 20ºC. Still requires aeration, open two hours ahead. Drink now and the next decade, perhaps longer
8 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Still really good at age 7. Remains fresh but not as lively and engaging as it was 3-4 years ago. Still, I see it can be found at around $25. Bargain price.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
At this stage this wine has developed complex aromas of strawberry, cherry, tobacco, mushrooms, and floral notes. The palate is fresh with good acidity, almost citrus like fruit, well integrated subdued oak, a touch of vanilla and other similar fruit profiles as the nose. Firm, yet silky tannins. This is much better than when last tasted in late 2022. One of those wines where you can’t stop sniffing that empty glass. Recommend 3+ hours decant. 92-93
7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted 3 hr prior to dinner, Contessa Pepita of Lodoline in Vagliagli recomended opening her Chiante 1 hr per year of age prior to drinking, but i can't not drink that long after I open a bottle. Tannins are mild, nice fruit and acidity, enjoyed with the pasta dish, no sign of age yet, no rush to drink up
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Sweet cherry, blackcurrant and plum, almost surmature, with mushroom and mint in the background. On the palate, the fruit feels stewed and a little too sweet, and I miss the earthy tannins of the best editions of this wine, but it remains balanced thanks to fresh acidity. Mint and English licorice dominate the juicy finish. Excellent value. Drink within 5 years. Bordering on an extra point.
9 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
From memory. Decanted for 1h then started drinking. Nice aromas of ripe cherries and some plums, herbs and a bit of earth. Palate w ripe red and black cherries, plums, herbs, and some minerals. The woody bark that was present last year has integrated better w the wine and is less noticeable. Good acids and overall, there's a nice balance to the wine. I like how the wine is evolving. Will try to keep my hands off the rest of my bottles until age 10 in 2026 although it might be pretty hard. I think there will be a nice upside to this wine when mature.
7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Good solid quality CCR. Drank with homemade lasagna. More fruit than many CCRs but still had strong backbone of tannins and acidity. Still several years of life ahead for this.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
UPDATE: a very long time in the glass did the trick. Brett blew off finally after 1hr decant and 1hr in the glass. Red cherry, cedar, herbs. Good acid creating med-long finish. Good as always, this one just had some funk to air out. Not sure if decant is needed or this was just a funky outlier bottle. —————- 6th bottle of a case. Showing some age visibly with a slight orange tinge to it and some bricking at the rim. Nose is off - smells like a dirty sock. Palate is loaded with brett. There are some nondescript red fruit and cedar notes, but the brett is getting in the way. Flawed I guess?
Put in the decanter for an hour and the brett did blow off somewhat on the palate. The nose is still unpleasant though. Toss this off to an off bottle - all previous from this case have been 90-91 pt wines. My last one a few months ago was great and didn’t seem at peak yet.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A real beauty, and yet another 2016 Chianti where it's pretty obvious by my consumption that a case was not enough. Bright red fruit on the nose, seamless and expansive on the palate. Gorgeous.
7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine is clearly a year or two past it’s best. Entirely tertiary flavor profile with dried plum and roasted meat flavors lingering. Little fruit here, yet still some good acidity which balances the richer savory flavors. While this wine lacks in complexity and length, it is still very much enjoyable and above all else interesting. I purchased this wine awhile back (maybe 2020, or so) with the intention of holding it a couple years just to taste aged Chianti. Definitely a good weeknight wine with some Tuscan cheese for anyone who has a bottle or two still hanging around their cellar. Drink up quickly! Overall: 85
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Had some of the classic Sangiovese structure (bright acidity, decent tannins) but the palate and nose were covered up by a bit too much extraction for my tastes. Surprising given this is a classic producer and 2016 is considered a fantastic vintage. This is more of a steak CCR than an end-of-the-night contemplative wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
PnP. Medium red. Lovely Sangiovese nose. Intense cherries on the palate with some spice and earth. Long finish with tannins buried in the fruit but not at all obtrusive. Nice wine and good QPR - will keep but not sure will improve.
7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Cherry, cranberry, a touch of rosemary, with good acidity and a medium length finish. Changed the score to 91 from 90 on the second day. It was more complex!
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very good, developing. HOLD. PnP enjoyed over two nights, both at a high level if not slightly more complete on night 2. Absolutely love the tension and focus here, but all data points suggest holding for further development. At this price, just a ridiculous value. highly recommended+
1st half of bottle, nice, more time good. Lacking complexity and finish I expected, amend tomorrow, wrote in 2 parts because overnight with improving or not is a message. Today 88-89ish
5/15 2d half. Opened more, improved finish. Not more complex, needs more time than I've given it. To be clear my bottles have lived at 55F. It's enjoyable. Your choice on whether to drink. I have no experience. I do have experience with a mature Brunello ... stunning. We drank many bottles at a leadership dinner over 15 years ago. Wish I had some!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is one of my favorite 'value wines" for every night drinking and I usually rate it 93. This particular bottle was a little off. The fruit was not as prominent and the tannins were a little harsh. I hope this was just a bottle problem and not a maturation problem as I have a number of bottles left.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Still rather closed at this point. Improves with air and the last glass on day two was quite nice, but right now I'd give this another year or two in the cellar.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium body, deep ruby colour. Intense but delicate aroma of black and blue fruits, leather and spices combined with flowers and toasted oak background. Black cherry and plummy palate, black olives, grippy tannins and wild berries acidity following by long, rounding finish. Rich and complex but juicy, balanced, harmonies and easy drinking. Food friendly, well pairing to risotto ai funghi. Serve 18ºC - 20ºC. Open two hours ahead, next day after vacuum corking even better. Early mature and will benefit from advanced aging. Drink now and the next nine/ten years or longer.
Quick decant before meal although pnp would have probably worked as well. This bottle was just what I want when I pick Chianti Classico. Lovely sour cherry taste with refreshing acidity and supporting tannins. Went very well with meatballs in tomato sauce. Besides being perfect accompaniment for food this is nuanced enough to hold interest on its own.
The wine is still quite youthful. Not sure what there is to gain by aging but I guess I'll find out as I still have a bunch left.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
It has been almost 2 years since my last bottle and boy this is as good as I remembered. This is full of layers of delicious fruit, balancing out the nice ripe tannins (loads of them still, but they are not overwhelming or too drying). The acidity is just beautiful and the finish is pretty darn long for a $25 bottle - what a steal this is. I'm glad I bought 2 cases.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I see from my CT notes that the last time I tried this was in June of '21 - unfortunately, I had already pulled the cork before I read my tasting note ;^).
The nose here is very nice with earthy red and black fruits. But this is still somewhat reticent on the palate - another vintage where I think a two case order would have been the ticket, because this is going to be a very interesting wine in another 10-15 years.
In an awkward phase right now when popped and poured. After a bit of time, however, this wine shows its true potential. Strawberries and floral notes on the nose. The palate has good acidity, rather firm tannins, and nice sour cherry notes. I have one more bottle and will hold until 2027 to see how it evolves.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I have already reviewed this wine multiple times. At this time "it is drinking well" as the critics or wine store people say. Still has along way to go. The 2016 Chiantis are a great value.
This bottle is just short of being the perfect in-the-middle Chianti. You know the one. Bright cherry, vivid acidity, fine medium tannin carrying the finish. Impetuous. That’s what this wine was 2 years ago but now it’s older and wiser - more complacent. Softer, receding tannin, friendly acidity. Deeper flavors. More sensuous. Good, no doubt. A wonderful wine at a wonderful price and, yet, I wish I’d drank it 2 years ago.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Brick red in complexion, chestnut, oil paint, hazelnuts, earthy with crushed rocks, chalky texture with medium high acidity. Medium bodied with grippy tannins. The finish is lasting, highly recommend opening this in a few years. Still a little tense and would evolve well with cellar time.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
After 3 bottles plus 1 corked, this wine is becoming very interesting, and I think it still has more potential. It's highly enjoyable now. My challenge will be holding the remaining 4 bottles for a year plus (not good at this!). I'd like to see what happens with it.
I am half way through a case and a half purchase, and I am starting to think I need to slow down my consumption. While delicious right after the cork is pulled, after a day it feels even more structured and dense. I imagine this will drink well and take on more complexity over the next 10-15 years. Ann loves it.
I won't open any of the Il Poggio for a long time based on these.
Very good once again with hours in a decanter, but definitely recommend holding at this point. Ideally, I should wait another 2 years at least and this should drink well until 2030+.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
After previous vintages and reviews, bought 8, first one tasted. The actual first bottle was corked, and there is very very faint cork in this one (I'm sensitive to this). Aside, there isn't much nose, and the what flavors are present are subdued, high acid. Richness and the sangiovese flavors I like are missing, hopfully not for all time. For this vintage so far, disappointed. 6 more to go. I'll hold for a time and wait. I can't score this, would be too low and likely not indicative.
7/21 Wine opened considerably, became good showing some of the promise I expected when I bought it. I left about 200-240 ml.
7/22 Not expecting much, and expecting this would go to the sink, it was still pleasant. I'm drinking it! Now thinking it simply needs another year or two, or extended time in a decanter (?).
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted. Now 1h after decant. Nice aromas of ripe red cherries, and some herbs. Palate w bright, red cherries, earth, bark, a bit of earth. Mild - moderate tannins on midpalate. Nice acids.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A real disappointment. I wonder if this bottle was stored poorly. Overwhelming tar with basically no fruit. Bought from wine.com, which has been fairly reliable in the past but may be losing its edge.
It smells incredibly floral like Daphnes and perfumed. Very different from last year on the nose in a positive way. Dark cherry palate with a bright juicy acidity and enough tannins to pair well with food. I wish I bought more bottles. Great QPR
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted. Now 1h after decant. Nice aromas of ripe red cherries, and some herbs. Palate w bright, red cherries, earth, bark, a bit of earth. Mild - moderate tannins on midpalate. Nice acids. Finishes w some woody oak, medicinal herbs and cherries. Young w a fair amount of structure. Has some fair amount of stuffing. Looking forward to see what comes at age 10. Like this. 90+ today w some good amount of upside.
7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Continues to please. Classic Sangiovese CC. The tannins have mellowed and the fruit remains. The nose is more apparent and the mid palate remains full. The wine is is entering the better part of it's drinking interval. Drank over 2 nights with no significant difference.
7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pleasant, not that interesting. Not much on the nose except initially. Dark fruit, mildly acidic, mild to moderate tannins. Short finish. Ate with leeks and lentils.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
decanted over two hours, classic scents of cherry, sandalwood and hints of flowers, balanced, structured, intensity on the palate that is almost medicinal, grips the tongue with flavors of dried cherries, herbs, dusty earth and tobacco, authentic CC, awesome match with cheese stuffed ravioli covered with marinara, decant and drink with food or hold longer, will age well, this is one of the best vintages I have had of this
12 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Almost 2 years since the last bottle , and my impression is identical to the previous. Great acid, dusty purple fruit, funky undertones and a sleek finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pop and pour, first wine of the night, paired with deep-fried and smoked turkeys. Pallet is still fairly tight for the varietal but is a great match. Cherries, crème de cassis,And a lingering 15 second finish.
Slo ox and decant. Very nice with pretty cherry and red fruit. Medium to full bodied, tannic, but not overly so. Nice food wine. I like my Chianti Reserva with a little age, and this could go a bit further.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasty. Pretty floral cherry leafy nose. Palate of tart cherries and blackberries. Herbal finish with nice acidity. Nice alone and nice with burgers and fries. Ready to drink.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Working my way through these but this is the first one that really sang.
Sapid sour cherry, violets, blueberry, just a hint of vanilla sweetness, a little clove spice, feels quite fresh now where before it felt a little bloated. Exactly what I want from Chianti now.
Great potential, and enjoyable, but I still feel this needs a couple of years. The '15 remains flashier at the moment. Still, good depth and a fine companion to homemade pizzas.
excellent Chianti Classico Riserva with fresh cherry, pronounced earthy notes, and dark fruit. Very well made and a great QPR. Glad I bought 2 bottles.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Much showier today - last night this was coiled up, and the 2015 was the better wine. Today, I'm not sure I would make that call. So the takeaway here is that the '16 may be in the process of shutting down, but it's pretty clear to me, both yesterday and today, that this is a Chianti built for the long haul.
Mostly red fruit on the nose, this has good acidity and energy on the palate. I love the 2016 vintage in Chianti, and if you have this wine in your cellar, this will be a lot of fun to track over the next 10-15 years.
9 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
decanted 30 min; cool & minerally dark; restrained wild herbs, bramble leaf, warm blackberries in the basket; med+ body; dense & firm initially, opened w/air & engaged, but showing less expressive than last one; may be in the 5 - 7 year segment from vintage where it's closed.
food unlocked its best qualities
spaghetti marinara, basil, parm
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Splash decanted and drank over a few hours. The 2016 Monsanto is ripe enough to balance those young Chianti tannins, but still fell rather flat and a little heavy on medicinal cherry flavors. It will likely improve with 5-10 years in bottle, but doesn’t pass either my test for wine worth aging or for wine ready to drink right away. Not bad, there are just better vino rossos in this price range.
4+ hour decant. Could still use time in the bottle, still a bit tight. Blackberry, leather, hint of garam masala. Lingering though puckering finish. Tasty. A nice complement to a Friday night pizza. Not as much depth as I was hoping for based on other tasting notes. Price feels right or maybe a touch high for the value ($26 all-in wine.com).
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened Saturday eve, poured 4-5 ounces, 1 glass, and received a fist in the mouth. Drinking on Monday, and the wine is classic Chianti Classico Riserva and still not completely open. Drink 2024 on.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Consistent with my last 2 notes except the nose was open right away without a decant. Dark plum and dark cherry notes. Violets, roses. Finish is only medium length today, but this is just a great wine at an incredible price. Has many years (decades?) of life left.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
a fine pizza wine but otherwise a bit dissapointing. rasperbery and cherry on the nose. on the palate, the wine shows fine acidity with flavors of dark cherry, strawberry, and red raspberry. the finish fades fairly quickly and is slightly bitter. not a very complicated wine and lacks in finesse.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
As with previous bottles, drinking great right now. Red fruit on the nose, medium tannins present, nice finish. This wine always delivers at a good price point.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted vigorously for an hour. Pretty red fruited and black currant nose with an appealing floral element that picked up weight with time. Plum and cherry on the palate with nice acidity. Not much tannin. Finish is more plum and a bit of chalkiness. I was worried about popping one of these young, but this is very enjoyable in its primary stage. I wish I had room for a case to follow over the next ten years plus.
7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Blackcurrant, menthol, leather and bramble on the nose. The palate was concentrated dark cherry - wouldn’t have placed it as a CCR if drunk blind. Probably speaks to the quality of the vintage. Interestingly it presented as soft upon opening but the tannins emerged after 30 min. Juicy acidity and a powerful core have this set up for the long run. Approachable now but will improve with bottle age.
Day 2: Leftover from a glass left out overnight - very mellow, tannins integrated, some liquorice and sour cherry emerged. Still full-bodied and holding up well. Conclusion: recommend a 3-6hr decant before serving.
9 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Cherry, raspberry, leather, tobacco, dried herbs, spice. Medium-plus body, acidity, and dusty tannins. Medium-long finish. Went well with pizza. 2-4 years to peak.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tightly wound on opening with overwhelming acidity, but once left open and then paired with food, it really shone. Dark cherry, menthol, and a pleasant lasting finish - decant and enjoy with something hearty.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasted double blind. Ruby red core, medium viscosity, clean with developing vinosity, medium plus intensity, stewed black plums, black cherry and cranberry, red flowers, underbrush, myrtle, leather, clay, European oak; On the palate, dry, medium plus body, high acid and high tannin. Red and black fruit with cranberries. Savory underbrush and conditioned leather. This is killer, easily the best vintage of Monsanto CCR I’ve ever had.
This was interesting. Usually a Chianti that I really like, but this bottle was not characteristic of a CC in any respect—it wasn’t bad, really, but tasted more like a CA Pinot. Again, not terrible, but so atypical that I won’t rate it.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Aromatically more intense with large amounts of cherry and a small amount of rusting iron. In mouth black cherry, currant, and mushroom start off. The mid palette includes a lingering leather flavor. The wine is very well built and worth aging. Still present tannins after 2 nights. Remarkable !
7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Hmm.... I am going to let this sit overnight instead of consuming and complaining. Right now unbalanced cherry, acidic and tannic. Looking for what the hype is all about. I'll let you know tomorrow
Decanted for 30 minutes before tasting and served with meatballs and marinara. Beautiful ruby color, lots of lift on the nose, with hints of black cherry and pepper. Chewy mouthfeel. Dry, medium+ body and acidity. Nicely integrated tannins. Palate shows dark red fruit, mushroom, leather, and black pepper. Beautiful long finish. Tannins softened nicely after the next hour or so. A very nice classico for the price.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted and drank first glasses over a couple hours. Very nice Chianti Classico that showed more power as it opened up. Classic sangiovese notes. Let it sit for a couple days and tried again and found it to still be very balanced. Wife-approved!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
PnP nd had with pizza, cherry, leather...good acidity and tannins... An angular wine that needs a little air time to really open up. I think would be better with time
Really nice Chianti, with great fruit and leather on the nose. The palate shows nice cherry, with good acidity and tannins. Great with food. This will be phenomenal with more time, but drinks well now. Ridiculously good value from Costco at $20.
Bright red cherry on the surface, darker underneath, clear and focused. Solid structure for aging but I’m not doing that as the wine is just too good now. For the modest tariff, this is hard to beat. Solid and eminently drinkable.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dang. Huge wine, with character. Masculine, meaty, intense. Very fine tannin that settles in late and towards the center and back of the mouth. Fun to drink now but you can tell it will unfurl into something even greater. Stunning value at $32.
Edit: One week later and this bottle is still cruising. Smoke, tar, blackberry, cherry. A real beast.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
PNP, followed over the evening. Mostly oak on the nose, on the palate, cherry, raspberry. Some earthy notes, tart acidity and drying tannins. A serious wine at a great price. Drink with decant or preferably hold a couple years to let this develop further.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for 1.5 hrs drank over next 3 hrs. Started out tight but by the 4th hour it had opened up and really delivered - the last 2-3 glasses were everything I had hoped for from the vintage, given the CT reviews. For $20 at Costco and Woodmans this is a recommended buy and should last for a few years easily given the tannin structure and acidity.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose has sour cherry with hints of sweeter berry and vanilla, M to M+ body, M to M+ tannins, M+ acid. The plate had some sweet mint and a bit of oak but this is by no means modern in style. This is well structured and a little tight now and will definitely get better with time and go strong for a decade +, but it’s already good and the qpr is excellent. If opening this soon do it with heavier food (we had it with vodka-bolognese sauce penne and chard sautéed with garlic and fennel and it worked well). ~6.5/10 now but I’m sure a 7 or 7.5 with time.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Coravin. Red and purple color. Candied Cherry type aromas. Fruit fills the palate without being jammy. Lightweight. Slightly tart and acidic finish. Too young for my preference. Might be a very good qpr wine 10 years from now. I will give it a conservative score for now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for an hour, drank over three. Such tremendous QPR. Agree with the note below: Rich blue and purple fruit on the nose -- a bit of drying fig and a touch of menthol -- but so light on the palate. My first of six, which is not nearly enough. Enjoyable now, but will be quite special in 10 years.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Delicious wine. Full bodied, but lightweight nevertheless. Opens up to a super long finish. 14% alcohol is not noticeable. Fruit is huge, but structure is there to support it. Quite perfumed at this point - oak, red/black fruits. I think this needs time, but it's still a pleasure now. Incredible value.
8 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Paired with homemade pizza. PnP -> this progressively opened up over several hours so next time I will decant first. Enjoyable now and food friendly with good acidity; I will hold my other couple bottles a few years and expect it will further develop. Good value.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
PnP. This is incredible QPR! Ready to go right now and will certainly reward laying down for a few years. One left, will have to check my local Costco to see if they have any stock remaining. Drink and buy with confidence right now.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tremendous vintage of this wine. I buy this most years going back to about '07, and this strikes me as the best I've had. I don't normally drink them so young but this was actually quite rewarding. The best is yet to come here though. A case is probably not enough and I'll likely grab a few more.
This is slowly becoming a little less fruit forward and will likely evolve significantly over the next six months to a year. It’s got the stuff for years of fine drinking, so I’ll be curious to check in on it over time.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
PnP. Brick red with some purple hue (which I found a bit odd), clear and bright. At first the aromas are a little sleepy, but midway through the first glass an even mixture of fruit and soil begin to emerge; by the end of the second glass, the aromas are pretty much wide open. A young wine, sure, but clearly a very serious wine (considering the price, a serious value, too). On the palate, first sip: wow, this is even more serious than the aromas suggested, there's some serious power. That power doesn't come in the form of over-extraction, or high alcohol, it comes from pitch-perfect pick date, super clean fruit and bold acidity. This is a blockbuster in the making; will live for decades at a very high level. That said, I'll try and let the others rest for at least 2-3 years, as, for my palate, it's only getting better from here. 14,0% abv., natural cork. highly recommended+
Fabulous purity. Complex aromatic of cherry, plum, violets, tobacco and mint. It is fresh with flesh. Deep yet light on its feet. It has great balance and poise and drinks so well now, but you just know it will be better in 10.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
2nd go at this vintage. I like it. Lots of fruit, but plenty of acidity and Chianti character. Drinks well now and should for many years. I need to add more bottles, again, if I can find them.
A bit harsh at first in the glass. Needs about an hour to open up. Call me crazy, but I’m almost getting a passion fruit aspect to the nose when I really dig in. We’ll round tannins and smooth fine finish. Will wait another 2 years on the next one to see where we’re at. Seems to have good potential to age well.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
No contemporaneous notes. About a 45 minute - 1 hour decant. This bottle did not show much - seemed disjointed, flabby. It likely needs time to come together. Judgment reserved.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The Chianti Classico Riserva 2016 is Sangiovese with some 10% Canaiolo and Colorino in it. Deep red color and medium-full bodied, a very intense nose of leather, wood, undergrowth and black currant. On the palate tannins are already smooth and beautifully integrated. The acidity is lively but not aggressive, with a really long and pleasant finish. I'm really impressed by this bottle and I'm curious to follow the evolution over the years. And if this is the Riserva, the Gran Selezione Il Poggio 2016 could just be even better than a great 2015. If you can find it, buy it!
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose: Very clear savoury note - ribeye with thyme, some dusty terracotta, tomato sauce - pretty interesting
Palate: Savoury notes from the nose briefly come in first followed by dark plum, juicy sour red cherry, herbs, a hint of licorice - classic sangiovese acidity and a lovely long finish
A little angular now but has lovely components and speaks well to the 2016 vintage for CC.
Certainly great now with food (had with chicken saltimbocca and grilled broccoli)
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
first bottle from case is corked. when first tasted in '19 for consideration, that bottle also corked. hope this case not in that batch of bad corks.
pulled a second bottle, splash-decanted; still on the cool side for first hour, but w/food worked fine.
deeply colored; aromatically savory, wild herbs, deep red fruit liqueur; med+ body; concentrated wild berries, an engaging medicinal core, tannins are dry, yet sweetly ripe. believe this will be very good in a few years & it is an exceptional value (IF remaining bottles have sound corks!)
panna pizza w/fennel sausage & mushrooms, arugula, shaved parm
1/17/20 supple & pure, w/solid underpinnings. well on the way to being to being special. (91)
panna pizza w/spicy soppressata, gorgonzola, arugula
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark strawberry, soil, meat, stones, and dried herbs on the nose. On the palate it's mid weighted, classically proportioned, and firm with a sense of intensity without heaviness. More dark strawberry and dark fruits, tar, licorice, and dried herbs on the palate. Savory and very long. Terrific traditional Chianti with character and a bright future.
10 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Let this one breathe a bit more this time. Black cherry, nice acid, lingering finish. Just everything a Chianti should be. Perfect with anything tomato sauce. Not massively refined but so smooth and hits the spot.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I normally like to hold the CCR until 6+ years after vintage, but I also like to do an early check-in as well. As such, I think this will be a spectacular vintage. On the pop 'n pour, this starts off with a little musk and some oak on the nose. Later on, the musk blew off and there were some earthy notes. Nothing special, really, but this is very young. On the palate, there was a lot going on and a little rough around the edges. The generous fruit, oak, acidity were all competing a bit and unfocused at first. After an hour or so of slow-oxing, this really started to become intriguing. There was still a little musky thing to go along with the earthy core of fruit. The mid-palate showed deep and "plump", with lovely, fleshy texture. Classic Italian acidity, but not too high. Everything was not in complete harmony at this point, given its young age, but I just loved the complex cacophony of flavors, mouthfeel, and texture. Depth, flavor, balance all there. Really pleasing and enjoyable now, but this surely will be a beauty in the years to come. If scoring, 91 - 92 now and potential for 95+ in the future. Hold 2+ years.
10 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
My go to pizza and red sauce wine. Having it today with Pomadoro crudo - uncooked fresh tomatoes with olive oil, salt ,pepper, garlic and plenty of basil from the garden poured over pasta (we use Buccatini). This dish needs really good fresh tomatoes and sadly the season is almost over in New England.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
tldr: great wine, lots of potential here, needs a long decant (2+ hours) or let it rest for 4-5 more years; enjoyable on its own, even better with food - we paired it with pasta alla vodka. Color: medium purple, somewhat lighter towards the rim. Nose: lush; black cherry, ripe blackberry, soft baking spice oak, tiny bit alcohol vapor Body: med+/full bodied, nice depth Acid: med+ tongue waters a little Alcohol: 14%, feels closer to 14.5% Palate: fleshy dark cherry, grilled plum, dusty, underbrush, savory herb notes; sharper finish, chewy/gripping tannins, 5+ second finish
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened an hour before. Dark cherry, hope chest, blood orange rind, wet stone and rosemary. The palate is very elegant, with a seamless finish, and polished tannins. A long finish that has this rosemary and lavender aftertaste. Wait a year or two, or, decant. Always a stunning value. Drink 2022 - 2032.
7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This bottle was emptied too early in my opinion. The wine was quite closed, needed aeration (decanted through aerator), but still did not disclose all of its aromas. This wine certainly has quite some potential and might develop to 92-93 points in 5-8 years
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bought on my son's recommendation. Decanted an hour and could not finish the glass. Nest day, decanted the remainder four hours and what a difference. Mostly cherry and some black fruit. After the long decant the tannins got in line with the fruit.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is my 'go to" Pizza and red sauce wine. The tannins are still slightly harsh but are easily tamed with decanting. Great value in this fabulous Chianti year.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Monsanto is my go to chianti, ever since having a bottle of the 95 or 96 in a great little dive restaurant in South Philly about 15 years ago. I loved the 2015 but couldn’t find any more of it so got some of this. Not nearly as evolved as the 2015. More grapey and aggressive. Less nuanced and rustic. Still has Monsanto truth and beauty lurking, however. But more different from the 2015 than just a year of age. I’ll give my other bottles at least 3 more years before trying again.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
PnP. Still quite tannic: so I will aerate as I drink more and perhaps wait until 2021 or later with my other bottles. Dense, medium body, fresh acidity suitable for a warm summer evening. Cherry tastes, cinnamon, cloves and other baking spices, very enjoyable. Might deserve a higher grade with time.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
It's been six months since I tasted this in Florence, and it's progressed as expected; remains very approachable now, even on PnP. Med+ body, lovely, fresh acidity that keeps this both interesting, and quite flavorful until the final drop. I enjoyed this one over two nights, with virtually the same experience. Really impressive structure as well; those that would like 10-15 years on their wines, this will get there no problem. I'm thinking 3 cases might be in order. 14,0% abv., natural cork. highly recommended+
Amazing quality for the price. Very concentrated, with integrated fine tannins. Nice acidity and fruit. Long finish. The nose was quite reductive for the first hour or so. Definitely decant it at this stage. What a great wine!
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Shockingly approachable and refreshingly bright for such a young CCR. Much difference relative to say the 2012 vintage of this wine at comparable age. Great value.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Delightful Chianti. Rich red plums, black cherry, and rhubarb, with mint and assorted hedgerow coming with air. Earthy and delicious, better than a lot of $40 Brunello that's for sure. I missed the 2015s, but this has better concentration and balance than 2014 for sure. It should age well.
Yum. Pretty red fruits and menthol on the nose. The red tones carry over on the palate. There is a purity to the fruit, that I am really enjoying. I bought six initially, but I will pick up another half dozen as this is a really nice vintage for this wine.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wow, totally different nose here than the Pomona - I like this a lot as well, but clearly on the funky side of the spectrum, with a distinct sottobosco note on opening.
This is seamless on the palate - I like this, and love the complexity of the nose, but to be honest, the Pomona seems to have more in reserve than this wine. Still, one could do a lot worse on a Wednesday night.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very, very good - the bottle I opened yesterday was corked, but this one reminds me why I bought a case of this wine. Good acidity and persistence, red & black fruits on both palate and the nose, really hard to argue with this, especially given the price.
2h air. Medium to Medium-Light ruby. Aromas of Cherry, raspberry, leather, thyme, and smoke. Medium-bodied, very earthy, slightly lean, with red fruit on entry and thyme and spice in the finish. Piercing acidity and chalky tannins provide ample support. Think this needs a little time to round out, but would recommend regardless.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This still continues to impress and, for my palate, really does strike me as the best vintage of this wine in quite some time. I suspect I’ll drink all my bottles on the younger side, as I love the delicious, juicy red fruit that’s present right now.
7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
two bottles, similar notes. Very forward and showing well PnP. Gets better over the next 2 hours (maybe longer but neither lived that long). Dark Cherry and tobacco, with balanced mid palate and long finish. Great QPR and I will go buy more of this.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The 2016 Chianti Classico Riserva is mostly opaque medium ruby in color with garnet hues. I decanted this for 2 hours thanks to its youth, and the nose showcases aromas of ripe cherry, cranberry, plum, anise, loamy earth, tar, savory herbs, and light oak. Once on the palate, the wine displays notes of brambleberry, dusty black raspberry, pomegranate, black cherry, tobacco, crushed rocky soil, mild baking spice, coffee bean, and oak. This is medium-bodied with medium acidity, medium (+) dusty tannins, and a long finish.
90% Sangiovese, 10% Canaiolo and Colorino; 14% ABV
This was delicious. Cherry fruit with rich tobacco and leather giving this a lot of structure and substance. Excellent now, it no doubt will improve with age.
Drank alongside a 2017 Felsina Chianti Classico. Though the Felsina was very good, it was less structured, and had fewer leather/rich notes. The '16 Monsanto was preferred.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Give this time to breathe. Aroma of oak, vanilla, and plum. With time it is delicate and velvety. Does not hold up to typical italian dishes - I mismatched this wine - would be great with things like mushrooms, veal, or chicken and potentially venison. Amazing value!
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A very nice Monsanto! Drinking very much like the ‘15, albeit a bit riper/darker fruited and earthier than I remember the ‘15 being, with more of a anise/fennel aspect that I find very appealing. A hint of funk and rustic but friendly farm-hand tannins round it out.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Just tasted the 16 Riservas from Monsanto and Felsina -- both are excellent wines and staggeringly good values (under $25 good customer price) and bound to be great wines in 10-15 yrs. And the wines side by side express their terroirs and house styles perfectly -- the Monsanto, dark fruited, earthy,more brooding by impeccably balanced; the Felsina brighter, red toned, some tobacco notes, terrific bouquet.... Anyone who loves chianti should buy these both by the case and stow them in a dark cold corner of the cellar, particularly those of us who perhaps shouldn't be buying Rancia or Il Poggio given our ages-- and note the time of acquisition as a reminder of so much of what is great and humble at the same time as we pray for our friends in Italy to get back on their feet
No decant. If you like chianti and don't have money to burn, you should have cases of this stuff it is phenomenally good. Juicy cherry fruits, dried cherries, licorice, damp earth, and a mineral finish that almost hits an iron like note. Give this 1-2 hours of air.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very nice with enough fruit to make everyone happy and still has its feet buried in Chianti soil. Very sticky, dry, and long long finish. Fine value here. Need more. Drink with 60 minute decant or Hold
PS_IMO, way better than 2015.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Clear garnet with no rim browning. White plum, very light oak. Low acids, medium to low tannins. White pepper. Short balanced finish. Bottle at ocean prime.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Fruity, herbal nose. Tons of black cherry, juicy acidity, and surprisingly restrained tannin (for my tastes) after a 2 hour decant. Long, juicy, wet rock finish. So enjoyable.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A bit more generous than I was expecting, but there's plenty of structure, and fresh acidity, too. This is sure to make long-time fans very happy, and will probably make new friends, too. Really long finish, superb purity, and character. Love this. BUY it by the case. 2020-2043. highly recommended+
This Chianti Classico has a lot of potential. Needs a minimum of 2 hours of decanting to open up and mellow out a bit. Already enjoyable, but will definitely benefit from some further cellaring.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wow, the nose here is really overt, with candied red & black fruit.
Pretty open at this point on the palate as well. Antonio Galloni gave the 2015 & 2016 vintages in Tuscany pretty good marks, and so far, based upon the wines I have sampled from these vintages, he was definitely on the mark.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A little disappointed by this effort. The nose seems a little closed but knowing these ar age-worthy wines, maybe 5 years of cellaring or a least a little decanting would help open this bad boy a little. Cherries, red fruit, herbs, tobacco and vanilla on the nose. The taste has that lovely sour/acidic tickle on the tongue like soya sauce... Not bad but definitely not the best Chianti I've had.
4/24/2024 - ttholst wrote: 91 Points
Perfekt balanse mellom frisk frukt og modningsaroma.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/21/2024 - ex-sommelier Likes this wine:
Early on this showed fairly tough, with medicinal herbs, earth, and a bit of unripe blackberry fruit. By the 2nd day it was shining with red plums and black cherry, menthol, a touch of smoke. Surprising how much decanting this needed, but turned out as good as it always is.
7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
3/18/2024 - vlzat Likes this wine: 93 Points
90% Sangiovese, 10% Colorino and Canaiolo
Last bottle, well improved for this year. Medium body, deep ruby colour, 14% abv. Intense but still very delicate and complex aroma of black and blue fruits, leather, tobacco and toasted oak. Black cherry and prune palate, resolved tannins and juicy acidity following by long, rounding finish. Rich and complex but well balanced and harmonies wine. Food friendly, well pairing to Parmigiano Reggiano. Serve 18ºC - 20ºC. Still requires aeration, open two hours ahead. Drink now and the next decade, perhaps longer
8 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/13/2024 - randyjc wrote: 91 Points
Still really good at age 7. Remains fresh but not as lively and engaging as it was 3-4 years ago. Still, I see it can be found at around $25. Bargain price.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/26/2024 - tigerpaw75 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Really good over several nights. No detailed notes
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/11/2024 - WineJ2019 Likes this wine: 93 Points
In a great spot now, mix of fruit and secondary flavors, classic Sangiovese profile, drink now
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/10/2024 - Quarked wrote: 91 Points
This has aged very well, notes quite like a brunello. Medium-to-full bodied.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/5/2024 - JoeMe Likes this wine: 92 Points
At this stage this wine has developed complex aromas of strawberry, cherry, tobacco, mushrooms, and floral notes. The palate is fresh with good acidity, almost citrus like fruit, well integrated subdued oak, a touch of vanilla and other similar fruit profiles as the nose. Firm, yet silky tannins. This is much better than when last tasted in late 2022. One of those wines where you can’t stop sniffing that empty glass. Recommend 3+ hours decant. 92-93
7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/1/2024 - gstutz Likes this wine: 90 Points
Leather with a touch cherry. Cherry and oak on first taste. Tannins have settled. Nicely balanced wine.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/2/2023 - jpkc Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted 3 hr prior to dinner, Contessa Pepita of Lodoline in Vagliagli recomended opening her Chiante 1 hr per year of age prior to drinking, but i can't not drink that long after I open a bottle. Tannins are mild, nice fruit and acidity, enjoyed with the pasta dish, no sign of age yet, no rush to drink up
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/27/2023 - BoxerBee Likes this wine: 91 Points
Sweet cherry, blackcurrant and plum, almost surmature, with mushroom and mint in the background. On the palate, the fruit feels stewed and a little too sweet, and I miss the earthy tannins of the best editions of this wine, but it remains balanced thanks to fresh acidity. Mint and English licorice dominate the juicy finish. Excellent value. Drink within 5 years. Bordering on an extra point.
9 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/25/2023 - James Kim Likes this wine: 91 Points
From memory. Decanted for 1h then started drinking. Nice aromas of ripe cherries and some plums, herbs and a bit of earth. Palate w ripe red and black cherries, plums, herbs, and some minerals. The woody bark that was present last year has integrated better w the wine and is less noticeable. Good acids and overall, there's a nice balance to the wine. I like how the wine is evolving. Will try to keep my hands off the rest of my bottles until age 10 in 2026 although it might be pretty hard. I think there will be a nice upside to this wine when mature.
7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/24/2023 - tigerpaw75 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Good solid quality CCR. Drank with homemade lasagna. More fruit than many CCRs but still had strong backbone of tannins and acidity. Still several years of life ahead for this.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/23/2023 - Old Wine Maven Likes this wine:
Very good, bright fruit. Can age another 3 years or more
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/23/2023 - Old Wine Maven Likes this wine:
Very good, can easily age another 3 years
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/31/2023 - BaroloBucky Likes this wine: 90 Points
UPDATE: a very long time in the glass did the trick. Brett blew off finally after 1hr decant and 1hr in the glass. Red cherry, cedar, herbs. Good acid creating med-long finish. Good as always, this one just had some funk to air out. Not sure if decant is needed or this was just a funky outlier bottle.
—————-
6th bottle of a case. Showing some age visibly with a slight orange tinge to it and some bricking at the rim. Nose is off - smells like a dirty sock. Palate is loaded with brett. There are some nondescript red fruit and cedar notes, but the brett is getting in the way. Flawed I guess?
Put in the decanter for an hour and the brett did blow off somewhat on the palate. The nose is still unpleasant though. Toss this off to an off bottle - all previous from this case have been 90-91 pt wines. My last one a few months ago was great and didn’t seem at peak yet.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/30/2023 - Bob H wrote:
A real beauty, and yet another 2016 Chianti where it's pretty obvious by my consumption that a case was not enough. Bright red fruit on the nose, seamless and expansive on the palate. Gorgeous.
7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/29/2023 - WillRepstad Likes this wine: 85 Points
This wine is clearly a year or two past it’s best. Entirely tertiary flavor profile with dried plum and roasted meat flavors lingering. Little fruit here, yet still some good acidity which balances the richer savory flavors. While this wine lacks in complexity and length, it is still very much enjoyable and above all else interesting. I purchased this wine awhile back (maybe 2020, or so) with the intention of holding it a couple years just to taste aged Chianti. Definitely a good weeknight wine with some Tuscan cheese for anyone who has a bottle or two still hanging around their cellar. Drink up quickly! Overall: 85
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/26/2023 - PAX ROMANA Likes this wine: 89 Points
Had some of the classic Sangiovese structure (bright acidity, decent tannins) but the palate and nose were covered up by a bit too much extraction for my tastes. Surprising given this is a classic producer and 2016 is considered a fantastic vintage. This is more of a steak CCR than an end-of-the-night contemplative wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/18/2023 - rosenst1 wrote: 92 Points
PnP. Medium red. Lovely Sangiovese nose. Intense cherries on the palate with some spice and earth. Long finish with tannins buried in the fruit but not at all obtrusive. Nice wine and good QPR - will keep but not sure will improve.
7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/29/2023 - BGK810 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Cherry, cranberry, a touch of rosemary, with good acidity and a medium length finish. Changed the score to 91 from 90 on the second day. It was more complex!
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/12/2023 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Very good, developing. HOLD. PnP enjoyed over two nights, both at a high level if not slightly more complete on night 2. Absolutely love the tension and focus here, but all data points suggest holding for further development. At this price, just a ridiculous value. highly recommended+
https://www.ItalianWine.blog
15 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (4)
6/3/2023 - karl.1480 Likes this wine: 91 Points
I do not have much more to add to previous notes on this wine. It's still in it's youth and needs probably another 5 years to hit the real sweet spot.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/14/2023 - Chris@77 Likes this wine:
1st half of bottle, nice, more time good. Lacking complexity and finish I expected, amend tomorrow, wrote in 2 parts because overnight with improving or not is a message. Today 88-89ish
5/15 2d half. Opened more, improved finish. Not more complex, needs more time than I've given it. To be clear my bottles have lived at 55F. It's enjoyable. Your choice on whether to drink. I have no experience. I do have experience with a mature Brunello ... stunning. We drank many bottles at a leadership dinner over 15 years ago. Wish I had some!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/24/2023 - Vascular46 Likes this wine: 89 Points
This is one of my favorite 'value wines" for every night drinking and I usually rate it 93. This particular bottle was a little off. The fruit was not as prominent and the tannins were a little harsh. I hope this was just a bottle problem and not a maturation problem as I have a number of bottles left.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/23/2023 - sleepyhaus wrote:
Still rather closed at this point. Improves with air and the last glass on day two was quite nice, but right now I'd give this another year or two in the cellar.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/11/2023 - Vascular46 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Remains in it's drinking interval with deep ruby color and red fruit on the nose and palate.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/24/2023 - vlzat Likes this wine: 93 Points
90% Sangiovese, 10% Colorino and Canaiolo
Medium body, deep ruby colour. Intense but delicate aroma of black and blue fruits, leather and spices combined with flowers and toasted oak background. Black cherry and plummy palate, black olives, grippy tannins and wild berries acidity following by long, rounding finish. Rich and complex but juicy, balanced, harmonies and easy drinking. Food friendly, well pairing to risotto ai funghi. Serve 18ºC - 20ºC. Open two hours ahead, next day after vacuum corking even better. Early mature and will benefit from advanced aging. Drink now and the next nine/ten years or longer.
8 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
2/18/2023 - epokal Likes this wine: 92 Points
Quick decant before meal although pnp would have probably worked as well. This bottle was just what I want when I pick Chianti Classico. Lovely sour cherry taste with refreshing acidity and supporting tannins. Went very well with meatballs in tomato sauce. Besides being perfect accompaniment for food this is nuanced enough to hold interest on its own.
The wine is still quite youthful. Not sure what there is to gain by aging but I guess I'll find out as I still have a bunch left.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/8/2023 - GaryHOhio Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very solid Chianti every vintage for around $30
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/14/2023 - trumpet60201 Likes this wine: 93 Points
It has been almost 2 years since my last bottle and boy this is as good as I remembered. This is full of layers of delicious fruit, balancing out the nice ripe tannins (loads of them still, but they are not overwhelming or too drying). The acidity is just beautiful and the finish is pretty darn long for a $25 bottle - what a steal this is. I'm glad I bought 2 cases.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/12/2023 - BaroloBucky Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nothing to add besides what’s already said on this wine. Classic producer on a great vintage. What’s not to like?
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/27/2022 - Bob H wrote:
I see from my CT notes that the last time I tried this was in June of '21 - unfortunately, I had already pulled the cork before I read my tasting note ;^).
The nose here is very nice with earthy red and black fruits. But this is still somewhat reticent on the palate - another vintage where I think a two case order would have been the ticket, because this is going to be a very interesting wine in another 10-15 years.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
12/20/2022 - kkleg Likes this wine: 92 Points
In an awkward phase right now when popped and poured. After a bit of time, however, this wine shows its true potential. Strawberries and floral notes on the nose. The palate has good acidity, rather firm tannins, and nice sour cherry notes. I have one more bottle and will hold until 2027 to see how it evolves.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/24/2022 - Vascular46 Likes this wine: 93 Points
I have already reviewed this wine multiple times. At this time "it is drinking well" as the critics or wine store people say. Still has along way to go. The 2016 Chiantis are a great value.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
10/21/2022 - randyjc wrote: 91 Points
This bottle is just short of being the perfect in-the-middle Chianti. You know the one. Bright cherry, vivid acidity, fine medium tannin carrying the finish. Impetuous. That’s what this wine was 2 years ago but now it’s older and wiser - more complacent. Softer, receding tannin, friendly acidity. Deeper flavors. More sensuous. Good, no doubt. A wonderful wine at a wonderful price and, yet, I wish I’d drank it 2 years ago.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/6/2022 - Kashvino Likes this wine: 90 Points
Brick red in complexion, chestnut, oil paint, hazelnuts, earthy with crushed rocks, chalky texture with medium high acidity. Medium bodied with grippy tannins. The finish is lasting, highly recommend opening this in a few years. Still a little tense and would evolve well with cellar time.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/27/2022 - Chris@77 Likes this wine: 92 Points
After 3 bottles plus 1 corked, this wine is becoming very interesting, and I think it still has more potential. It's highly enjoyable now. My challenge will be holding the remaining 4 bottles for a year plus (not good at this!). I'd like to see what happens with it.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
9/15/2022 - Vascular46 Likes this wine: 93 Points
continues to deliver - great year for Chianti
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/20/2022 - Vascular46 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Aging nicely-the tannins have softened. Red fruit (cherry in particular) on the nose and palate. Great vintage
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/13/2022 - Outplaying Likes this wine:
I am half way through a case and a half purchase, and I am starting to think I need to slow down my consumption. While delicious right after the cork is pulled, after a day it feels even more structured and dense. I imagine this will drink well and take on more complexity over the next 10-15 years. Ann loves it.
I won't open any of the Il Poggio for a long time based on these.
7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
8/9/2022 - Vascular46 wrote: 93 Points
Great year for Chianti. Red fruit on nose and palate. The tannins are finally mellowing. Drank over 2 nights without much change.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/8/2022 - sleepyhaus wrote:
Very good once again with hours in a decanter, but definitely recommend holding at this point. Ideally, I should wait another 2 years at least and this should drink well until 2030+.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/6/2022 - neomarcel wrote: 91 Points
Cellaring cca up to 3 years. It will be super.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/20/2022 - Chris@77 wrote:
After previous vintages and reviews, bought 8, first one tasted. The actual first bottle was corked, and there is very very faint cork in this one (I'm sensitive to this). Aside, there isn't much nose, and the what flavors are present are subdued, high acid. Richness and the sangiovese flavors I like are missing, hopfully not for all time. For this vintage so far, disappointed. 6 more to go. I'll hold for a time and wait. I can't score this, would be too low and likely not indicative.
7/21 Wine opened considerably, became good showing some of the promise I expected when I bought it. I left about 200-240 ml.
7/22 Not expecting much, and expecting this would go to the sink, it was still pleasant. I'm drinking it! Now thinking it simply needs another year or two, or extended time in a decanter (?).
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/28/2022 - WEB,III Likes this wine: 91 Points
Far more accessible than a year ago. Plenty potential to evolve, but not as 4 square as a year ago.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/13/2022 - rama Likes this wine:
Ready to rock as a pop and pour
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/9/2022 - WilD wrote: 92 Points
Decanted. Now 1h after decant. Nice aromas of ripe red cherries, and some herbs. Palate w bright, red cherries, earth, bark, a bit of earth. Mild - moderate tannins on midpalate. Nice acids.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/10/2022 - eeeeeradicator wrote: 85 Points
A real disappointment. I wonder if this bottle was stored poorly. Overwhelming tar with basically no fruit. Bought from wine.com, which has been fairly reliable in the past but may be losing its edge.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (2)
3/18/2022 - Hiker4life70 Likes this wine: 91 Points
It smells incredibly floral like Daphnes and perfumed. Very different from last year on the nose in a positive way. Dark cherry palate with a bright juicy acidity and enough tannins to pair well with food. I wish I bought more bottles. Great QPR
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/25/2022 - James Kim Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted. Now 1h after decant. Nice aromas of ripe red cherries, and some herbs. Palate w bright, red cherries, earth, bark, a bit of earth. Mild - moderate tannins on midpalate. Nice acids. Finishes w some woody oak, medicinal herbs and cherries. Young w a fair amount of structure. Has some fair amount of stuffing. Looking forward to see what comes at age 10. Like this. 90+ today w some good amount of upside.
7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/6/2022 - Vascular46 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Continues to please. Classic Sangiovese CC. The tannins have mellowed and the fruit remains. The nose is more apparent and the mid palate remains full. The wine is is entering the better part of it's drinking interval. Drank over 2 nights with no significant difference.
7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/6/2022 - Stosh_Izzy Likes this wine: 87 Points
Pleasant, not that interesting. Not much on the nose except initially. Dark fruit, mildly acidic, mild to moderate tannins. Short finish. Ate with leeks and lentils.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/31/2022 - whits Likes this wine: 92 Points
decanted over two hours, classic scents of cherry, sandalwood and hints of flowers, balanced, structured, intensity on the palate that is almost medicinal, grips the tongue with flavors of dried cherries, herbs, dusty earth and tobacco, authentic CC, awesome match with cheese stuffed ravioli covered with marinara, decant and drink with food or hold longer, will age well, this is one of the best vintages I have had of this
12 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/4/2022 - ohne_musik wrote: 91 Points
Almost 2 years since the last bottle , and my impression is identical to the previous. Great acid, dusty purple fruit, funky undertones and a sleek finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2021 - davidandrose Likes this wine: 91 Points
Pop and pour, first wine of the night, paired with deep-fried and smoked turkeys. Pallet is still fairly tight for the varietal but is a great match. Cherries, crème de cassis,And a lingering 15 second finish.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
12/22/2021 - Salute Likes this wine: 89 Points
Much better than the first bottle - acidity has calmed down a bit, allowing more fruit to show.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/15/2021 - GaryHOhio Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking well with short decant
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/27/2021 - Toddwcomer wrote:
Need to buy more
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/23/2021 - Vascular46 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tannins continue to soften and the fruit is becoming more prominent. What a great year for Chianti and Tuscany in general.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/12/2021 - Geoff Likes this wine: 92 Points
Slo ox and decant. Very nice with pretty cherry and red fruit. Medium to full bodied, tannic, but not overly so. Nice food wine. I like my Chianti Reserva with a little age, and this could go a bit further.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/10/2021 - battytaxicab Likes this wine: 90 Points
Open and ready to drink! Loads of fruit and moderate tannins and acidity
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/14/2021 - ttholst wrote: 90 Points
Intens aroma av kirsebærfrukt og kirsebærstein. Litt parfymerte marsipantoner. Strøken balanse. Beskjeden tannin. Best etter 2 t luft.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/26/2021 - Hiker4life70 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Tasty. Pretty floral cherry leafy nose. Palate of tart cherries and blackberries. Herbal finish with nice acidity. Nice alone and nice with burgers and fries. Ready to drink.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/8/2021 - Radders12345 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Working my way through these but this is the first one that really sang.
Sapid sour cherry, violets, blueberry, just a hint of vanilla sweetness, a little clove spice, feels quite fresh now where before it felt a little bloated. Exactly what I want from Chianti now.
No rush and I have plenty left!
9 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
9/4/2021 - sleepyhaus wrote:
Great potential, and enjoyable, but I still feel this needs a couple of years. The '15 remains flashier at the moment. Still, good depth and a fine companion to homemade pizzas.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
9/3/2021 - JoeD83 wrote: 90 Points
Earthy with red fruits. Has the acidity and tannin to store.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/24/2021 - tedcholl Likes this wine: 91 Points
excellent Chianti Classico Riserva with fresh cherry, pronounced earthy notes, and dark fruit. Very well made and a great QPR. Glad I bought 2 bottles.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/24/2021 - Bob H wrote:
From a bottle opened last night for dinner.
Much showier today - last night this was coiled up, and the 2015 was the better wine. Today, I'm not sure I would make that call. So the takeaway here is that the '16 may be in the process of shutting down, but it's pretty clear to me, both yesterday and today, that this is a Chianti built for the long haul.
Mostly red fruit on the nose, this has good acidity and energy on the palate. I love the 2016 vintage in Chianti, and if you have this wine in your cellar, this will be a lot of fun to track over the next 10-15 years.
9 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/14/2021 - vincemcd61 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Had with Tuscan tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/7/2021 - pigdaddy wrote: 90 Points
decanted 30 min; cool & minerally dark; restrained wild herbs, bramble leaf, warm blackberries in the basket; med+ body; dense & firm initially, opened w/air & engaged, but showing less expressive than last one; may be in the 5 - 7 year segment from vintage where it's closed.
food unlocked its best qualities
spaghetti marinara, basil, parm
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/5/2021 - rkww Does not like this wine: 88 Points
Splash decanted and drank over a few hours. The 2016 Monsanto is ripe enough to balance those young Chianti tannins, but still fell rather flat and a little heavy on medicinal cherry flavors. It will likely improve with 5-10 years in bottle, but doesn’t pass either my test for wine worth aging or for wine ready to drink right away. Not bad, there are just better vino rossos in this price range.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
6/2/2021 - vincemcd61 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Had with gnocchi all’arrabbiata
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/24/2021 - M&AWines Likes this wine: 89 Points
Good but nothing special.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/14/2021 - btwine Likes this wine: 90 Points
4+ hour decant. Could still use time in the bottle, still a bit tight. Blackberry, leather, hint of garam masala. Lingering though puckering finish. Tasty. A nice complement to a Friday night pizza. Not as much depth as I was hoping for based on other tasting notes. Price feels right or maybe a touch high for the value ($26 all-in wine.com).
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/7/2021 - Sijan Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really excellent already - good acidity & lots of depth
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/6/2021 - vincemcd61 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Had with Instantpot Italian chickpea stew with pesto
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/3/2021 - WEB,III Likes this wine: 91 Points
Opened Saturday eve, poured 4-5 ounces, 1 glass, and received a fist in the mouth. Drinking on Monday, and the wine is classic Chianti Classico Riserva and still not completely open. Drink 2024 on.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/1/2021 - trumpet60201 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Consistent with my last 2 notes except the nose was open right away without a decant. Dark plum and dark cherry notes. Violets, roses. Finish is only medium length today, but this is just a great wine at an incredible price. Has many years (decades?) of life left.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/16/2021 - vinus_operandi wrote: 89 Points
a fine pizza wine but otherwise a bit dissapointing. rasperbery and cherry on the nose. on the palate, the wine shows fine acidity with flavors of dark cherry, strawberry, and red raspberry. the finish fades fairly quickly and is slightly bitter. not a very complicated wine and lacks in finesse.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/15/2021 - Giller63 wrote: 91 Points
As with previous bottles, drinking great right now. Red fruit on the nose, medium tannins present, nice finish. This wine always delivers at a good price point.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/7/2021 - vincemcd61 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Delicious wine. Had with leftover Ina Garten’s pastitsio
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/6/2021 - devillighter wrote: 92 Points
Decanted vigorously for an hour. Pretty red fruited and black currant nose with an appealing floral element that picked up weight with time. Plum and cherry on the palate with nice acidity. Not much tannin. Finish is more plum and a bit of chalkiness. I was worried about popping one of these young, but this is very enjoyable in its primary stage. I wish I had room for a case to follow over the next ten years plus.
7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/6/2021 - Isaac L Likes this wine: 91 Points
Blackcurrant, menthol, leather and bramble on the nose. The palate was concentrated dark cherry - wouldn’t have placed it as a CCR if drunk blind. Probably speaks to the quality of the vintage. Interestingly it presented as soft upon opening but the tannins emerged after 30 min. Juicy acidity and a powerful core have this set up for the long run. Approachable now but will improve with bottle age.
Day 2: Leftover from a glass left out overnight - very mellow, tannins integrated, some liquorice and sour cherry emerged. Still full-bodied and holding up well. Conclusion: recommend a 3-6hr decant before serving.
9 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/3/2021 - Vascular46 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Continues to evolve. Fruit emerging and the tannins are softening. I would still recommend decanting.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/26/2021 - vincemcd61 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Delicious. Had with veggie pizza
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/19/2021 - EFrohmader Likes this wine: 91 Points
Cherry, raspberry, leather, tobacco, dried herbs, spice. Medium-plus body, acidity, and dusty tannins. Medium-long finish. Went well with pizza. 2-4 years to peak.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/15/2021 - bryceandrachel Likes this wine:
Tightly wound on opening with overwhelming acidity, but once left open and then paired with food, it really shone. Dark cherry, menthol, and a pleasant lasting finish - decant and enjoy with something hearty.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/12/2021 - vincemcd61 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious wine. Had with Roberta’s pizza from Brooklyn
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/10/2021 - thesternowl wrote: 92 Points
Tasted double blind. Ruby red core, medium viscosity, clean with developing vinosity, medium plus intensity, stewed black plums, black cherry and cranberry, red flowers, underbrush, myrtle, leather, clay, European oak; On the palate, dry, medium plus body, high acid and high tannin. Red and black fruit with cranberries. Savory underbrush and conditioned leather. This is killer, easily the best vintage of Monsanto CCR I’ve ever had.
14 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (4)
3/4/2021 - smorris291 wrote:
This was interesting. Usually a Chianti that I really like, but this bottle was not characteristic of a CC in any respect—it wasn’t bad, really, but tasted more like a CA Pinot. Again, not terrible, but so atypical that I won’t rate it.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/2/2021 - tomoem Likes this wine: 91 Points
3rd night notes and a much better wine.
Aromatically more intense with large amounts of cherry and a small amount of rusting iron. In mouth black cherry, currant, and mushroom start off. The mid palette includes a lingering leather flavor. The wine is very well built and worth aging. Still present tannins after 2 nights. Remarkable !
7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/28/2021 - tomoem wrote:
Hmm.... I am going to let this sit overnight instead of consuming and complaining. Right now unbalanced cherry, acidic and tannic. Looking for what the hype is all about. I'll let you know tomorrow
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
2/25/2021 - Vascular46 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Remains my go to red sauce Chianti. The tannins re softening and the fruit is becoming dominent
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/23/2021 - shellylowen Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very silky tannins, medium-light body, cherry, medium acidity. Very easy to drink.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/19/2021 - vincemcd61 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious wine. Had with pizza
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/18/2021 - addylo Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for 30 minutes before tasting and served with meatballs and marinara. Beautiful ruby color, lots of lift on the nose, with hints of black cherry and pepper. Chewy mouthfeel. Dry, medium+ body and acidity. Nicely integrated tannins. Palate shows dark red fruit, mushroom, leather, and black pepper. Beautiful long finish. Tannins softened nicely after the next hour or so. A very nice classico for the price.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/13/2021 - StaceyK Likes this wine: 91 Points
Had with pizza. Very good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/13/2021 - Giller63 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted and drank first glasses over a couple hours. Very nice Chianti Classico that showed more power as it opened up. Classic sangiovese notes. Let it sit for a couple days and tried again and found it to still be very balanced. Wife-approved!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/5/2021 - Coupe 60 Likes this wine:
PnP nd had with pizza, cherry, leather...good acidity and tannins... An angular wine that needs a little air time to really open up. I think would be better with time
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
2/5/2021 - kkleg Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really nice Chianti, with great fruit and leather on the nose. The palate shows nice cherry, with good acidity and tannins. Great with food. This will be phenomenal with more time, but drinks well now. Ridiculously good value from Costco at $20.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (3)
2/5/2021 - randyjc wrote: 90 Points
Bright red cherry on the surface, darker underneath, clear and focused. Solid structure for aging but I’m not doing that as the wine is just too good now. For the modest tariff, this is hard to beat. Solid and eminently drinkable.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/31/2021 - jonh1 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very nice Chianti Classico at a good price. Typical nice tart cherry - balanced and easy drinking.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/30/2021 - Madera16 Likes this wine:
Dang. Huge wine, with character. Masculine, meaty, intense. Very fine tannin that settles in late and towards the center and back of the mouth. Fun to drink now but you can tell it will unfurl into something even greater. Stunning value at $32.
Edit: One week later and this bottle is still cruising. Smoke, tar, blackberry, cherry. A real beast.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/29/2021 - EFrohmader Likes this wine: 91 Points
Leather, cedar, dried cherries, raspberry, spice, earth. Medium-plus body, acidity, dusty tannins, & finish. Good now, but 2-4 years to peak.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/24/2021 - Maphill01 Likes this wine:
PNP, followed over the evening. Mostly oak on the nose, on the palate, cherry, raspberry. Some earthy notes, tart acidity and drying tannins. A serious wine at a great price. Drink with decant or preferably hold a couple years to let this develop further.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/14/2021 - peeks13 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted for 1.5 hrs drank over next 3 hrs. Started out tight but by the 4th hour it had opened up and really delivered - the last 2-3 glasses were everything I had hoped for from the vintage, given the CT reviews. For $20 at Costco and Woodmans this is a recommended buy and should last for a few years easily given the tannin structure and acidity.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/10/2021 - Achermann Likes this wine: 92 Points
90 % Sangiovese - 10 % Canaiolo/Colorino. 18 months oak.
👃🏻: Cranberries, sage, violet, elderberry, a little sweet cherry, tobacco, sage, chalk, mushroom, mint chocolate.
👅: Compared to previous tastings, this one had much more integrated structure - the tannins are there but not overwhelming. Nice freshness, indeed.
This bottle was very surprisingly open and easy-drinkable.
7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/9/2021 - afields Likes this wine:
Nose has sour cherry with hints of sweeter berry and vanilla, M to M+ body, M to M+ tannins, M+ acid. The plate had some sweet mint and a bit of oak but this is by no means modern in style. This is well structured and a little tight now and will definitely get better with time and go strong for a decade +, but it’s already good and the qpr is excellent. If opening this soon do it with heavier food (we had it with vodka-bolognese sauce penne and chard sautéed with garlic and fennel and it worked well). ~6.5/10 now but I’m sure a 7 or 7.5 with time.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2020 - Wineslayer Likes this wine: 91 Points
Showed pretty and already approachable. Racy style !
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2020 - 10xM wrote: 88 Points
Coravin. Red and purple color. Candied Cherry type aromas. Fruit fills the palate without being jammy. Lightweight.
Slightly tart and acidic finish. Too young for my preference. Might be a very good qpr wine 10 years from now. I will give it a conservative score for now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/30/2020 - blcarter3 Likes this wine:
Decanted for an hour, drank over three. Such tremendous QPR. Agree with the note below: Rich blue and purple fruit on the nose -- a bit of drying fig and a touch of menthol -- but so light on the palate. My first of six, which is not nearly enough. Enjoyable now, but will be quite special in 10 years.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/29/2020 - trumpet60201 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious wine. Full bodied, but lightweight nevertheless. Opens up to a super long finish. 14% alcohol is not noticeable. Fruit is huge, but structure is there to support it. Quite perfumed at this point - oak, red/black fruits. I think this needs time, but it's still a pleasure now. Incredible value.
8 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2020 - WineJ2019 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Paired with homemade pizza. PnP -> this progressively opened up over several hours so next time I will decant first. Enjoyable now and food friendly with good acidity; I will hold my other couple bottles a few years and expect it will further develop. Good value.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/14/2020 - Neat Water Back wrote:
PnP. This is incredible QPR! Ready to go right now and will certainly reward laying down for a few years. One left, will have to check my local Costco to see if they have any stock remaining. Drink and buy with confidence right now.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/13/2020 - sleepyhaus wrote:
Tremendous vintage of this wine. I buy this most years going back to about '07, and this strikes me as the best I've had. I don't normally drink them so young but this was actually quite rewarding. The best is yet to come here though. A case is probably not enough and I'll likely grab a few more.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
12/12/2020 - EMTAME wrote: 90 Points
This is slowly becoming a little less fruit forward and will likely evolve significantly over the next six months to a year. It’s got the stuff for years of fine drinking, so I’ll be curious to check in on it over time.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/5/2020 - GregB57 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Early phase of the drinking window. Still needs a lot of air and/or decanting. Firm tannins and red fruits with medium plus acidity.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/3/2020 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
PnP. Brick red with some purple hue (which I found a bit odd), clear and bright. At first the aromas are a little sleepy, but midway through the first glass an even mixture of fruit and soil begin to emerge; by the end of the second glass, the aromas are pretty much wide open. A young wine, sure, but clearly a very serious wine (considering the price, a serious value, too). On the palate, first sip: wow, this is even more serious than the aromas suggested, there's some serious power. That power doesn't come in the form of over-extraction, or high alcohol, it comes from pitch-perfect pick date, super clean fruit and bold acidity. This is a blockbuster in the making; will live for decades at a very high level. That said, I'll try and let the others rest for at least 2-3 years, as, for my palate, it's only getting better from here. 14,0% abv., natural cork. highly recommended+
http://www.italianwine.blog
16 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/1/2020 - JimTaft Likes this wine:
Agree with all previous notes. Delicious and worthy of some cellar time.
High acid, best with food.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/28/2020 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
Fabulous purity. Complex aromatic of cherry, plum, violets, tobacco and mint. It is fresh with flesh. Deep yet light on its feet. It has great balance and poise and drinks so well now, but you just know it will be better in 10.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/23/2020 - Outplaying Likes this wine:
2nd go at this vintage. I like it. Lots of fruit, but plenty of acidity and Chianti character. Drinks well now and should for many years. I need to add more bottles, again, if I can find them.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (4)
11/21/2020 - jwolf99 Likes this wine: 89 Points
All cherries on the nose and palate. Medium body with decent acidity but not out of balance. Moderate finish of ripe berries and tobacco.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/17/2020 - catowne1 wrote: 92 Points
A bit harsh at first in the glass. Needs about an hour to open up. Call me crazy, but I’m almost getting a passion fruit aspect to the nose when I really dig in. We’ll round tannins and smooth fine finish. Will wait another 2 years on the next one to see where we’re at. Seems to have good potential to age well.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/14/2020 - curtex Likes this wine: 88 Points
Nicely characteristic sangiovese. Good fruit & acidity. Wonderful with a red sauce or pizza.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/14/2020 - D_RICH wrote:
No contemporaneous notes. About a 45 minute - 1 hour decant. This bottle did not show much - seemed disjointed, flabby. It likely needs time to come together. Judgment reserved.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/10/2020 - marco.grazioli@gmail.com Likes this wine: 92 Points
The Chianti Classico Riserva 2016 is Sangiovese with some 10% Canaiolo and Colorino in it. Deep red color and medium-full bodied, a very intense nose of leather, wood, undergrowth and black currant. On the palate tannins are already smooth and beautifully integrated. The acidity is lively but not aggressive, with a really long and pleasant finish. I'm really impressed by this bottle and I'm curious to follow the evolution over the years. And if this is the Riserva, the Gran Selezione Il Poggio 2016 could just be even better than a great 2015. If you can find it, buy it!
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/9/2020 - mjwilliams2 wrote:
Didn’t do it for me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/8/2020 - Salute wrote: 88 Points
High acidity, dry, tart.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/8/2020 - Renevin Likes this wine: 89 Points
Nez particulier de Pierre à fusil, herbe sèche. En bouche, ampleur moyenne avec une finale avec une pointe d acidité. Agreable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/5/2020 - Radders12345 Likes this wine: 91 Points
First bottle of this opened
Colour; Medium ruby
Nose: Very clear savoury note - ribeye with thyme, some dusty terracotta, tomato sauce - pretty interesting
Palate: Savoury notes from the nose briefly come in first followed by dark plum, juicy sour red cherry, herbs, a hint of licorice - classic sangiovese acidity and a lovely long finish
A little angular now but has lovely components and speaks well to the 2016 vintage for CC.
Certainly great now with food (had with chicken saltimbocca and grilled broccoli)
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/1/2020 - Justinneal654 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Solid. High acidity, nice fruit, paired well with pasta and meat sauce.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/1/2020 - pigdaddy wrote: 90 Points
first bottle from case is corked. when first tasted in '19 for consideration, that bottle also corked. hope this case not in that batch of bad corks.
pulled a second bottle, splash-decanted; still on the cool side for first hour, but w/food worked fine.
deeply colored; aromatically savory, wild herbs, deep red fruit liqueur; med+ body; concentrated wild berries, an engaging medicinal core, tannins are dry, yet sweetly ripe. believe this will be very good in a few years & it is an exceptional value (IF remaining bottles have sound corks!)
panna pizza w/fennel sausage & mushrooms, arugula, shaved parm
1/17/20 supple & pure, w/solid underpinnings. well on the way to being to being special. (91)
panna pizza w/spicy soppressata, gorgonzola, arugula
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/30/2020 - LEEJV123 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Medium body, nice fruit, balanced.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/25/2020 - boozebythecreek Likes this wine: 91 Points
Cherry, earth, medium body, grippy tannins, nice acidity. Went great with lasagna and for the price this is just great.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/22/2020 - cct wrote: 93 Points
Dark strawberry, soil, meat, stones, and dried herbs on the nose. On the palate it's mid weighted, classically proportioned, and firm with a sense of intensity without heaviness. More dark strawberry and dark fruits, tar, licorice, and dried herbs on the palate. Savory and very long. Terrific traditional Chianti with character and a bright future.
10 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/16/2020 - WineTimeFineTime Likes this wine: 91 Points
Let this one breathe a bit more this time. Black cherry, nice acid, lingering finish. Just everything a Chianti should be. Perfect with anything tomato sauce. Not massively refined but so smooth and hits the spot.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/27/2020 - PIntag wrote:
I normally like to hold the CCR until 6+ years after vintage, but I also like to do an early check-in as well. As such, I think this will be a spectacular vintage. On the pop 'n pour, this starts off with a little musk and some oak on the nose. Later on, the musk blew off and there were some earthy notes. Nothing special, really, but this is very young. On the palate, there was a lot going on and a little rough around the edges. The generous fruit, oak, acidity were all competing a bit and unfocused at first. After an hour or so of slow-oxing, this really started to become intriguing. There was still a little musky thing to go along with the earthy core of fruit. The mid-palate showed deep and "plump", with lovely, fleshy texture. Classic Italian acidity, but not too high. Everything was not in complete harmony at this point, given its young age, but I just loved the complex cacophony of flavors, mouthfeel, and texture. Depth, flavor, balance all there. Really pleasing and enjoyable now, but this surely will be a beauty in the years to come. If scoring, 91 - 92 now and potential for 95+ in the future. Hold 2+ years.
10 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/26/2020 - MK9786 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Perfect for weeknight pizza or pasta pomodoro. The wine has enough depth to it that it leaves an impression with every mouthful.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/15/2020 - Vascular46 wrote: 93 Points
My go to pizza and red sauce wine. Having it today with Pomadoro crudo - uncooked fresh tomatoes with olive oil, salt ,pepper, garlic and plenty of basil from the garden poured over pasta (we use Buccatini). This dish needs really good fresh tomatoes and sadly the season is almost over in New England.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/12/2020 - dlowrey99 Likes this wine: 91 Points
tldr: great wine, lots of potential here, needs a long decant (2+ hours) or let it rest for 4-5 more years; enjoyable on its own, even better with food - we paired it with pasta alla vodka.
Color: medium purple, somewhat lighter towards the rim.
Nose: lush; black cherry, ripe blackberry, soft baking spice oak, tiny bit alcohol vapor
Body: med+/full bodied, nice depth
Acid: med+ tongue waters a little
Alcohol: 14%, feels closer to 14.5%
Palate: fleshy dark cherry, grilled plum, dusty, underbrush, savory herb notes; sharper finish, chewy/gripping tannins, 5+ second finish
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/11/2020 - Matt Scott Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened an hour before. Dark cherry, hope chest, blood orange rind, wet stone and rosemary. The palate is very elegant, with a seamless finish, and polished tannins. A long finish that has this rosemary and lavender aftertaste. Wait a year or two, or, decant. Always a stunning value. Drink 2022 - 2032.
7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/4/2020 - Yambox Likes this wine: 89 Points
This bottle was emptied too early in my opinion.
The wine was quite closed, needed aeration (decanted through aerator), but still did not disclose all of its aromas.
This wine certainly has quite some potential and might develop to 92-93 points in 5-8 years
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/4/2020 - kend707 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Bought on my son's recommendation. Decanted an hour and could not finish the glass. Nest day, decanted the remainder four hours and what a difference. Mostly cherry and some black fruit. After the long decant the tannins got in line with the fruit.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/3/2020 - tannictongue Likes this wine: 91 Points
The more I drink this the better I like it.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/26/2020 - Vascular46 Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is my 'go to" Pizza and red sauce wine. The tannins are still slightly harsh but are easily tamed with decanting. Great value in this fabulous Chianti year.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/17/2020 - Shrages wrote: 89 Points
Monsanto is my go to chianti, ever since having a bottle of the 95 or 96 in a great little dive restaurant in South Philly about 15 years ago. I loved the 2015 but couldn’t find any more of it so got some of this. Not nearly as evolved as the 2015. More grapey and aggressive. Less nuanced and rustic. Still has Monsanto truth and beauty lurking, however. But more different from the 2015 than just a year of age. I’ll give my other bottles at least 3 more years before trying again.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/16/2020 - HU Likes this wine: 91 Points
PnP. Still quite tannic: so I will aerate as I drink more and perhaps wait until 2021 or later with my other bottles. Dense, medium body, fresh acidity suitable for a warm summer evening. Cherry tastes, cinnamon, cloves and other baking spices, very enjoyable. Might deserve a higher grade with time.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/10/2020 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
It's been six months since I tasted this in Florence, and it's progressed as expected; remains very approachable now, even on PnP. Med+ body, lovely, fresh acidity that keeps this both interesting, and quite flavorful until the final drop. I enjoyed this one over two nights, with virtually the same experience. Really impressive structure as well; those that would like 10-15 years on their wines, this will get there no problem. I'm thinking 3 cases might be in order. 14,0% abv., natural cork. highly recommended+
https://www.ItalianWine.blog
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (4)
8/4/2020 - trumpet60201 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Amazing quality for the price. Very concentrated, with integrated fine tannins. Nice acidity and fruit. Long finish. The nose was quite reductive for the first hour or so. Definitely decant it at this stage. What a great wine!
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/22/2020 - Slaz Likes this wine: 92 Points
Shockingly approachable and refreshingly bright for such a young CCR. Much difference relative to say the 2012 vintage of this wine at comparable age. Great value.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/14/2020 - ex-sommelier Likes this wine:
Delightful Chianti. Rich red plums, black cherry, and rhubarb, with mint and assorted hedgerow coming with air. Earthy and delicious, better than a lot of $40 Brunello that's for sure. I missed the 2015s, but this has better concentration and balance than 2014 for sure. It should age well.
8 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (3)
7/12/2020 - Outplaying Likes this wine:
Yum. Pretty red fruits and menthol on the nose. The red tones carry over on the palate. There is a purity to the fruit, that I am really enjoying. I bought six initially, but I will pick up another half dozen as this is a really nice vintage for this wine.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/8/2020 - Bob H wrote:
Wow, totally different nose here than the Pomona - I like this a lot as well, but clearly on the funky side of the spectrum, with a distinct sottobosco note on opening.
This is seamless on the palate - I like this, and love the complexity of the nose, but to be honest, the Pomona seems to have more in reserve than this wine. Still, one could do a lot worse on a Wednesday night.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/20/2020 - tannictongue Likes this wine: 91 Points
Great find at Costco for $20. Lovely cherry notes. Medium body. Nice acidity. Improved after an hour. A few more years to mellow the tannins.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/16/2020 - Bob H wrote:
Very, very good - the bottle I opened yesterday was corked, but this one reminds me why I bought a case of this wine. Good acidity and persistence, red & black fruits on both palate and the nose, really hard to argue with this, especially given the price.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
6/15/2020 - Bob H wrote:
Horribly corked ;^(
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/13/2020 - Phillip.Panda Likes this wine: 91 Points
Black cherry, plums, tannins, earth notes, and tobacco, cedar.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/12/2020 - daveyk39 wrote: 89 Points
2h air. Medium to Medium-Light ruby. Aromas of Cherry, raspberry, leather, thyme, and smoke. Medium-bodied, very earthy, slightly lean, with red fruit on entry and thyme and spice in the finish. Piercing acidity and chalky tannins provide ample support. Think this needs a little time to round out, but would recommend regardless.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/9/2020 - EMTAME wrote: 91 Points
This still continues to impress and, for my palate, really does strike me as the best vintage of this wine in quite some time. I suspect I’ll drink all my bottles on the younger side, as I love the delicious, juicy red fruit that’s present right now.
7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/8/2020 - WillyTannins Likes this wine: 97 Points
Very fruity. Some spice. Nicely weighted tannins. Red currant, bracing acidity (common with Sangiovese). Classic Chianti.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/6/2020 - CAP Likes this wine: 93 Points
two bottles, similar notes. Very forward and showing well PnP. Gets better over the next 2 hours (maybe longer but neither lived that long). Dark Cherry and tobacco, with balanced mid palate and long finish. Great QPR and I will go buy more of this.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/4/2020 - bensony Likes this wine: 91 Points
The 2016 Chianti Classico Riserva is mostly opaque medium ruby in color with garnet hues. I decanted this for 2 hours thanks to its youth, and the nose showcases aromas of ripe cherry, cranberry, plum, anise, loamy earth, tar, savory herbs, and light oak. Once on the palate, the wine displays notes of brambleberry, dusty black raspberry, pomegranate, black cherry, tobacco, crushed rocky soil, mild baking spice, coffee bean, and oak. This is medium-bodied with medium acidity, medium (+) dusty tannins, and a long finish.
90% Sangiovese, 10% Canaiolo and Colorino; 14% ABV
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
5/16/2020 - dead puddle wrote:
Nose a bit animal. Mouth straight mineral, rustic, young and rude. Needs to be retasted. Supposed to be WS94 and JS94.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/15/2020 - kanab ram Likes this wine:
Very young but lots of potential. Great QPR.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/11/2020 - Vascular46 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Needs a little more time to soften the Tannins. Incredible value in this great year for CC
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/2/2020 - EMTAME wrote: 91 Points
Consistent with my 3/23/20 note.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/1/2020 - Vascular46 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beginning to loose the harsh edges. Each glass smoother as time passed
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/18/2020 - MaineMark Likes this wine: 92 Points
This was delicious. Cherry fruit with rich tobacco and leather giving this a lot of structure and substance. Excellent now, it no doubt will improve with age.
Drank alongside a 2017 Felsina Chianti Classico. Though the Felsina was very good, it was less structured, and had fewer leather/rich notes.
The '16 Monsanto was preferred.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/11/2020 - Lunabaer Likes this wine: 93 Points
Give this time to breathe. Aroma of oak, vanilla, and plum. With time it is delicate and velvety. Does not hold up to typical italian dishes - I mismatched this wine - would be great with things like mushrooms, veal, or chicken and potentially venison. Amazing value!
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/8/2020 - racerchris Likes this wine:
Too young but quite good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/7/2020 - ohne_musik wrote: 91 Points
A very nice Monsanto! Drinking very much like the ‘15, albeit a bit riper/darker fruited and earthier than I remember the ‘15 being, with more of a anise/fennel aspect that I find very appealing. A hint of funk and rustic but friendly farm-hand tannins round it out.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/24/2020 - franinnyc Likes this wine: 88 Points
Easy drinking. Good price.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/23/2020 - EMTAME wrote: 91 Points
Best version of this in recent memory. Delicious now, and has the stuff to be good for the next 7-8 years at least.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/21/2020 - baroloboy55-2.0 wrote: 92 Points
Just tasted the 16 Riservas from Monsanto and Felsina -- both are excellent wines and staggeringly good values (under $25 good customer price) and bound to be great wines in 10-15 yrs. And the wines side by side express their terroirs and house styles perfectly -- the Monsanto, dark fruited, earthy,more brooding by impeccably balanced; the Felsina brighter, red toned, some tobacco notes, terrific bouquet.... Anyone who loves chianti should buy these both by the case and stow them in a dark cold corner of the cellar, particularly those of us who perhaps shouldn't be buying Rancia or Il Poggio given our ages-- and note the time of acquisition as a reminder of so much of what is great and humble at the same time as we pray for our friends in Italy to get back on their feet
12 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
3/10/2020 - kenhoeve Likes this wine: 91 Points
No decant. If you like chianti and don't have money to burn, you should have cases of this stuff it is phenomenally good. Juicy cherry fruits, dried cherries, licorice, damp earth, and a mineral finish that almost hits an iron like note. Give this 1-2 hours of air.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/9/2020 - BrunelloBob wrote: 91 Points
Much better than average
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/1/2020 - Purple Tooth wrote: 90 Points
Very nice with enough fruit to make everyone happy and still has its feet buried in Chianti soil. Very sticky, dry, and long long finish. Fine value here. Need more. Drink with 60 minute decant or Hold
PS_IMO, way better than 2015.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/27/2020 - CJM wrote: 85 Points
Clear garnet with no rim browning. White plum, very light oak. Low acids, medium to low tannins. White pepper. Short balanced finish. Bottle at ocean prime.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/23/2020 - rama Likes this wine:
Fruity, herbal nose. Tons of black cherry, juicy acidity, and surprisingly restrained tannin (for my tastes) after a 2 hour decant. Long, juicy, wet rock finish. So enjoyable.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/17/2020 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Chianti Classico, Riserva, Gran Selezione, etc., new releases; 2/17/2020-2/18/2020 (Stazione Leopalda, Firenze): Anteprima Chianti Classico Collection, Florence
A bit more generous than I was expecting, but there's plenty of structure, and fresh acidity, too. This is sure to make long-time fans very happy, and will probably make new friends, too. Really long finish, superb purity, and character. Love this. BUY it by the case. 2020-2043. highly recommended+
Full report here https://wp.me/p7fulH-29W
https://www.ItalianWine.blog
9 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/8/2020 - Tony T Likes this wine: 91 Points
This Chianti Classico has a lot of potential. Needs a minimum of 2 hours of decanting to open up and mellow out a bit. Already enjoyable, but will definitely benefit from some further cellaring.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/26/2020 - TB2 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Good wine in a great vintage.
Try it. It’s good now and will be better in the future.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/25/2020 - Bob H wrote:
Wow, the nose here is really overt, with candied red & black fruit.
Pretty open at this point on the palate as well. Antonio Galloni gave the 2015 & 2016 vintages in Tuscany pretty good marks, and so far, based upon the wines I have sampled from these vintages, he was definitely on the mark.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/11/2020 - Nyllet wrote: 88 Points
Red fruit with emphasis on cherries, lingonberries and herbs. Quite bright with a lovely acidity. Really enjoyable!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/9/2020 - Barolo_Mike wrote: 89 Points
Nose is a little astringent. Soft and plush. Bright, balanced. Palate redeems nose. Very balanced but suspiciously balanced??
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/7/2019 - stconner wrote: 93 Points
Pop-n-pour at Dahl & DiLuca in Sedona. Very nice Chianti. Great nose, fruit throughout and long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/30/2019 - jtsejersen@gmail.com wrote: 85 Points
A little disappointed by this effort. The nose seems a little closed but knowing these ar age-worthy wines, maybe 5 years of cellaring or a least a little decanting would help open this bad boy a little. Cherries, red fruit, herbs, tobacco and vanilla on the nose. The taste has that lovely sour/acidic tickle on the tongue like soya sauce... Not bad but definitely not the best Chianti I've had.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (3)
11/16/2019 - Achermann Likes this wine: 92 Points
90 % Sangiovese - 10 % Canaiolo/Colorino - 18 months on oak.
Nose: Red cherries, cranberries, sage, marzipan, and some wood aromas.
Palate: Already nicely integrated tannins and not too warm.
Classic CC in a great vintage - buy!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment