Old style barbaresco. The tannins have mellowed out but they are still there. Tertiary aromas that are hard to describe, faint rose petal perfume, old leather, maybe a bit of cinnamon. The color is brownish red. It is medium body with drying sensation at the end. The finish is long and persistent. I bought this one a long time ago and probably paid $20 or less . I am pleasantly surprised how good it is for its age and the producer’s obscurity. — 5 years ago
Great for lunch — 6 months ago
Another vintage, another lovely Chianti Classico Riserva from Castello di Monsanto which continues to be a benchmark for wines from San Donato in Poggio. Popped and poured; enjoyed over two days and consistent over both. The 2019 Monsanto CCR pours a deep ruby color with a translucent core. Medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears and no signs of sediment. On the nose, baked mixed berries, dried green herbs, red carnations, dried gravely earth. On the palate, the wine is dry. Medium+ tannin and Medium+ acid. Confirming the notes on the nose. The finish is medium+. A lovely pairing with almost any red sauce dish. Drinking well now and I expect it will continue to do so through 2034. — a year ago
Tasting 1-20. Another good ca wine! — 5 years ago
Tasty! Very nice suprise, gets better with a while.to breathe. 2021 — a year ago
Fabulously seductive: Nebbiolo and Pinot Noir have an Italian princess! — 3 years ago
interesting little wine for unpacking from the beach, and another ignored on the shelf for a (too?) long time....but we are grooving to the liquid gold hue, the dried apricot, the apricot pit, and the wet rock notes coming in mini waves...not bad with the chaos of open chips bags. — 4 years ago
Truly delicious full bodied red with a beautiful mix of spicy and fruity notes. A repeat buy almost immediately. Drank with a homemade meal of turkey meatballs. — 6 years ago
Mark Chandler
Slightly acidic and not as full as expected. Subtle floral and mineral notes with faded strawberry. The initially firm tannins became almost silky when we drank the rest the next day after decanting for half an hour. — 5 months ago