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Castello di Monsanto wines at the estate.

September is always a busy month from Labor Day on.  It’s back-to-school and back to the grindstone as the lazy days of summer draw to a close.  For those in the financial sphere, September marks the end of the third quarter and is an especially busy time, and likewise, for those of us in the wine world, a parallel whirlwind ensues.  In wine retail circles, we’re busy attending trade wine tasting events and choosing the wines we’ll offer through the fall and winter seasons.  Many importers and distributors hold their portfolio wine tastings in September, making it a wine soaked month for those of us in the trade.

At The Wine Cellarage, we’ve had a very fun and eventful month, with some intriguing and exquisite wine tasting dinners.  Last Thursday, September 22^nd, on the eve of the fall equinox, we held our last event of the summer, hosted by Laura Bianchi, who, together with her family, owns Castello di Monsanto in Tuscany.

Starting with their first vintage in 1962, Castello di Monsanto’s founder – the Bianchi family – has achieved distinction in their wines. The Il Poggio vineyard was chosen as the Estate’s first Chianti Classico cru and was carefully tilled out of the land’s stony soils. Fabrizio Bianchi felt that white grape varietals had no place in his impeccable Chianti Classico and removed these from the blend in 1968, giving way to a more refined wine. Castello di Monsanto is distinctly respectful of their Tuscan terroir and its native grape varietals. Their wines are some of the region’s finest expressions – powerful, elegant and pure.

“Monsanto is a reference-point producer for fine Chianti. The estate’s top bottlings have a brilliant track record, but these entry-level wines deliver almost as much pleasure at much more accessible prices.” – Wine Advocate, August 2010

Our Castello di Monsanto Wine Dinner was held in The Morgan Library Dining Room within The Morgan Library & Museum.  This truly special venue was built by financier Pierpont Morgan between 1902 and 1906, next door to his New York residence at Madison Avenue and 36^th Street. Designed by architect Charles McKim, the structure was built to display one of the world’s greatest collections of artistic, literary, and musical works, while reflecting the inherent character of the rare artifacts within.  McKim’s design resulted in an Italian Renaissance-style palazzo comprised of three magnificent rooms, an incredibly elegant structure.

The Dining Room itself was the original Morgan family dining room, located in the refurbished nineteenth-century brownstone, and provided the perfect ambiance for showcasing the extraordinary wines of Castello di Monsanto.

Guests were greeted with a refreshing glass of NV Mionetto Prosecco Valdobbiadene Superiore DOCG ^[2] ($20), crafted from single vineyard grapes that are specially selected from the finest area of Valdobbiadene.  This delicious, exotically perfumed prosecco was provided by Mionetto USA, the importer of Castello di Monsanto’s wines.  A delicate sparkler, with fine, creamy bubbles, the Prosecco Valdobbiadene Superiore made the perfect aperitif.  A great way to kick off the evening!

Laura Bianchi was a wonderful host and got up several times throughout the evening to introduce Castello di Monsanto and the exceptional wines that we all enjoyed.  Laura explained the history of the estate and shared the story of how she came back to the family business after her career as a lawyer.  She described the beauty of Tuscany and the Chianti region, transporting the entire room to that magical place.  With heartfelt words, Laura spoke of the terroir surrounding the wine estate and how everything in the air, the nearby forests and the soil contributes different elements to the finished wines.  We were honored to have Laura Bianchi host the dinner and share these special wines with us.

Once guests were seated, The Morgan’s staff graciously poured the featured older vintages of Castello di Monsanto’s ‘Il Poggio’ Chianti Classico Riserva and we were all treated to a rare vertical tasting of the estate’s iconic single vineyard wine.  The 1997 Castello di Monsanto ‘Il Poggio’ Chianti Classico Riserva is delicious and just coming into its peak drinking years.  Rich black fruit aromas and flavors are layered with herbaceous notes and a sweet spice character.  Full-bodied and unctuous, the ’97 Il Poggio has great structure and incredible length, a real gem that you can uncork with confidence and drink now!

It was fascinating to taste the youthful 2003 Castello di Monsanto ‘Il Poggio’ Chianti Classico Riserva ^[3] ($50, Wine Advocate – 92 pts) alongside the 1997 vintage.  2003 was a hot vintage throughout Europe and in the ’03 Il Poggio, the heat manifests itself with generosity and grace, offering opulent flavors and mesmerizing lushness.  It was tough to put the glass down.  Displaying less prominent herbal notes than the ’97, the ’03s complexity comes through in tiers of tobacco and spice aromas.  This wine is a great beauty!

The older Il Poggio vintages were served with a delightful trio of Savory Popovers, including Asiago, Taleggio and Gorgonzola. Yum.

Next up, we were each poured glasses of the 2006 Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva and the 2003 Castello di Monsanto Nemo Cabernet Sauvignon Tosana IGT to accompany our delicious main course, a Pan Roasted Chicken Roulade with Alphonso Olive Gnocchi, Braised Romaine and Preserved Lemon Emulsion.

The 2006 Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva ^[4] ($23, Wine Advocate – 91 pts) is adorned with its original label and in Laura Bianchi’s words, is a “true expression of Tuscany and the Sangiovese grape.”  The image on the label is a painting of the estate from the 1800s and the label itself has never been changed since the wine’s release.  The 2006 Chianti Classico Riserva is stunning and delicious, a great value from the estate.

The 2003 Castello di Monsanto Nemo Cabernet Sauvignon Tosana IGT ^[5] ($52, Wine Advocate – 94 pts) is still in its youth and will continue to age beautifully for years to come.  The Nemo was named for the latin saying “nemo propheta in patria” (No-one is a prophet in his own land) and pays tribute to the resistance that the estate met with during the early 1980s, as they began producing wine from Cabernet, which was an unconventional choice at the time.  The grapes for Nemo come from a single vineyard, Il Mulino, and the wine is truly spectacular, rich and enchanting.

The evening concluded with a glass of the 1993 Castello di Monsanto Vin Santo La Chimera IGT ^[6]($54 for a 375 ml bottle), which was perfectly paired with The Morgan’s Oven-Roasted Seasonal Fruit Cobbler.  Laura introduced the Vin Santo, explaining that the Trebbiano and Malvasia grapes for the dessert wine are left to hang on the vines until the end of October, then carefully harvested and dried on racks until the beginning of March, giving them greater concentration.  Once fermentation begins, the grape must is transferred to 50-100 liter oak casks, where the wine continues to undergo alternating cycles of fermentation and then maturation.  Fermentation happens during the warm, summer months and is halted during the colder, winter months, during which time the wine is allowed to mature.  These cycles of fermentation and maturation go on for 12 years!  The 1993 Vin Santo La Chimera is the current vintage and is a lovely wine, not too sweet with pretty aromas, fine texture and medium body.  This is my kind of dessert wine, refreshing the palate after a delightful dinner.

The Castello di Monsanto Wine Dinner was the perfect way to end the summer season and to transition into the fall.  These warming Italian wines are ideal for drinking throughout the harvest season and into the cold weather months.

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