Castello di Monsanto, Chianti Classico Riserva, Tuscany, 2009

Tasting: Chianti Classico Riserva

Very clean and well-defined wild berry, leaf and spice. Palate juicy and precise, still quite closed, oaky tannins, fleshy alcohol, but good prospects.

Tasting: Chianti Classico Riserva

Very floral, violetty and sage, nose is pretty but palate doesn’t taste like Sangiovese – Merlot added? Awkward and delicate.

Tasting: Chianti Classico Riserva

Very youthful and still spiky with new oak and a vegetal note that hints at some Cabernet in the mix. Very bold finish but dominated by oak tannins with the fruit struggling to escape.