Monsanto’s 2001 Chianti Classico Riserva Il Poggio reveals earthiness, menthol, spices, leather and ripe dark fruit in a full-bodied expression of this wine. The 2001 remains an intense Il Poggio with an additional dimension of volume and sweetness from the French oak, which is very prominent in this vintage. That said, this is a wine that offers considerable upside from further cellaring. In 2001 Il Poggio was aged in French oak barriques of which 40% were new. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2026. My recent visit to Castello di Monsanto was memorable. In addition to the current releases, I had a chance to taste a few older vintages of the estate’s benchmark Chianti Classico Riserva Il Poggio. Monsanto is one of the small handful of estates to have kept a vast library of its past vintages, a few of which it re-releases every year to select customers. Needless to say, in today’s world of highly suspect collectible wines, the chance to buy impeccably stored older vintages of unquestioned provenance is a huge service to consumers. Kudos to proprietor Laura Bianchi and oenologist Andrea Giovannini. These are simply beautiful wines. Although Monsanto’s Chiantis are impressive, readers should not overlook the Nemo (Cabernet Sauvignon) which is stunning in both 2003 and 2004. Here the use of French oak seems to be much better suited to the grape, and the wines are breathtaking. Nemo is made from the Il Mulino vineyard, which was planted in 1976.Importer: Moet Hennessy USA, New York, NY; tel. (212) 251-8200

Deep and layered with some barnyard or Band-Aid that doesn’t distract from a solid core of ripe cherry, red fruit, coffee, toast and vanilla bean. I liked the toasted notes that add dimension and softness. This is a wine that would pair well with braised lamb. ——M.L.(2/1/2007)—— 90