Italy · Tuscany

Castello di Monsanto

Castello di Monsanto is a historic Chianti Classico estate in Barberino Val d'Elsa, founded in 1961 by Fabrizio Bianchi, who was among the first producers to vinify Sangiovese as a single-varietal wine in Chianti Classico — a radical departure from the multi-grape DOC formula of the era. The estate covers approximately 72 hectares of vineyards and was a founding voice of the Super Tuscan movement through the Nemo bottling, a pure Cabernet Sauvignon released outside the DOC framework. Il Poggio is the estate's flagship Chianti Classico Riserva, produced from a single vineyard and representing one of the appellation's longest-lived expressions. The Riserva is the volume standard bearer, while Fabrizio Bianchi Sangioveto Grosso represents a premium single-clone old-vine expression. At auction, the estate averages $79 per bottle across 233 lots with peaks reaching $541. Il Poggio from landmark vintages such as 1985, 1988, 1997, 2004, and 2015 commands the strongest secondary market prices. The estate's historical importance to the Super Tuscan movement and its pioneering single-vineyard Chianti work sustain collector interest beyond standard Chianti Classico buyers. Il Poggio Gran Selezione's track record of top Sangiovese from a single vineyard planted by the founder himself gives Monsanto a founding narrative rare even among Chianti Classico's oldest estates.