2019 Monsanto Collezione Fabrizio Bianchi Toscana IGT Chardonnay

JS92 Rich aromas of dried mango, lemon pie, clove, buttered toast and burnt caramel. It’s full-bodied with tangy acidity and dense layers. Ripe and toasty. Drink now.
VIN90 The 2019 Chardonnay Collezione Fabrizio Bianchi is delicious, flavorful and also full of varietal character. I am hardly a fan of Chardonnay in Tuscany, and yet Monsanto’s 2019 is wonderfully joyous right out of the bottle. Orchard fruit, lemon confit and light tropical accents linger.

We do not often think of Tuscany as the place to source Chardonnay but the Tuscan palate is very attuned to French sensitivities as we have seen with all the outstanding history of IGT wines from this area, using Bordeaux varietals and barriques.
This Chardonnay shows that in the hands of a gifted winemaking team, the results can clearly surpass expectations – this is really a great Chardonnay and one that will appeal to the American public that prefers richer, lush whites.

Our Chardonnay is the brainchild of Fabrizio Bianchi, who – in the mid-1970s – decided to plant these vines on the winery’s land outside of the Chianti Classico denomination. Inspired by the great white wines of Burgundy, it was initially fermented entirely in wooden tanks, but since 2000 the volume of oak-fermented grapes has been steadily decreasing – with 70% of the grapes now fermented in stainless steel tanks. There is a large stock of our Chardonnay in our cellar, illustrating this wine’s ability to stand up to the passage of time

Two thirds of the grapes are vinified in steel vats at controlled temperature, the remaining part in French oak “tonneaux” where it remains on the lees for about 6/7 months.