Castello Romitorio

One can more than guess at the potential of the Rosso di Montalcino vineyards of Castello Romitorio when one knows that Filippo only recently sold 2 hectares of them to no less a winery than Poggio di Sotto. Together with Biondi Santi, this is undisputedly one of the top wineries in the appellation.

But now for this very special masterpiece: clear and translucent garnet red colour. The inviting nose with the penetrating aroma of sour cherries is typical of Sangiovese. With further refinement in the bottle, this cherry scent changes from fresh and sharp to sweet and dry and is joined by notes of undergrowth, violet blossom.

Here comes a robust representative of its kind - not a soft-flushed, tamed Sangiovese, but an authentic wine with rough edges that is as tough as its land. It also has a fine, lively freshness and a pleasant tannic persistence that makes itself felt in a well-measured way without weighing it down. In the long finish, a firm core of fruit, along with notes of leather, wild thyme and polished wood. A monument of Rosso, which will gain in elegance and finesse with further years. SUPERIORE.DE

"The 2019 Rosso di Montalcino is incredibly pretty and perfumed with a display of violets and roses that gives way to wild strawberries and woodland herbs. This is silky and textural yet full of lively energy, with a savory display of mineral-tinged cherries and exotic spices. There's a residual coating of primary fruit concentration mixed with grippy tannins that not only frames the experience perfectly but also promises a number of years of further development in bottle. Give the 2019 another year to fully come together, and then watch it shine over medium-term cellaring." Vinous

The Annata from Castello Romitorio is a more open and lush interpretation than many of the other Brunellos from the top 2016 vintage. The wine presents itself taut, forward and downright bold in the glass. On the palate, its natural richness and lushness of fruit is convincing, complemented by varietal elements of wild cherry, blue flowers and soft earth. In quick succession, secondary aromas of tobacco, cedar and cinnamon then surprise, giving complexity and personality to the wine built up in many deep layers.

This Brunello has wonderful potential for further bottle ageing, but it is already an absolute delight and the quality of the fruit and its length make it irresistible. SUPERIORE.DE

"Bright ruby red. Ripe cherry and rich blackberry on the nose, some light leather and noble spices on the finish. Enters with beautiful density on the palate, filling and elegant, with fine melting and savoury red fruit, lays softly over the tongue, clinging and long." Falstaff

"A core of pure black cherry marks this compressed red, which is fresh and balanced in its rigid way, with wild thyme, rosemary, iron and tobacco flavors. The aftertaste lingers with the fruit and balsamic elements." Wine Spectator

"A well structured red with lots of dried mushrooms, oysters and crushed stones. Dried blueberries and herbs, too. It's full-bodied with firm tannins. A little dusty on the finish. Let it soften." James Suckling

"Dark, brooding and geared for the cellar, the 2016 Castello Romitorio Brunello di Montalcino takes its time opening up in the glass, yet patience is rewarded, as a mix of blackberry and cherry further blossoms, adding crushed stone minerality with hints of sage, lavender and violets. It's silky and textural upon entry, yet it firms up quickly through a mix of vibrant acids and saturating fine tannin. However, there's plenty of density to its primary fruits, feeling almost weighty in this youthful state yet perfectly balanced all the same. Savory herbs and spice linger along with tart red berries on the long, structured and dramatic finish. The 2016 is full of potential yet needs time in the cellar to show its best." Vinous

"The Castello Romitorio 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is a classic expression of the vintage, showing lots of ripe fruit, crushed mineral, herbal nuances and varietal-driven purity. This wine nails that sweet spot between elegance and power that is not easily achieved. It offers an expanded array of Sangiovese flavors with wild cherry, forest floor, crushed clove and medicinal herb, but it also shows plump density and a velvety texture. Filippo Chia and his team have created a sold wine for medium or long-term drinking." Robert Parker

If one were to assign a quality to this wine, it would be sincerity. In the sum of its parts, this disarming Super Riserva is not only a wine full of contrasts, but also full of soul. It reflects its terroir, the exceptional 2015 vintage and the clear stylistics of the house in a self-confident and highly credible way. Fruit, alcohol, tannin and also spice are perfectly coordinated and present in very generous quantities. With each glass, the exuberant impressions become more unravelled and a Brunello emerges that, in addition to all its complexity, amiability and persistence, has a personality that secures it a place among the best of this vintage. SUPERIORE.DE

"Romitorio's Riserva is a selection of the Chia family's four oldest plots, planted in 1987 with local Sangiovese clones sourced from Biondi-Santi and Soldera cuttings. This gives a sense of the estate's relatively cool, northwest-facing vineyards and surrounding woodlands. It is rather discreet and needs coaxing to elicit its appealing hints of red berries, grilled herb, porcini mushroom and forest floor. It's full but bright, with upfront tangy acidity and red currant and sour cherry notes, with fresh mint emerging on the backend. The tannins are fine and silky, making for a sophisticated sip." Decanter

"The 2015 Castello Romitorio Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is youthfully restrained yet also surprisingly feminine, leading off with a dusting of cedar and white smoke, as nuances of strawberry, rose and violet perfumes come forward. It's silky and undeniably elegant, seeming to coat the palate in a polished display of red and black berries, liquid florals and minerals which slowly saturate adding a tactile feel. A complex web of tannins wrap the senses up tightly, leaving sweet inner herbal tones and savory spices to linger. This is like a whisper rather than a shout, yet it has so much to say. In forty years, only nine vintages of Riserva have ever been made at Romitorio, and the 2015 is sure to rank amongst the best of them." Vinous

"A tight, focused red with blackberry, black-cherry and walnut aromas and flavors. Full-bodied with juicy tannins and a long, flavorful finish. Creamy and focused. This is still very structured and powerful." James Suckling

"Showing richness, dark fruit, bold cherry and blackberry, the Castello Romitorio 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva (with exactly 7,456 bottles made) embraces the exuberant character of the vintage, its warmth and its sunshine. If you seek a time capsule of 2015, I suggest that you put this bottle somewhere safe. The tannins are polished and chiseled, and at its core the wine is overflowing with blackberry preserves, cherry confit and plum." Robert Parker

"This stunning red exudes bright cherry, blackberry, plum, iron and tobacco aromas and flavors, all knit together almost seamlessly, with vibrant acidity and refined tannins. Shows a combination of power and grace, with a long fruit and savory aftertaste." Wine Spectator

If one were to assign a quality to this wine, it would be sincerity. In the sum of its parts, this disarming Super Riserva is not only a wine full of contrasts, but also full of soul. It reflects its terroir, the exceptional 2015 vintage and the clear stylistics of the house in a self-confident and highly credible way. Fruit, alcohol, tannin and also spice are perfectly coordinated and present in very generous quantities. With each glass, the exuberant impressions become more unravelled and a Brunello emerges that, in addition to all its complexity, amiability and persistence, has a personality that secures it a place among the best of this vintage. SUPERIORE.DE

"Romitorio's Riserva is a selection of the Chia family's four oldest plots, planted in 1987 with local Sangiovese clones sourced from Biondi-Santi and Soldera cuttings. This gives a sense of the estate's relatively cool, northwest-facing vineyards and surrounding woodlands. It is rather discreet and needs coaxing to elicit its appealing hints of red berries, grilled herb, porcini mushroom and forest floor. It's full but bright, with upfront tangy acidity and red currant and sour cherry notes, with fresh mint emerging on the backend. The tannins are fine and silky, making for a sophisticated sip." Decanter

"The 2015 Castello Romitorio Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is youthfully restrained yet also surprisingly feminine, leading off with a dusting of cedar and white smoke, as nuances of strawberry, rose and violet perfumes come forward. It's silky and undeniably elegant, seeming to coat the palate in a polished display of red and black berries, liquid florals and minerals which slowly saturate adding a tactile feel. A complex web of tannins wrap the senses up tightly, leaving sweet inner herbal tones and savory spices to linger. This is like a whisper rather than a shout, yet it has so much to say. In forty years, only nine vintages of Riserva have ever been made at Romitorio, and the 2015 is sure to rank amongst the best of them." Vinous

"A tight, focused red with blackberry, black-cherry and walnut aromas and flavors. Full-bodied with juicy tannins and a long, flavorful finish. Creamy and focused. This is still very structured and powerful." James Suckling

"Showing richness, dark fruit, bold cherry and blackberry, the Castello Romitorio 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva (with exactly 7,456 bottles made) embraces the exuberant character of the vintage, its warmth and its sunshine. If you seek a time capsule of 2015, I suggest that you put this bottle somewhere safe. The tannins are polished and chiseled, and at its core the wine is overflowing with blackberry preserves, cherry confit and plum." Robert Parker

"This stunning red exudes bright cherry, blackberry, plum, iron and tobacco aromas and flavors, all knit together almost seamlessly, with vibrant acidity and refined tannins. Shows a combination of power and grace, with a long fruit and savory aftertaste." Wine Spectator