Castello Romitorio Brunello di Montalcino 2018

Castello Romitorio is a winery that was established in 1984 with a focus on Brunello di Montalcino DOCG. The winery owes its success to the work of Italian artist Sandro Chia, who planted the first vineyards using ancient sangiovese varietals local to Montalcino. Today, these old vines make up about 50% of the vineyards and are considered an important heritage of biodiversity. Sandro's son, Filippo Chia, continued the tradition by building a new cellar and planting new vineyards in 2006. Each plot has a unique patchwork of different clones of Sangiovese. Filippo initiated a process of renewal and transition to organic farming in March 2020, and the vineyards will be certified by March 2023. The work carried out between the vineyard rows is meticulous and great care is taken to understand each vineyard in order to ensure that it develops in harmony. Each plot is kept separate in the cellar and carefully aged with the goal of preserving each plot's unique characteristics. Castello Romitorio produce wines that are undeniably terroir driven and transmit a unique matrix which makes each wine an undeniable expression of the area. Castello Romitorio's Sangiovese from Montalcino embodied in our Brunello Riservas, Brunellos and Rosso di Montalcino are wines with a combination of subtle nuances that represent our ancient, and wild mountain Terroir.

Castello Romitorio's estate features both new and old vineyards of Sangiovese, located at high altitudes in the northwest of Montalcino. The Sangiovese grapes are carefully hand-picked and sorted on the table before and after destemming. Fermentation occurs in stainless steel tanks with a short period of cold maceration (below 20°C) on the skins for approximately 15-20 hours. This is followed by up to 20 days of maceration at a higher, controlled temperature. The wine undergoes natural malolactic fermentation for around 10 days, after which it is rested to separate the lees. The wine is then aged in oak for approximately 24 months and further aged in Castello Romitorio's temperature-controlled cellars until it is ready for release. The careful harvesting and selection of the grapes, along with the meticulous winemaking process, results in wines that are of exceptional quality and express the unique terroir of the Montalcino wine region.

According to Anne Krebiehl MW, the wine has a lifted aroma of oak and fruit, with hints of Marasca cherry, violet, and pomegranate. Earthy notes and nuances of sage and soy emerge as the wine ages. The body of the wine has firm but fine tannins, providing a great structure that allows the fruit, oak and aroma to fully express themselves. As the wine opens up in the glass, it becomes more sinuous and sensuous, with a gentle astringency that is very appealing. With bottle age, the wine develops tertiary notes of leather and herb, and the grip and aroma remain long-lasting. The wine is impressive upon release, but it becomes even more true to itself with advancing age.

The Finer Details
Style - Red Wine
Varietal - Sangiovese
Country - Italy
Region - Montalcino, Tuscany
Vintage - 2018
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 14.5%