On October 5, 2024, I attended a Castillo Romitorio wine tasting held at Fort Lauderdale retailer Wine Watch. The guest for the event was Filippo Chia (son of Sandro Chia, the founder of the modern version of the estate) current owner/winemaker of/at the estate.
The area occupied by the current Castillo Romitorio has a long and storied history, stretching back, as it does, to Roman and, potentially, Etruscan times. The relevant history, however, begins with the purchase of the castle as a ruin by world-famous artist Sandro Chia. Prior to the purchase, the property had remained uninhabited since its abandonment during WWII. Along with the castle, Chia took ownership of the vineyards, oak woods, and heath land.
Sandro converted the old manor house into his home and art studio. He also restored the vineyards, planting them to the Sangiovese that was typical to Montalcino. Forty wineries were established in the appellation at that time.
The landscape inhabited by Castillo Romitorio is relatively wild and characterized by slopes that receive less sun than other Montalcino areas and colder average temperatures. The Romitorio vineyards are small plots of land sprinkled among hectares of virgin woods that are themselves populated with ponds and streams. The soils underlying the vineyards are a fossil-rich mix of galestro, clay, and albarese.
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| Tuscan White Bean Soup |
Filippo joined the company in 2005 and immediately began building a new cellar, planting new Sangiovese vines, and revitalizing the winemaking. As a result of his initiatives, vineyards can now be found at elevations ranging between 200 and 400 meters while wine-aging is now “a delicate combination of large barrels and French oak for long, patient aging” followed by specification-exceeding bottle-aging times.
We began the tasting with the 2020 Castillo Romitorio “Colto” Rosso di Montalcino. This was the initial vintage of this wine, its grapes sourced from “young and powerful vineyards planted deep in the pristine woods.” It is produced in extremely small quantities and aged in wood and cement and then in bottle prior to market release.
On the nose, dark fruit, spice, violets, talcum powder, balsamic, and salinity. Dark fruit on the palate and medium-bodied. A little green note and some dried herbs. Surprisingly good. Most Rosso’s are too thin for my liking: but this wine did not fit that mold.
Next up was the 2019 Castillo Romitorio Brunello di Montalcino. This is the estate’s flagship wine and is sourced from new and old vineyards in its Montacino terroir. Clusters are hand-harvested and grapes hand-sorted before and after de-stemming. The grapes are fermented in stainless steel tanks with an initial short cold maceration followed by maceration at higher, controlled temperatures. Malolactic fermentation is natural after which the wine matures in oak for a minimum of 24 months and bottled for a minimum of 4 months.
Elegant on the nose with violets, sweet red fruit, crème brulee, and green herbs. Broad on the palate with bright red fruit, cherries, minerality, and a coal character. Long, dark finish.
We tried a 2010 edition of this wine later in the evening and it was oxidized.
We next tried two vintages (2019, 2017) of Filio di Seta Brunello di Montalcino. Cellar treatment prior to fermentation is the same as for the flagship Brunello di Montalcino. Fermentation, however, is conducted in cement tanks with natural MLF following and then resting the wine to separate it from the lees. This wine is aged a minimum of 24 months in oak and 4 months in bottle.
The 2019 showed blue fruits, violets, and salinity on the nose. Beautiful on the palate. The 2017 had darker fruit. It also showed a little Granny’s attic. High-toned. Violets and sweet dried fruit. Some salinity. Tannins not fully resolved.
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We next tasted the 2016 Romitorio Brunello di Montalcino Riserva. The Riserva is only made in years with truly outstanding harvests. To illustrate, this wine was introduced in 1984 and there have only been 10 Reserva vintages declared subsequently. The grapes used for this wine are rigorously selected from the estate’s oldest vineyards. Each block is monitored throughout the vegetative process. Clusters in the chosen blocks are carefully tended in order to ensure that the fruit attains a consistent and optimum ripeness.
The cellar operations for this wine is similar to the treatment of the proceeding wines. Fermentation occurs in stainless steel tanks. Wines are aged in oak for a minimum of 24 months and then in bottle until released.
Elegant. Dark fruit and green herbs. Medium-bodied with great acidity, chalky minerality, and a drying finish.
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We also tried the 2007 and 2006 Riservas and they were similar except for an additional year of development for the latter. The 2007 Riserva showed a very attractive nose of violets, aged balsamic, and beeswax. Broad and unfocused on the palate. Seemed to be past its prime. These are relatively young wines and should not be demonstrating this characteristic. Maybe storage issues?
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| The full lineup |
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