2020 Castello di Romitorio Brunello di Montalcino

The nose of the 2020 Brunello di Montalcino is led by candied orange peel, hazelnuts, fresh leather, sour cherry, and toasty oak. Nicely tuned on the palate, it has polished and well-extracted tannins, open-knit acidity, and a medium long spicy finish.

The 2020 Castello Di Romitorio Brunello di Montalcino is a wine that combines art, history and a deep passion for Tuscany. The winery itself is the vision of Sandro Chia, one of the most celebrated contemporary artists of Italy, who in the 1980s was part of the Transavanguardia movement, a postmodern artistic movement that rejected conceptualism in favor of emotion, color and tradition. Sandro was a personal friend of Andy Warhol, Chia, in fact spent years between New York and Italy, gaining international recognition for his bold and expressive work before turning his attention to the forgotten medieval castle of Romitorio in Montalcino. He bought the castle in 1984, an ancient fortress that had been abandoned for centuries and began to restore it - not just as a winery, but as a living testament of his artistic vision. The walls of the property are now adorned with his artwork, and every bottle has a label designed by Chia himself, mixing art and wine in a way that few properties of the world can claim. Today, the property is run by his son, Filippo Chia, born in Brooklyn New York while his father worked and displayed his arts the vibrant art scene of the city. Born between the two worlds of Italy and America, Filippo brings an international perspective to the timeless traditions of Brunello. Under his leadership, Castello Di Romitorio became one of Tuscan's most exciting properties, known for creating purity, structure and longevity wines. The 2020 crop is an excellent example of this. Romitorio is grown on the colder slopes of Montalcino, where high altitude vineyards allow slow and even maturation, this Brunello displays incredible elegance and refinement. On the nose, it offers aromas of ripe cherries, wild strawberries and pink petals, in layers of crushed herbs, tobacco and a pinch of balsamic. The palate is structured, but graceful, with thin and polished tannins. Aging in large barrels of slavonian oak (grandi botti), the wine maintains balance and freshness. One of my go to every year, consistently.