2016 Castello Romitorio Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 750 ml

In the historic 2016 vintage, when the call to harvest came at Tuscany’s gorgeous Castello Romitorio, proprietor Filippo Chia’s team headed straight for the estate’s oldest vineyards. 

They hunted for the smallest, loosest bunches of perfectly ripe Sangiovese. 

This first pass, which they perform every year, yields a tiny amount of wine, which is vinified separately. In most vintages, it’s used to bolster Romitorio’s Brunello di Montalcino bottling. 

But in phenomenal seasons like 2016, when Chia and his legendary winemaker Carlo Ferrini determine that Romitorio’s Brunello normale can stand on its own, the precious juice from that first pick becomes their Brunello di Montalcino Riserva. 

Bottled only 10 times since 1987, Castello Romitorio’s Riserva is a rare jewel of Tuscany, and the 2016—from one of the greatest Brunello vintages in history—is a testament to its excellence. Vinous called it “simply stunning” in their glowing review, nodding to Chia and Ferrini’s ability to “deliver the most classic and profound expressions of Brunello from nearly every vintage.”

Castello Romitorio is located in the hills of Tuscany, interspersed with forest land teeming with wolves, deer, foxes, and wild boars. It likely dates back to Roman times, but it was abandoned during World War II and sat in disrepair until the 1980s, when it was rescued from decay by Sandro Chia, one of the most famous artists in Italy. Chia has returned the castle and its grounds to their former glory, and Carlo Ferrini’s top talent has elevated the estate’s wine every step of the way. 

A special Brunello from a legendary season, it will be in fine form for a couple decades, easy, so prepare to lay it down for the long haul.