2020 Castello Romitorio Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany

This is a remarkable Brunello from a COVID-19 vintage that launched many curveballs at producers. The Castello Romitorio 2020 Brunello di Montalcino is noticeably a step above its peers thanks to its seamless mouthfeel, its bright fruit concentration and its balanced freshness. It ages in oak for 24 months, and the grapes are picked from a site with cool clay soils. The finish is soft and polished. If you were to buy one village Brunello from the accessible 2020 vintage, let me direct your attention to this wine. Production is 40,000 bottles.

96 points Monica Larner robertparker.com

Castello Romitorio Brunello di Montalcino is a beautifully sculpted and expressive Sangiovese born from the wild, elevated northwest corner of Montalcino, where cooler winds and rocky galestro soils shape wines of perfume, structure and natural tension. Sandro Chia’s revival of the ancient Romitorio estate has earned global acclaim, and each vintage is crafted with deep respect for the land. Hand harvested grapes are fermented slowly for purity and textural finesse, then matured over years in large oak casks before further quiet rest in bottle. The result is Brunello that combines the finesse of Montalcino’s higher altitudes with the depth and detail of meticulous craftsmanship.

Aromas unfold with red cherry, blood orange and wild strawberry, threaded with rose petals, dried herbs and a whisper of sweet spice. Beneath the brightness lies the classic Brunello soul: tobacco leaf, warm terracotta, subtle leather and iron rich earth. As the wine opens, hints of balsamic, cocoa and truffle surface, reflecting its slow evolution in wood and the quiet concentration of the vineyard.

The palate carries power in elegant form. Silky yet assertive tannins frame the fruit, guiding flavours of cherry skin, sour plum, pomegranate and savoury spice. A refreshing mineral undertone keeps the wine balanced and poised as it stretches into a long, captivating finish with echoes of violet, citrus peel and forest floor. While approachable with air, it is built for the cellar. Eight to fifteen years will reveal deeper complexity, transforming those youthful red fruits into velvet layers of leather, truffle and aromatic wood.

Brilliant with Florentine steak, truffle risotto, roast duck with herbs, aged Pecorino or simply savoured slowly on its own when patience can be rewarded. An elegant, soulful and unmistakably Romitorio Brunello.