2021 Castello Romitorio Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany

‘Vivid red. The enticing nose offers wonderful floral lift to the expressive, pure aromas of redcurrant, raspberry, mint, graphite and spices. Sweet, concentrated and very refined, with an impeccable sugar/acid balance to the ripe flavours of dark and red berries and woodsy underbrush. Firmly structured and nicely concentrated, this juicy, penetrating classic Brunello is quite impressive for a “regular” wine and strikes me as being one of the top five classic Brunellos of the vintage. Drinking window: 2029-2036.’ 

97 points Ian D’Agata, iandagatawine.com Dec 2025

The 2021 Brunello Di Montalcino pours a bright red hue and has a beautifully chiseled, energetic profile that captures the vintage. The nose is expressive with redcurrants, preserved cherries, incense, chestnut, leather, anise, and sage. Medium to full-bodied, it is nimble and fresh on the palate, with polished tannins, brisk acidity, and a long finish marked by saline and sanguine accents.

96 points Jeb Dunnuck

Castello Romitorio’s 2021 Brunello di Montalcino channels much of the estate’s fruit over seven plots, as no Riserva was produced, resulting in a wine of notable depth and cohesion. Whispered and delicate at first, the bouquet unfolds with white pepper, blue flowers and grilled herb before moving toward darker tones of sweet blackberry. The palate is open-knit yet powerful, showing juicy ripeness, layered complexity and a structured mid-palate that remains streamlined in classic Sangiovese fashion. Fermented in cement with maceration times tailored to the thickness of the skins from each plot, typically ranging from 18 to 24 days and extending up to 30 days when needed, the wine was aged for 24 months in oak, with 90% in large barrels and 10% in second- and third-passage tonneaux. Produced in 42,000 bottles, this Brunello will benefit from additional cellaring.

96 points The Wine Advocate

Cedar spice box mixes with incense, cloves and dried black cherries as the expressive 2021 Brunello di Montalcino blossoms in the glass. Elegant with a wildly appealing energy, the 2021 displays masses of ripe wild berry fruits beneath an air of violet inner florals. It finishes with incredible length and concentration, perfectly framed by a coating of sweet tannin. This young, radiant Brunello is sure to have many fans.

95 points Vinous

This is plush and features cherry, plum, wild herb, iron and spice flavors. Its tannins are well-integrated with the fleshy texture and resonant flavors, which gather steam by the lingering finish. Shows terrific balance and length overall.

95 points Wine Spectator

In the wooded hills west of Montalcino, Castello Romitorio emphasises its fresh microclimate in this elegantly styled Brunello. It hails from vineyards that reach 480m. Understated but patently pretty, the nose haunts with tangible porcini and sandalwood against a backdrop of crushed raspberry. That earthy sweetness persists as the wine tumbles lightly over the palate, culminating in scrumptious red summer berries. Bright acidity accentuates accents of orange zest and tangerine, and the long, silky tannins are seamlessly woven in. A simmering potpourri of wildflowers lifts the finish.

94 points Decanter

Castello Romitorio is one of Montalcino’s most distinctive estates, combining ancient Tuscan history with the creative vision of artist Sandro Chia, who acquired the property in 1984. Today Sandro’s son Filippo Chia leads the estate alongside winemaker Stefano Martini, producing Brunello with a compelling balance of power, perfume and elegance. The vineyards sit in the cooler north-western sector of Montalcino, where elevation and exposure give Sangiovese wonderful aromatic lift and energy.

The 2021 vintage is widely regarded as an exciting year for Brunello, combining excellent ripeness with the freshness and structure required for long ageing. Montalcino’s complex mix of galestro, clay and limestone soils gives Sangiovese its savoury backbone, while Romitorio’s higher vineyards and cooling breezes help retain acidity and perfume. Traditional ageing allows the wine to develop complexity without obscuring its distinctive Tuscan character.

Bright garnet with ruby highlights, the nose unfolds with Morello cherry, wild strawberry and blood orange alongside rose petal, violet and dried thyme. With air come liquorice, tobacco leaf, warm terracotta and a touch of balsamic herbs. The palate is beautifully structured, with juicy red fruit running through firm, chalky tannins and bright acidity. Cherry skin, orange peel and savoury spice build through the middle before a long finish of dried herbs, earth and bitter cherry.

This deserves a long Tuscan lunch: pappardelle with wild boar ragù, bistecca alla Fiorentina cooked hard and fast over charcoal, slow-roasted lamb shoulder with rosemary or porcini and pecorino risotto. 

Cellaring: Drink from 2028 to 2045+.