Winemaker Notes
There is something heady and invigorating about this: a lifted nose of oak and fruit with notions of Marasca cherry, violet and pomegranate. Earthy hints appear, too, as do nuances of sage and soy with increasing age. The body has densely woven, firm but fine tannins, ac cording the wine a great structure; a skeleton upon which fruit, oak and aroma can express themselves fully. The wine unfolds slowly in the glass, becomes more sinuous and sensuous with air while the gentle astringency of the tannins is very moreish. Bottle age brings welcome tertiary notes of leather and herb, both grip and aroma are long lasting. This is impressive upon release but even more true to itself with advancing age.
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
A dense and rich Brunello with lots of ripe fruit, spices and hints of new wood. Full-bodied, chewy and rich. A muscular wine that needs time to come together. Better after 2022.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The Castello Romitorio 2015 Brunello di Montalcino is a suave and supple expression that shows a slightly more opulent texture compared to many of its peers. The Castello Romitorio vineyards tend to be cool, both in terms of exposure and soils, and the estate shows its best results in a warm and sunny vintage exactly like 2015. You taste the natural richness and exuberance of the fruit, with variety-specific elements of wild cherry, blue flowers and soft earth. The house style prizes more width and latitude in terms of mouthfeel. That attractive medium to full-bodied style is achieved thanks to 24 months of oak aging. At the end of the day, the quality of the fruit is really what shines brightest here.
-
Wine Spectator
Bright cherry and currant flavors signal this muscular red, shaded by mineral and underbrush accents. Compact and full of tension, this is long and commands attention on the finish. Best from 2023 through 2040.
-
Decanter
Castello Romitorio sits to the northeast of the town of Montalcino in a rather isolated area. The beautifully restored castle dates back to Roman times and is surrounded by 17ha of vines amidst dense forest. This cool enclave lent refreshing acidity in the warm 2015 vintage. Immediately appealing vanilla, cherry, wild sage and sweet earth notes repeat on the palate, which is dense and concentrated. Fruit is on the lavish, plentiful side but purity is preserved. Drinking Window 2021 - 2028
-
Wine Enthusiast
Aromas of cedar, leather and dark skinned fruit emerge from the glass. The polished palate offers dried black cherry, mocha and tobacco alongside fine-grained tannins. Drink 2022–2029
Among Italy's elite red grape varieties, Sangiovese has the perfect intersection of bright red fruit and savory earthiness and is responsible for the best red wines of Tuscany. While it is best known as the chief component of Chianti, it is also the main grape in Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and reaches the height of its power and intensity in the complex, long-lived Brunello di Montalcino. Somm Secret—Sangiovese doubles under the alias, Nielluccio, on the French island of Corsica where it produces distinctly floral and refreshing reds and rosés.
Famous for its bold, layered and long-lived red, Brunello di Montalcino, the town of Montalcino is about 70 miles south of Florence, and has a warmer and drier climate than that of its neighbor, Chianti. The Sangiovese grape is king here, as it is in Chianti, but Montalcino has its own clone called Brunello.
The Brunello vineyards of Montalcino blanket the rolling hills surrounding the village and fan out at various elevations, creating the potential for Brunello wines expressing different styles. From the valleys, where deeper deposits of clay are found, come wines typically bolder, more concentrated and rich in opulent black fruit. The hillside vineyards produce wines more concentrated in red fruits and floral aromas; these sites reach up to over 1,600 feet and have shallow soils of rocks and shale.
Brunello di Montalcino by law must be aged a minimum of four years, including two years in barrel before realease and once released, typically needs more time in bottle for its drinking potential to be fully reached. The good news is that Montalcino makes a “baby brother” version. The wines called Rosso di Montalcino are often made from younger vines, aged for about a year before release, offer extraordinary values and are ready to drink young.