Brunello Di Montalcino Riserva, Castello Romitorio, 2015
Brunello Di Montalcino Riserva, Castello Romitorio, 2015
- 75cl
- 14.5%
- Red Still
- Sangiovese Grosso
- Organic
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Optimal drinking window: 2026 - 2045
Castello Romitorio sits in the wilder, more rugged western reaches of Montalcino, and that frontier character shows in the wine. This is Brunello from a producer who came to the appellation not as an inheritor of tradition but as a convert — the estate was rescued and restored by the artist Sandro Chia in the 1980s, and there's still something a little maverick about it. The 2015 Riserva is built from what many regard as the finest Brunello vintage of the modern era: a warm, dry year that delivered concentration without sacrificing the acidity that makes Sangiovese worth ageing in the first place.
In the glass it's all dark cherry, dried rose, tobacco leaf, and that unmistakable iron-and-earth signature that Brunello devotees live for. The tannins are serious - properly serious - but the fruit beneath them is generous enough to hold its own.
What the critics say:
"Showing richness, dark fruit, bold cherry and blackberry, the Castello Romitorio 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva (with exactly 7,456 bottles made) embraces the exuberant character of the vintage, its warmth and its sunshine. If you seek a time capsule of 2015, I suggest that you put this bottle somewhere safe. The tannins are polished and chiseled, and at its core the wine is overflowing with blackberry preserves, cherry confit and plum."
"A tight, focused red with blackberry, black-cherry and walnut aromas and flavors. Full-bodied with juicy tannins and a long, flavorful finish. Creamy and focused. This is still very structured and powerful. Give it two or three years to open."
Tasting Notes
AppearanceDeep garnet with a brick-tinged rim, brilliant clarity, and a slow, viscous tear down the glass.
NoseDark cherry, dried rose petals, and tobacco lead the way, followed by a mineral thread of iron and graphite that is quintessentially Montalcino. With air, there's leather, wild herbs, and a faint suggestion of black olive that adds intrigue rather than weight.
PalateThe entry is concentrated and serious, with the 2015 vintage's density front and centre — dark fruit, espresso, and dried fig all pressing forward. The acidity cuts through cleanly, keeping everything alive, while the tannins are firm and fine-grained rather than harsh, suggesting there's plenty of life ahead. Structure and fruit are evenly matched, which is exactly what you want from a Riserva at this stage.
FinishLong, savoury, and mineral, with the iron and dried herb character persisting well after the fruit has receded.
Overall impressionA Brunello Riserva still very much in the process of becoming itself — compelling now, but the best is genuinely ahead of it.
Food Pairings
In Montalcino and the broader Sienese countryside, a wine like this earns its place at the table alongside bistecca di Chianina — the great Tuscan T-bone, charred over oak, still pink at the bone. Slow-braised wild boar with pappardelle, sauced with juniper and red wine, is another natural match; the game's intensity meets the wine's iron core without either blinking. Aged Pecorino di Pienza, hard and crystalline, works wonderfully if you're keeping things simple — the fat of the cheese softening the tannins beautifully. On feast days, pici al ragù di cinghiale remains the classic, unpretentious answer to a bottle this serious.
We think this wine would go well with
Serve at 17 to 18°C — any warmer and the alcohol starts to feel unwieldy. Decanting is not just advisable, it's essential: open it at least two hours before you plan to drink it, and if the wine is on the younger end of its window, give it three. A large Burgundy-style bowl will give the aromatics room to open up and let that iron-and-rose character really speak.
The Romitorio vineyards sit at around 400 to 500 metres on the western slopes of Montalcino, where the soils are predominantly galestro — the friable, schist-rich limestone that drains freely and forces the vines to work hard. This altitude brings cooler nights than the warmer southern and southeastern zones of the appellation, preserving the acidity that gives Brunello its structure and longevity. The 2015 growing season added warmth and generous sunshine to this already complex picture, ripening the fruit fully while the elevation kept freshness intact.
Brunello di Montalcino is one of Italy's most prestigious DOCG appellations, built entirely on Sangiovese Grosso — locally called Brunello — grown on the slopes surrounding the hilltop town of Montalcino in southern Tuscany. The Riserva designation demands extended ageing beyond the standard release: a minimum of six years from harvest, including at least two in oak and four months in bottle, before it can be sold. Compared to Chianti Classico to the north, Brunello is a more singular, more muscular proposition — longer-lived, more expensive, and less forgiving if you open it too soon. The variation across the appellation's different aspects and soils makes producer and vineyard selection genuinely important.
The 2015 growing season in Tuscany delivered that rare combination of favourable conditions that winemakers dream about. A warm, dry summer provided the sustained heat that Sangiovese craves, whilst crucial rainfall in late August refreshed the vines just when they needed it most. The harvest kicked off earlier than usual, with producers able to pick at optimal ripeness without the panic that often accompanies hot vintages.
What emerged from cellars was a vintage that marries power with finesse in a way that immediately caught critics' attention. The Sangiovese shows remarkable concentration and depth of colour, with tannins that feel substantial yet polished rather than aggressive. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot thrived in the heat, producing some genuinely outstanding Super Tuscans. These wines are drinking superbly now, offering immediate pleasure whilst retaining the structure to cellar gracefully until 2030 and beyond for the finest examples.
FAQs
What does this wine taste like?
Dark cherry, dried rose, tobacco, and iron are the dominant characters, with leather and wild herbs adding complexity. The tannins are serious and grippy, the acidity is precise, and the finish is long and mineral. It's Brunello in a concentrated, powerful register — not a wine for the faint-hearted, and all the better for it.
When should I drink this wine?
It's approachable now with decanting, but the window really opens from around 2028 onwards, and the wine should be at its peak between 2030 and 2040. It will hold comfortably until 2045.
Is this worth cellaring?
Absolutely. The 2015 vintage in Brunello is widely regarded as one of the greatest of the modern era, and the Riserva designation means additional ageing before release — so the bones are already there.
What food should I serve with this?
Think boldly: bistecca Fiorentina, wild boar ragu with pappardelle, or slow-braised lamb with rosemary. Aged Pecorino or Parmigiano also work well if you're serving it as a standalone experience. Avoid anything too delicate — this wine needs food with character.
How should I serve it?
Decant for a minimum of two hours, ideally three. Serve at around 17 to 18°C in a large-bowled glass. This is not a wine to open and pour straight away — it needs time and air to show its best.
How does Castello Romitorio compare to other Brunello producers?
Romitorio sits in the western, higher-altitude part of the appellation, which gives its wines a slightly more structured, mineral character compared to the richer, rounder styles from the south and southeast. It's an independent-spirited estate with a genuine point of view — not the most famous name in Montalcino, but consistently one of the more interesting.
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