Our Wine of the Month #2 for April is a powerful, full-bodied red with the vibrancy and savoriness that Italian wines are famous for. The "Romitorio" red is Syrah and Petit Verdot, French varieties that have found a welcome home in the Mediterranean hills of Tuscany's Maremma coast. There's no oak here, just the character of that suavely-textured, floral- and mineral-tinged dark fruit imbued with brilliant inner energy. The best part about it is the outstanding value it offers for a wine that deserves the Super-Tuscan moniker!
The Romitorio estate's castello, a medieval-era outpost, lies on an isolated hill off to the west of Montalcino, though this rosso comes from vineyards closer to the Mediterranean. Their wines are sleek, stylish, robust and more open-knit than the classical Italian style. They're modern artistic expressions for founder Sandro Chia, a painter and sculptor whose bold works adorn the labels. He settled on this far-flung part of Tuscany because of the wild, natural character of these ancient, bucolic hills seemed destined for rebirth. That potential did not lay fallow, as Sandro's son, Filippo Chia, has continued to hone the style and quality for which Castello Romitorio is now known! Appropriately for this wild landscape, they practice sustainable & organic farming.
WINE ADVOCATE 93 POINTS - "This wine has seen several name changes (from Il Toro to RomiTòro and now Romitorio). The Castello Romitorio 2021 Romitorio is a hearty, full-bodied red blend with the muscle and power to mimic the beautiful Sandro Chia drawing of a raging bull on the front label. Fundamentally, this wine shows an all-Maremma spirit with rich concentration, big fruit weight and a whole range of savory and black fruit aromas. This wine is a delight to drink; it has a soft texture and is just raring to go straight out of the gate. This is one of Italy's ultimate value wines."
VINOUS 92 POINTS - "A dark blend of wild herbs, crushed ashen stones, licorice and black cherry waft up from the 2021 Romitorio. Silky yet sleek, this combines juicy acidity with orange-tinged wild berry fruit to create a sense of boundless energy. It finishes remarkably fresh yet still long and staining as salted licorice fades beneath an air of inner violet florals. The 2021 Romitorio is a wonderfully balanced and high-energy Syrah and Petit Verdot blend." - Eric Guido
The Romitorio estate's castello, a medieval-era outpost, lies on an isolated hill off to the west of Montalcino, though this rosso comes from vineyards closer to the Mediterranean. Their wines are sleek, stylish, robust and more open-knit than the classical Italian style. They're modern artistic expressions for founder Sandro Chia, a painter and sculptor whose bold works adorn the labels. He settled on this far-flung part of Tuscany because of the wild, natural character of these ancient, bucolic hills seemed destined for rebirth. That potential did not lay fallow, as Sandro's son, Filippo Chia, has continued to hone the style and quality for which Castello Romitorio is now known! Appropriately for this wild landscape, they practice sustainable & organic farming.
WINE ADVOCATE 93 POINTS - "This wine has seen several name changes (from Il Toro to RomiTòro and now Romitorio). The Castello Romitorio 2021 Romitorio is a hearty, full-bodied red blend with the muscle and power to mimic the beautiful Sandro Chia drawing of a raging bull on the front label. Fundamentally, this wine shows an all-Maremma spirit with rich concentration, big fruit weight and a whole range of savory and black fruit aromas. This wine is a delight to drink; it has a soft texture and is just raring to go straight out of the gate. This is one of Italy's ultimate value wines."
VINOUS 92 POINTS - "A dark blend of wild herbs, crushed ashen stones, licorice and black cherry waft up from the 2021 Romitorio. Silky yet sleek, this combines juicy acidity with orange-tinged wild berry fruit to create a sense of boundless energy. It finishes remarkably fresh yet still long and staining as salted licorice fades beneath an air of inner violet florals. The 2021 Romitorio is a wonderfully balanced and high-energy Syrah and Petit Verdot blend." - Eric Guido
