Critic Scores:

• 97 – Ian D'agata, Terroir Sense Wine
• 96+ – Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Perched at an elevated 480 metres in the rugged, forested northwestern quadrant of Montalcino, Castello Romitorio benefited immensely from a remarkably balanced 2021 season that fostered slow, harmonious ripening. Because the estate chose not to bottle a separate Riserva for this vintage, the finest fruit from seven distinct plots was seamlessly consolidated into this singular masterwork, instilling it with unusual gravitas, purity, and depth. It opens with a delicate yet highly intricate sensory presence, flashing a bright, radiant ruby profile that gradually gives way to aromatic notes of white pepper, blue flowers, wild berry fruits, and sweet blackberry.

On the palate, the wine balances an open-knit accessibility with underlying structural might, weaving layers of juicy dark berries and savory complexities through a streamlined, medium-to-full-bodied architecture.

Finely tailored cement fermentation and a 24-month slumber in oak impart a texture defined by closely integrated, tongue-coating sweet tannins.

Highly lauded by top critics as a benchmark for the vintage, Ian D'Agata designated this juicy, penetrating release as "one of the top five classic Brunellos of the vintage," anchored by a persistent, remarkably balanced finish.