Castello Romitorio Wines

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History

The walled medieval village of Montalcino clings to a steep hillside about 25 kilometers south of Siena. The seasons in this region of Tuscany reflect the shift from the cooler continental climate typical of the North, to the warmer, more Mediterranean climate of the coasts. The sun warms but does not scorch, rainfall comes reliably but rarely in excess. This felicitous balance of temperature and precipitation, along with the fecundity of the Tuscan soil, bestows on the territory of Montalcino an ideal environment for the cultivation of Italy's finest varietals. In particular, the region is considered the best suited for the noble Sangiovese Grosso Brunello, the pater familias of Italian grapes.

Castello Romitorio, a massive twelfth-century hilltop fortress in Montalcino, since 1986 has produced exquisite Tuscan wines, grappa, and olive oil in the best traditions of the region. After acquiring the estate in 1984, artist Sandro Chia spent the next several years restoring Castello Romitorio and transforming it lands into vineyards, constructing a cellar on the castle's ground floor with the most advanced equipment on the market respectful of ancient techniques, and enlisting the expertise of one of country's leading oenologists, Carlo Ferrini.

Philosophy

Sandro Chia's first wine, "Romito del Romitorio" was bottled in 1984 and proved exceptional from the start, thanks largely to the Chia's. In twenty years of winemaking, the Chia family's winemaking philosophy has evolved into a strict adherence to the pursuit of excellence at any cost and an absolute belief in quality over quantity. This philosophy has led the family to embrace only the great D.O.C.G.'s and D.O.C.'s of our estates, abandoning "large-distribution" wines such as the Chianti Colli Senesi, Brio, and Donna di Rango. With the harvest of 2006, Castello Romitorio has baptized its new cantina, a 3000 square meter space located partially below ground on the flank of the castle.

A reflection of the Chia family's philosophy and interests, the cantina brings together fine wine and fine art in a unique setting, with monolithic sculptures standing beside the barrels and barriques from which Romitorio's future wines will flow. Sandro Chia sees the key to the greatness of these wines in the irresistible impulse toward artistic perfection: "I make wine with the same passion with which I paint-it is devotion, a sacrifice, that ultimately brings the greatest reward.

Gallery

Products

1999 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCG

The Tuscan climate regularly bestows on us the gift of excellent wine, but every so often fortune shows an extra measure of generosity. Only a careful selection of grapes from a truly exceptional harvest can produce a Riserva, and 1999 was just such a year. This wine presents itself in superlatives, with a tremendously deep and intense color, relatively uncommon for a Sangiovese. Its aroma reveals itself with beautifully ripe fruit of plum, berry, and dried flowers - a bouquet that is subtle yet seductive. The wine opens on the palate with pleasant notes of licorice, cloves, and vanilla. Full-bodied, with fine tannins and a long finish.

2002 Brunello di Montalcino DOC

The Brunello of Montalcino stands as the cornerstone of our production. Made from only the "Brunello" strain of the Sangiovese Grosso grape, this wine is one of the most treasured of all Italian reds. A careful selection of the harvest's bounty, strict adherence to technique, and constant checks during the aging process transform the grape into one of Italy's most revered wines. Ruby red in color, this wine possesses a fruity and spicy bouquet. Its velvety texture harmonizes the rich and balanced tannins completed by two years in oak, blending the wine's qualities into a character that is at once forceful and elegant.

2004 Romito del Romitorio DOC

The Sant'Antimo Rosso denomination, approved by the D.O.C. in 1996, gives winemakers in Montalcino the ability to offer wines that vary from the more rigid regulations that apply to the other denominations. While Sant'Antimo may be made without any Sangiovese grapes at all, Castello Romitorio's "Romito del Romitorio" draws its unique character from the fact that it is three-fifths Sangiovese, making this Sant'Antimo a respected relative of big Brunellos. While Cannaiolo's soft flavours compliment the Sangiovese, blending in the supple and oak-loving Cabernet Sauvignon adds to the character of this wine. Romito is bright, approaching ruby in color. Opulent and incredibly balanced in structure.

2005 Rosso di Montalcino

Intense ruby red color with a violent tint. Full and aromatic. Fruit-forward aromas reminiscent of red berry fruit. The structure is lavishly balanced. Long finish. Combine with dishes of modern complexity such as pasta preparations with meat sauces, fowl, truffles, and all meat courses.

2006 Morellino di Scansano

The new pearl of Castello Romitorio's production has arrived. The vineyards are cultivated in generous soil situated at the bottom of an ancient Etruscan village called "Ghiaccioforte." The grapes utilized in the Morellino are a blend of Sangiovese, Petit Verdot, and Syrah. A nose of fresh fruits, with distinct notes of plum.

Agritourism

Poggio di Sopra Sant'Antimo - Montalcino

Beautiful stone farming complex that completed conversion and restoration in 1998. Great care was taken to maintain the original structure intact while providing complete modern comfort; furnished in a high standard with original old Tuscan pieces; white washed and stone walls, terracotta floors and wood-beamed ceilings provide the typical Tuscan atmosphere.

The house is surrounded by about 8,000 sqm of private grounds on a wine and olive oil producing estate; sits on a hilltop dominating the wonderful views, spacing over the underlying countryside in direction of the suggestive Saint Antimo valley to the west, the Orcia river and the Amiata mountain to the south-east and the Montalcino hill to the north. The house offers a totally quiet holiday location, reached by a road that serves only the few properties of the area. There is a 3 x 9 swimming pool that is carefully tended by a gardener who comes regularly. The spacious garden area and the gazebo are well kept and equipped with furniture.

The main part of the farmhouse was divided into two comfortable apartments. The last part of the Poggio complex is divided into a study, furnished with a computer, fax, telephone, and a living room with a fireplace and complete bathroom. Attached to it there is a covered loggia with a typical well functioning wood burning oven for baking bread and pizza. The house has a paved courtyard in front of the swimming pool with covered area with tables for eating outside. Parking is on the property grounds near the house. Situated only 1 km from the medieval village of Castelnuovo dell'Abate and 9 km from Montalcino with all shops and facilities.

Ghiaccio Forte - Scansano

Castello Romitorio recently acquired an estate in the L'Aquilia region of Scansano. The estate, named "Ghiaccio Forte" after an ancient Etruscan city whose ruins lie meters from the vineyard's cantina, occupies an imposing hill overlooking the valleys and sea. Ten hectares of vineyards have been planted making Ghiaccio Forte a stunning location.

Scansano, from the time of the Etruscans, and developed in the middle ages into an important civic center, is historically known as the summer retreat for the Grosseto town government. It is recognized across Europe for its Morellino di Scansano wine. The area, notable for its unspoiled nature and arid hills, lies 150 meters above sea level only 20 kilometers from the Tyrrhenian Sea. The combination of factors such as the altitude, South-Western exposure, volcanic soil, and the unique adjoining Fiume Albengna River - which originates from the sulfuric springs of Saturnia - create in Scansano one of Italy's unique microclimates.

It's believed that before 1.000 AD an inhabited area existed in the place where now Scansano rises. The hypothesis is confirmed by the circumstances that the name of Scansano seems to derive from S. Ansano of the Anicia Family, Christian martyr of the 1st century AD.

The most ancient document, which is dated back to 1188, in which Scansano is mentioned is a papal Bull by Clemente III and in 1274, it's also mentioned in the division act between the two branches of Counts Aldobrandeschi of Sovana and of Santa Fiora, to the second of which was assigned Scansano and its district. Situated on a hilly ridge, natural separation between the lands set on the two sides, Scansano suffered different fates during the weary struggles between the Aldobrandeschi and the Republic of Siena.

Contact

Renowned artist Sandro Chia founded Castello Romitorio in 1984 after an extensive search for an ideal estate vineyard in the Tuscan countryside. The castle was previously owned by the Baron Giorgio Franchetti. The current structure was originally designed in the thirteen-hundreds as a fortress to defend the city of Montalcino.

Castello Romitorio is located on a hilltop overlooking the Val d'Orica and facing the township of Montalcino, in the province of Siena. The castle, surrounded on three sides by thick oak forests, rests in the northwestern quadrant of Montalcino, at an altitude of 450 meters. On a clear evening, one can see the sity of Siena at a distance of over forty kilometers.

Castello Romitorio Wines
Localita Romitorio 279
53024 Montalcino (SI) Italy
Phone & Fax +39 0577 847 212
info@castelloromitorio.com

Cantina Contact
Tullia Abi Zima Battaglia
Office Manager
tullia@castelloromitorio.com

Media Contact
Katrina Rank
Marketing Director
castelloromitorio@mac.com

Links

Wine Spectator
Wine Enthusiast
Sandro Chia
Filippo Chia
Castello Romitorio 2007 Press Kit
Castello Romitorio News
Castello Romitorio Distributors