Brunello di Montalcino Castello Romitorio 2019 captivates with its elegance and depth, showcasing flavors of ripe cherry, violet, and a hint of spice. This wine reflects Castello Romitorio's commitment to producing terroir-driven Brunello from Montalcino's unique vineyards.

First a temple, then a fortress and a monastery, then a castle, a manor house, a shelter for shepherds and their flocks, and, finally, an art workshop and winery. From the Etruscans to the Romans, through the turbulent Middle Ages, abandonment and then restoration by Sandro Chia in the eighties, Castello Romitorio is a place where time has a physical, tangible dimension. It is a place where wine is an intrinsic part of the history, and which tells the story of hundreds of years of passion for this place, which has always been highly suited to winegrowing, and disputed for its strategic importance as a trade and travel route.

The land where Castello Romitorio now stands was once the fields and woods of the Etruscans, one of the country’s earliest known organized societies and the forerunners of Italian civilization. The village of Murlo, a few kilometres north of Romitorio, contains one of the most important Etruscan archaeological areas, with buildings dating back to the 12th century BC.

The foundations of Castello Romitorio probably date back to Roman times, perhaps as a prison for deserting Christian soldiers. This was a period of growing economy and trade, helped by the position of Val d’Orcia, and crossed by three navigable rivers; the Ombrone, the Arbia and the Orcia. Archaeological remains reveal evidence of wine and honey production, on which the local economy was based.

The Castle became a monastery until at least the 12th century, when disputes between Florence and Siena began. Because of its strategic position at the centre of the transport routes between the coast and central Italy, and between the north and south of the peninsula, it was then fortified. Construction of the present massive, solitary building flanked by a small chapel, dates back to the 14th century. Montalcino, and the system of fortifications of which Castello Romitorio was a part, was always proud of its autonomy. When it surrendered to the Medici in 1559, Montalcino was Italy’s last free township. The first written mentions of Brunello wine, with which Montalcino’s defenders ‘reddened their faces’, date from this time.