Only a truly extraordinary harvest can produce the Castello Romitorio Brunello di Montalcino Riserva D.O.C.G.: since its establishment in 1984 Romitorio has released only a handful of vintages of this wine. The 2016 is the tenth Riserva ever produced by Castello Romitorio.

The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva (with 6,300 bottles made) works beautifully to produce a lasting sense of harmony that reflects the best qualities of this classic vintage. Part of that playlist is power, and indeed this wine registers 15% alcohol, which is high, but the freshness of these vineyard sites and the wine’s acidity does a good job of mitigating that power. The fruit is polished and refined in this Riserva, and there is a pretty mix of both primary and even some distant tertiary character to shape a bouquet that is pure but also complex.