With Romitorio’s transcendent, silky and elegant 2019 Brunello di Montalcino ($71.99) already in the house, let’s turn our attention instead to a different side of this seminal southern Tuscan property- this ultra-tasty no-wood, no frills Sangiovese from vines in Scansano, just over the hill from their famous castle. Young for an estate in Montalcino, Castello di Romitorio was founded in 1984 when world-renowned artist Sandro Chia purchased this mediaeval castle at the very top of one of the tallest, most rugged redoubts in northwestern Montalcino and set about planting Sangiovese vines amongst the wild forest and olive trees on the property. From the very first vintage, with Sandro’s own artwork gracing the labels, the wines were sensations. I remember selling those first vintages of Brunello back in the early nineties and they were smoking good! In 1999, Sandro added the second estate in Scansano, planting his beloved Sangiovese, of course, as well as some Syrah and other experimental grapes which he uses in a very tasty IGT blend. In 2006, Sandro passed the entire estate to his son Filippo who also inherited his father’s whimsical and artistic temperament while, at the same time, a passion for raising even further Romitorio’s reputation as an ultra-serious producer of elegant, polished wines with great presence and personality. In addition to a very small production of Morellino di the Scansano, the Maremma vineyards also produce Brio, a 100% Sangiovese created with its namesake’s sense of life, freshness and elan. Aged completely in concrete rather than cask, Brio is a pure, lively, nicely focused expression of the grape with juicy, savory fruit, fine, pure aromatics and enough of Sangio’s native tannins to make it an excellent sidekick to all kinds of richer Tuscan-style cuisine. A platter of salumi and Pecorino Toscana, for example, would certainly not go amiss, nor a ravioli with sage butter. I could also see a bottle, maybe even chilled to just a bit below cellar temperature, with grilled chicken, burgers and maybe even a salmon fillet off the grill in the backyard this summer. We love this kind of wine- inexpensive enough to open every day, flexible enough to match with anything you want and, just as importantly, delicious to drink all on its own! And you won’t be sorry if you accidentally lose a few bottles in the back of the cellar for four or five years either. While it’s true that this is about as far from Romitorio’s vaunted, high style Brunello as you can get, yet, somehow, Brio seems just as good. Very highly recommended!