Chianti Colli Senesi 2018

What do you get when you mash-up a Renaissance fortress with five hundred years of wine experience and Italy’s leading contemporary artist? A divine ruby-red Chianti Colli Senesi that is a total work of art.

The Harvey Nichols Chianti Colli Senesi is classic Tuscan winemaking from the cool-climate hills of Siena. Born in a landscape studded with medieval towns, olive groves and towering cypress trees, this gorgeous red presents notes of juicy Morello cherry, sun-dried earth, oak forests, dried herbs and leather, as well as tangy redcurrant and cranberry, which give it a food-friendly freshness. Hang this masterpiece alongside tomato-based pasta, pizza, stews, rosemary-infused roasts, wild mushrooms or comfort food.

The imposing Castello Romitorio sits high on the hill in front of Montalcino. During its long history, which dates right back to Roman times, it has been a temple, a prison, a fortress, a monastery, a castle, a ruin, a manor house, a shelter for shepherds and, most recently, an art studio and winery. Once owned by a patron of the arts called Giorgio Franchetti, it was swapped with the artist Sandro Chia for some of his paintings. A leader of the Neo-Expressionist movement in Italy and a contemporary of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Chia used the castle as a studio. Also inspired by the winemaking revolution occurring in Brunello di Montalcino during the late 1980s, he was at the forefront of the region’s rebirth. Now an internationally recognised winery, Sandro and his son Filippo create elegant, classic and sought-after Sangiovese of the highest calibre, including our very own Chianti.