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Happy Friday, Artisans!
We're pleased to offer you our last 6 bottles of Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona's 2019 Brunellos—one of their best vintages to date, scoring 98-100 points!
Ciacci Piccolomini is one of the most sought-after producers in all of Italy. This ancient estate has 35 hectares of superior holdings in the prized Castelnuovo dell'Abate zone, including the 'Pianrosso' vineyard (meaning 'red field,' a reference to the iron rich soils). Made by the brother-and-sister team Paolo and Lucia Bianchini, this ancient estate was left to the Bianchini family in 1985 by Countess Elda Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona, who had no heirs; Giuseppe (Paolo and Lucia's father) had been the estate manager. Their Brunellos emphasize finesse and balance, with layers of ultra-fine tannins and subtle ripe fruit, yet they age incredibly well. The ‘Fonte’ vineyard, which produces grapes for the Rosso di Montalcino, is located next to Pianrosso while plantings of Syrah, Cabernet, and Merlot are to the south, where the Orcia river provides a milder microclimate. The non-traditional wines are as exciting as the Brunello and Rosso - Parker once called their Fabius Syrah “the finest Italian Syrah I have tasted.” The wines are even 100% organic, too!
The 'Pianrosso' single vineyard Brunello is made only in exceptional vintages; the 2015 vintage received 100 points and ranked #14 in James Suckling's Top 100 Wines of 2019. Suckling had this to say about the winery:
"This famous producer of Brunello di Montalcino has been making balanced, precise and beautiful reds since the 1980s. However, it's their recent vintages that show the most focus and intensity. The family-owned winery primarily makes two Brunellos: a regular bottling and a single-vineyard wine named Vigna di Pianrosso. The latter is always a step up in terms of quality with more concentration and depth of fruit on the palate. The Pianrosso Santa Caterina d'Oro Riserva is only made in top vintages, and it is a selection of the best grapes from the vineyard in that respective year."
And here is what Wine Spectator had to say about this producer when this winery hit their Top 10 list in 2012 for their 'normale' Brunello:
“Brother-and-sister team Paolo and Lucia Bianchini continue to make excellent Brunellos in the tradition of their father, Giuseppe, who died in 2004. They are better employing their new modern cellars, which were completed last year, and continue to maintain their south-facing vineyards at near pristine levels. The Brunellos emphasize finesse and balance, with layers of ultrafine tannins and subtle ripe fruit, yet they age incredibly well."
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The 6 Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona allocated wines offered today:
Brunello di Montalcino "Pianrosso Single-Vineyard" | 2019 ~ 2017 ~ 2016
Brunello di Montalcino | 2019 ~ 2017
Syrah "Fabius" | 2019
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Two Vintages Available:
Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
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2019 Vintage
98 Points - Kerin O'Keefe (former Wine Enthusiast Editor:
“The 2019 straight Brunello from Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona is a beauty, starting with its heady scents of red berry, dog rose, spice and Mediterranean scrub. Full-bodied and loaded with finesse, the smooth palate delivers juicy red cherry, cracked peppercorn and licorice alongside tightly-woven, refined tannins. Juicy acidity keeps it balanced and fresh.” (Sep 2023)
95 Points - Robert Parker:
"There's no mistaking this wine for anything but Brunello. The Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona 2019 Brunello di Montalcino shows beautiful continuity, crescendoing on the nose and palate in synchronicity. There are aromas of grilled watermelon, red cherry, garden herb and violet, and there is a charred note that recalls the toasted oak. The bouquet balances out beautifully, but you do get considerably more power on the palate thanks to the oomph of 15% alcohol and young tannins that get under your gums. Give this wine a few more years of bottle age.”
Other Scores:
WS 94, JS 94, VM 93
16 bottles left
$94.97
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2017 Vintage
97 Points - Wine Enthusiast:
"This delicious, bold red offers inviting aromas of fragrant blue flowers, spiced plum, forest floor and pipe tobacco. Full and enveloping in feel, it delivers a great depth of juicy black cherry, black raspberry, licorice and baking spice flavors framed in velvety tannins. Drink 2025–2032"
93 Points - Robert Parker:
"Generous, layered and rich, the Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona 2017 Brunello di Montalcino shows the generous fruit and deep layering that identifies this vintage. It also delivers a powerful 15% alcohol. This edition (with 69,000 bottles made) shows a bright note of sweet cherry that features strongly both on the bouquet and the palate. The wine shows lots of soft fruit with almond, spice and wild rose. From a hot and dry vintage, this Brunello is probably best suited to a near or medium-term drinking window."
Other Scores:
JS 93, WS 93
4 bottles left
$59.99
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Three Vintages Available!
Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona "Pianrosso" Single-Vineyard Brunello di Montalcino
Only made in the best vintages:
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2019 Vintage
100 Points - Kerin O'Keefe (former Wine Enthusiast Editor)
“Boasting great depth and extreme elegance, the drop-dead gorgeous Ciacci Piccolomini Pianrosso delivers crushed raspberry, succulent Morello cherry, star anise and crushed mint flavors while aromas of eucalyptus, wild rose, new leather and forest floor continuously lift out of the glass. It’s a smooth, stunning wine, with taut, fine-grained tannins and fresh acidity that lend great aging potential and energy. Absolutely stunning.”
Other Scores:
LG 100, WA 97+, DM 97
12 bottles left
$94.97
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2017 Vintage
95 Points - Wine Enthusiast:
"This full-bodied red starts off with aromas of leather, forest floor and camphor. Enveloping and structured, the palate shows a weightless concentration, featuring dried cherry, licorice, tobacco and a hint of orange zest framed in velvety tannins. Drink 2024–2029"
Other Scores:
WA 94, JS 94
18 bottles left
$84.97
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2016 Vintage
98 Points - Robert Parker:
"The Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Pianrosso is a single-vineyard expression that draws its fruit from an 11.7-hectare parcel with moderately thick galestro soils with ancient marine material. This special site, awash under the brilliant light of a big, open sky, does indeed deliver a more pronounced mineral signature, with wild berry, rose and rosemary essence. This is a beautiful wine, taut and silky, with elegant tannins that will endure ambitious bottle aging."
Other Scores:
JS 98, VM 94
3 bottles left
$137.97
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2019 Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona Fabius (Syrah) Rosso
91 Points - Robert Parker:
"A rare look at Syrah from the cool Montalcino climate, the 2019 Sant'Antimo Fabius is packed tight with blackberry and black cherry along with spice, sweet tobacco and smoked bacon. There's a lot going on aromatically speaking, but the wine stays clear of the heavier black pepper or cured leather aromas that you often get in New World Syrah. I love the soft texture, freshness and tension that this extremely well-priced wine exhibits. Production is 13,000 bottles." - Monica Larner (Feb 2022)
8 bottles left
$26.97
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How may we assist you?
Text us @ 650-880-3553
Call us @ 650-917-8080
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