Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona Riserva "Vigna di Pianrosso Santa Caterina d'Oro" Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2015
(Tuscany, Italy) - [JS 100 & #6 Top 100] [WS 97] [WE 97] [WA 97]

About this Winery: 
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 ultrafine tannins and subtle ripe fruit, yet they age incredibly well.

Tasting Notes:
Ruby red verging on garnet. The bouquet is intense and complex: fruit-forward, spicy and ethereal, with hints of red berries and various spices. Warm, harmonic with pronounced and soft tannins. A full-bodied wine with a very long aftertaste. A Brunello that can be refined in the bottle for many years.

Technical Information

Vineyard: 11,69 hectares (29,22 acres) are named after “Pianrosso”: situated at an altitude between 240 and 360 a.s.l. with a soil of medium grain with good levels of marl, dating to the Eocene period.

Grape varietal: 100% Sangiovese

Fermentation and refinement: In stainless steel and glass concrete vats, temperature-controlled via cooling plates and jackets.

Ageing: more than 3 years in 7,5 - 30 hl Slavonian oak barrels, followed by over 12 months of bottle ageing.

100 Points & # 6 of Top 100 Wines of Italy 2020 - James Suckling:
"The opulence of fruit and complexity of earth, meat, mushroom and cedar is breathtaking. It’s full-bodied, deep and powerful with so much intensity and depth. Chewy and layered, it goes on for minutes. Give it even more time. Try after 2023." (December 2020)

97 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: 
The 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna di Pianrosso Santa Caterina d'Oro is a fine and delicate wine that cleverly delivers the intensity of the vintage but without the heaviness or the ripeness. This wine holds back, just enough, to affirm its poised balance in terms of fruit richness, texture and tannic structure. It shows symmetry throughout. Dark cherry fruit, cassis, plum, lavender and campfire ash set the tone. The mouthfeel is thickly woven and generous, more so than the more linear and focused 2016 Brunello Pianrosso (that I preferred by a tiny margin). 2024 - 2045.

97 Points - Wine Spectator: 
There's a bright edge to this red, harnessing the cherry, strawberry, rosehip, mineral and tobacco flavors that build on the palate to a long finish. Displays terrific energy and balance, with an aftertaste that echoes both fruit and savory elements. Best from 2024 through 2050. 833 cases made, 450 cases imported.

97 Points - Wine Enthusiast:
Fragrant, full bodied and refined, this opens with aromas of new leather vanilla, baked plum and camphor. The palate shows an enviable combination of structure, finesse and length, doling out raspberry jam, ripe black cherry, vanilla and licorice enveloped in firm, refined tannins. — Kerin O’Keefe