Montalcino is nothing if not rich in history, and there is an abundance of it at Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona. The palazzo and its land originally belonged to the church. After the unification of Italy, these were expropriated, and eventually purchased by one Francesco Ciacci. His daughter married into the noble Piccolomini d’Aragano family, and became a countess. When she died at a ripe old age with no direct heirs, she bequeathed the estate to her (astonished) property manager, Giuseppe Bianchini. It was his subsequent rationalizing, replanting and improving of the vineyards that has made this traditionally-styled Brunello such a high-quality success.
Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona lies a little west of Castelnuovo dell’Abate, with Monte Amiata not far off and the River Orcia below. The best vineyards perch at between 240 and 360 meters, with the combination of altitude and south-western exposure offering ideal conditions for ripening balanced fruit. Time has vindicated Giuseppe Bianchini’s decision to vinify the fruit of the Pianrosso vineyard separately. Pianrosso means ‘red field’, a reference to the iron-rich soils here, and Bianchini spotted the distinct, exceptional merits of the site early on. These days, Bianchini’s children Paolo and Lucia manage the estate. They keep things traditional, with long macerations in glass-lined cement tanks. Aging takes place in traditional botti. (NT 03/04/24)