Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona Brunello di Montalcino 2015

Extremely perfumed and decadent with dried flowers and spices and fresh mushrooms. Cherries,too. Full body. Solid core of fruit, yet ever so fine tannins. Goes on for minutes. Such beautifully crafted tannins. Drink after 2021.

Enticing aromas of ripe wild berry, iris, camphor and sunbaked soil take shape in the glass. Full in feel and enveloping, the smooth, delicious palate doles out juicy Marasca cherry, raspberry jam, licorice and tobacco while firm, velvety tannins provide support. It boasts concentration and structure but also balance, thanks to the fruit richness and freshness. Drink 2023–2030.

The Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona estate enjoys a beautiful and huge expanse of vineyards at the back of the Castelnuovo dell'Abate village, where the downward slope of the hamlet meets the Orcia River, which delineates the appellation border. The estate's 2015 Brunello di Montalcino offers lovely harmony and elegance. The wine's taste profile follows the soft contours and beautiful horizons that characterize this beautiful part of Tuscany. The mouthfeel is medium-weight but carefully balanced with just enough acidity to add brightness. It shows just enough backbone to guarantee staying power and longevity. That said, the tannins are carefully integrated into the delicate fiber of the wine. This is no doubt one of the most graceful Brunellos to emerge from the 2015 vintage. Some 74,500 bottles were released in January 2020.

Clear, intense garnet red. Very inviting and open nose of ripe, fresh cherries, plums and some pickled peach. Round and supple on the attack and course, initially still a bit timid, then opens up with grippy tannin in many strands, in the final firm drive and long finish.

Meaty and leathery with plenty of balsamic notes. Full and rich with stewed fruit, liquorice aromas and a hint of woodsmoke. Firm finish with spicy black fruit aromatics.