Ciacci Piccolomini Tasting at Wine Watch May 1st 7:30pm

Ciacci Piccolomini Tasting at Wine Watch
 with Owner Paolo Bianchini
Saturday, May 1st
7:30pm

We are excited to have the owner of this famous property in the store tonight- this is Paolo Bianchini's first visit to Florida!  Paolo will lead the group in a tasting that will feature all of his current releases including the highly anticipated release of the 2004 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva!  This will be a walk around tasting and is limited to 25 tasters, chef Michael Saperstein will be on hand serving up a few small courses to accompany the tasting wines.  The fee for this tasting is $35 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463.

2007 Ciacci Piccolomini D'Aragona IGT Toscana Rosso
Price: $11.50    Sale $10.12      Case $117

Red berry fruit, wild strawberry and fresh earth, button mushrooms but the focus is on the ripe delicious red berry fruit. Very fruity and forward on the palate with lots of red berry fruit and just a note of Tuscan Terroir very forward and seductive. Finish 30+ Very Good

2007 Ciacci Piccolomini Rosso D'Montalcino
Price: $27         Sale $23.76      Case $276

Ripe red cherry and strawberry like fruit on the nose with notes of underbrush, coco and spice.  Bright red berry fruit on the tongue with dusty earth light tannins and a nice light savory finish echoing the spice notes form the nose on the finish.  Finish 35+  VERY GOOD +

2004 Ciacci Piccolomini Brunello di Montalcino
Price: $48.25    Sale $42.46      Case $492

(92 Points) The 2004 Brunello di Montalcino reveals sweet, open aromatics that meld seamlessly into a perfumed core of ripe red fruits. This is one of the more intensely scented, fruit-driven Brunellos of the vintage. The wine reveals superior density and richness in an engaging style. The softness of the tannins makes the wine accessible even today, yet the flavor profile is decidedly youthful. Readers looking for a measure of tertiary development will need to give the wine a few years in bottle. This bottling is made from the estate’s youngest vines. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2022.   Proprietor Paolo Bianchini has a lovely set of wines on his hands with these new releases. Fans of the estate can also look forward to the 2004 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, which will be released next year. Wine Advocate # 183 Jun 2009

2004 Ciacci Piccolomini Brunello di Montalcino Pianrosso
Price: $61.50    Sale $54.12      Sale $627

(94 Points) The estate’s 2004 Brunello di Montalcino Pianrosso possesses striking depth as endless layers of sweet, perfumed fruit emerge with tons of grace. This, too, is an intense, full-bodied wine. The balance here is utterly exceptional, and the wine’s sheer plumpness makes for a highly rewarding glass of Brunello. Succulent dark cherries, spices, underbrush, minerals and new leather come to life as the wine sits in the glass, yet this remains a backward, structured Brunello in need of serious bottle age. The Pianrosso is a terrific effort from proprietor Paolo Bianchini. Ciacci’s Pianrosso is an old-vines selection that spent 36 months in Slavonian oak. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024. Wine Advocate # 183 Jun 2009

2004 Ciacci Piccolomini Brunello di Montalcino Pianrosso Riserva
Price: $101.25  Sale $89.32      Case $1032

The Brunello Riserva is the result of a careful selection in both the Pianrosso Vineayrds and in the cellar.  An intense and complex bouquet fruit forward, spicy and etherial with hints of red berries and various spices.  Warm, harmonic with pronounced and soft tannins.  A full bodied wine with a very long finish.

2007 Ciacci Piccolomini Ateo 
Price: $35.75    Sale $31.46      Case $365

This vintage showcases a new blend that focuses only on Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.  This wine, introduced now with a new label, continues its path towards improvement and renovation.  The bouquet is intense with vibrant herbal, spicy and fruit forward notes.  Very well structured, full bodied, quite soft and balanced with pronounced tannins.  a wine with a great personality and a long finish.

2007 Ciacci Piccolomini d Aragona Fabius
Price: $27         Sale $23.76      Case $276

This wine is dedicated to Fabius de Vecchis, bishop of Montalcino, who in 1672 built the Palazzo which houses the estates headquarters and historic cellar.  The bouquet is intense, complex and persistent with hints of blueberry, plum and cherry enriched by elegant spicy notes.  Warm, soft, well balanced, persistent with round tannins.  It expresses power, persistence, delicacy and a great character. ‘

2006 Ciacci Piccolomini d Aragona Montecucco Sangiovese
Price: $33.25    Sale $29.26      Case $340

(88 Points) The 2006 Sangiovese is made in the Montecucco appellation which lies across the valley from the southern part of the Brunello region. This fruity, vinous Sangiovese is loaded with plenty of up-front fruit and an engaging, supple personality. It is a pretty wine to drink now and over the next two to three years. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2010. Proprietor Paolo Bianchini is upbeat about his 2003 Brunellos. It is the first vintage in which he had the tools to perform a cold soak, which he feels was especially critical in preserving as much freshness as possible in the wines. For the Brunellos, fermentation and maceration lasted several weeks and the wines were aged in cask.

Menu

Assorted Italian cheeses

Oven Dried Roma Tomato and Goat cheese Mousse line Layered with Fresh Basil and Served on a Garlic Crostini

Veal & Mozzarella "Meatballs" with Porcini Scented-Tomato Puree

Mini pork sausage pizzas with roasted peppers and Parmesiano Reggiano

A bit about Ciacci Piccolomini:

In 31 December 1877 the Countess Cerretani sold the entire property to Francesco Ciacci, head of a Castelnuovo-based family. In the mid 1900s, the so-called "Palazzo del Vescovo" became known as the Palazzo Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona after the marriage between Count Alberto Piccolomini d'Aragona, the direct descendent of Enea Silvio Piccolomini (Pope Pius II) and Elda Ciacci. In 1985, in the absence of direct successors, the property was inherited by Giuseppe Bianchini. He and his family took residence in the Palazzo, the head quarters for the agricultural estate. They uphold the heritage of the property and, with determination and pride, maintain the traditions and culture that are part and parcel of the estate. Sadly Giuseppe, a wine man, extrovert and Montalcino "character", passed away in February 2004, leaving a huge loss and an immense series of projects for his children to accomplish. Paolo and Lucia, who already flanked him in the estate administration are now at the helm of the Tenuta Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona. In order to cherish Giuseppe's memory, the Bianchini family dedicated the estate's 1999 Riserva to him since it is thanks to his work and dedication that the estate has reached the highest levels. The Cateriniano Committee awarded him the prestigious international prize "Santa Caterina d'Oro - Città di Siena" for his life's work and demonstrated attachment to this area.

The Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona estate covers roughly 200 hectares ( 494 acres ) of which 40 ( 98,94 acres ) are dedicated to vineyards, another 40 to olive groves and the remainder is divided between grain crops, woodland and pasture. Those who wish to fully appreciate the poetry of the landscape in this area may be interested to learn that the estate has several farmhouses available for rent. The farmhouses have been restored with great attention to the typical characteristics of Tuscan country homes. Moreover each window forms a picture frame for incredible views: the Orcia river which winds like a silver ribbon at the bottom of the valley, Monte Amiata and its imposing profile, fields, woods and vineyards, all redolent of the peace and beauty of this area.

Over the course of the last decade Ciacci Piccolomini has become 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 (from which the best grapes are selected for the Brunello di Montalcino) and the "Fonte" vineyard, which produces grapes for the Rosso di Montalcino.  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:  "Ateo," which means "atheist", is a statement against the restrictive laws that govern winemaking in Italy; the wine is a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and received 93 points from Parker for the 1999 vintage.  The 100% Syrah "Fabius" is one of the greatest expressions of that varietal in Italy: Robert Parker also agrees here with a 94 point review for the 1999 vintage!  The estate is a member of the EU "Lotta Integrata" movement, which promotes reduced use of chemicals and organic viticulture; at Ciacci, fertilization is organic, and pruning and harvest are done by hand.  

It is easier to pick out the bad vintages from Montalcino than the good ones as the producers from this region have experienced an unprecedented streak of great vintages over the last two decades, with the standout vintages of the last two decades being: 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001 and the newly released 2004 vintage.  The earliest a wine can be released with the Brunello di Montalcino moniker is 5 years after the harvest with average vintages like 1991, 1993, 1996, 1998, 2000 and 2003 making the best choices for drinking upon release or with a small amount of cellaring.  Even though the 2004's are released rest assured most of them will not be drinking at their peak for another 5-10 years.