It sure would be a time saver to simply copy and paste the critics’ reviews of today’s wine. But I’d like to focus not only on how good it is but what an exceptional value it is relative to other red wine collectibles of its quality.
This level of wine from Bordeaux would cost you twice as much. It’s an entirely different animal from any Bordeaux you’ll ever drink, but I’m not comparing styles here: I’m comparing the relative market value of wines from two of the world’s greatest terroirs, and how Brunello di Montalcino, however misguidedly, still commands less at the elite level. So today, I encourage you to take advantage of this (fast-disappearing) disparity. The 2013 vintage in Montalcino is a triumphant return to top form, and Ciacci Piccolomini’s iconic “Pianrosso”—named for the single vineyard it is sourced from and only produced in outstanding vintages—is a wine any collector would be proud to own. Then again, maybe you don’t have a wine cellar but like to drink the best. Treat this one right and you can enjoy it now and over the next decade-plus. The only “score” we give around here is a quality-to-price ratio, which for this wine is chart-bustingly high—grab up to six bottles for your cellar (or wine fridge) and celebrate one of Tuscany’s most beautiful and enduring estates.
Ciacci Piccolomini is one of Montalcino’s true showpieces, spanning more than 220 hectares of vineyards, olive groves, pasture, and forests on Montalcino’s south slope, near the Medieval village of Castelnuovo dell’Abate. It dates to the 17th century when the Bishop of Montalcino built a palazzo on the property, which, following his death, was owned by a succession of noble families. In 1985, the Countess Elda Ciacci Piccolomini bequeathed the entire farm to its longtime manager, Giuseppe Bianchini, whose children, Paolo and Lucia, run the estate today. In addition to having restored the incredible antique buildings and cellar, the Bianchinis farm 57 hectares of vineyards organically, with official certification expected by 2020.
“Vigna di Pianrosso,” which looks south toward Tuscany’s Monte Amiata, is at an elevation of about 300 meters and is so named for the reddish (rosso) tint to its marl soils, which are rich in iron. It covers 12 hectares and is only featured in single-vineyard bottlings in exceptional vintages. The wine is fermented in a mix of stainless steel tanks and glass-lined concrete vats, then aged 36 months in Slavonian oak barrels of assorted sizes (ranging from 7.5 hectoliters to 62). Then there’s about a year of refinement in bottle before the wine is released for sale.
And as with other 2013s we’ve tasted, the 2013 Pianrosso is powerful and fairly generous in its youth, with enough dark-fruited extract to tame the firmly structured tannins. In the glass, it’s a deep ruby/garnet extending to a pink/orange rim—the right color for Tuscan Sangiovese, which is a good sign—with heady aromas of Morello cherries, black raspberry, dark chocolate, leather, tobacco, and wild herbs. It is focused and linear rather than big and blocky, with a long, potpourri-scented finish. It’s more about density than mass—if that makes any sense—and will make for some sleek, stylish drinking over the next 10+ years. Serve it at 60-65 degrees in Bordeaux stems (closer to 60 is better) with beef or veal stew when the temperatures start to drop later this year. Save the rest for winter nights yet to come. Enjoy!
