2012 Ciacci Piccolomini, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy.
A lovely vintage for Brunello, this 2012 Ciacci Piccolomini shows all the joys of the year, not overtly ripe and with fresh, long and elegant detail this is a beautifully made effort. Good even now, especially with decanting, this wine looks set to be a classic, as it gives rich fruit, spice and mineral with layers of black cherry, plum, raspberry, currant and mulberry along with fresh cut flowers, graphite/flint and cigar wrapper. Look for the medium/full 2012 Ciacci Piccolomini Brunello to gain weight and expression in 5 to 10 years in bottle, this will be a really rewarding wine in the near future as well and for the price it’s a bargain, but also don’t miss the ripe and juicy 2015 Ciacci Piccolomini Rosso di Montalcino, which is a full bodied, flamboyant “Baby” Brunello, which at $25 is a downright steal! Though the style and structure of the Brunello is hard to fault as a more serious wine, it’s livelier acidity and firmer tannins make it a more classic offering, it’s difficult to imagine it not being a stellar choice in a few years time, even though it might be a touch muted and subtle in it’s youth, I’d say it will rise in score a couple of points in 3 or 4 years. That said, I love this vintage for it’s refinement and the touches of almost Bordeaux like qualities. Lingering anise, dried violets, sweet oak notes and strawberry add to the overall depth of the experience. The latest Ciacci wines are brilliant, imported by Indigenous Selections and Skurnik Wines, are well worth searching out, they continue to impress and deliver Tuscan goodness.
($60 Est.) 92-94 Points, grapelive
