Blog: Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona | Toskana

The history of Ciacci Piccolomini
Ciacci Piccolomini is a renowned winery in the heart of the Val d'Orcia in picturesque Tuscany. Since its foundation many decades ago, the winery has made a name for itself for outstanding Brunello di Montalcino and an unsurpassed winemaking tradition.

An eventful family history
The Ciacci Piccolomini estate dates back to the 17th century and preserves its historical heritage in a palace built in the same period by the Bishop of Montalcino and Abbot of S. Antimo Abbey, Fabivs de' Vecchis.

After the bishop's death, the palazzo was auctioned off together with the extensive agricultural land in accordance with the Italian law on ecclesiastical estates and purchased by Countess Eva Bernini Cerretani on September 16, 1868. On December 31, 1877, Countess Cerretani in turn sold the entire estate to the Ciacci family from Castelnuovo. After the marriage in the first half of the 20th century between Count Alberto Piccolomini d'Aragona, descendant of the family of Enea Silvio Piccolomini, known as Pope Pius II, and Miss Elda Ciacci, the so-called Palazzo del Vescovo became Palazzo Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona.

In 1985, after the extinction of the family line, the property was inherited by Giuseppe Bianchini, who had already been working in the winery for many years and in those years pursued a completely new and avant-garde production philosophy, developing and improving production and wine quality and opening up the export of our products all over the world. Giuseppe passed away in February 2004, leaving the task of continuing his work to his children Paolo and Lucia.

The vineyards in Montalcino
The south-facing vineyards of Sangiovese grosso are located in the heart of the Val d'Orcia Park, a Unesco World Heritage Site. The soil is a marlstone of medium texture from the Eocene period.

The Sangiovese grosso clone is selected from old vines on the estate and is characterized by a sparse bunch and a large berry with a thick skin. It is a particularly prestigious Sangiovese variety, native to the Montalcino area, which delivers quality even in difficult vintages.

The Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 'Pianrosso' and the Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Riserva 'Vigna di Pianrosso' Santa Caterina d'Oro both come from a careful selection of grapes from a single vineyard, the oldest and most representative.

Around 11 hectares bear the name 'Pianrosso' and are located on medium-heavy, marly soils of Eocene origin between 240 and 360 meters above sea level.

The two wine cellars
Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona has two wine cellars, which are divided as follows: the historic cellar called Palazzo, which was built in the 17th century and is used for the long ageing of the best wines. And the new Molinello winery, located near Castelnuovo dell'Abate, is the official headquarters, where the offices are located in addition to the rooms for winemaking, ageing and maturing the wines.

Palazzo Piccolomini is located in the heart of Castelnuovo dell'Abate. This palazzo was built in the 17th century by the Bishop of Montalcino Fabivs de' Vecchis, Abbot of Sant'Antimo, Count Palatine and Imperial Councillor. It was in this palace that Giuseppe Bianchini and his family decided to build the winery's first headquarters in 1985. The underground cellar is the historical memory of the winery, which has always fascinated our visitors; it is used to store the old vintages and can still be visited by appointment.

First-class Brunello di Montalcino
Paolo Bianchini produces a small but fine range of first-class wines at Ciacci Piccolomini, first and foremost the elegant Brunello di Montalcino and Rosso di Montalcino. These wines offer an incomparable taste experience with excellent ageing potential and skillfully capture the essence of Tuscan winemaking. These eye-catchers are flanked by three other wines, including the two Sant'Antimo Rosso Fabivs and Ateo as well as a Rosso di Toscana. The range is rounded off with high-quality olive oil and a Grappa di Brunello. - Gerardo [TS02/24]