Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona di Bianchini

Many of Europe’s wineries remain in the hands of the wealthy families that began them generations ago. And there’s a certain romanticism about their long histories. Ciacci Piccolomini may have started out on that path, but the story takes a turn when Contessa Elda Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona died in 1985 without heirs and bequeathed everything to Guiseppe Bianchini, who had been serving as general manager. Guiseppe’s children, Paolo and Lucia, took over operations after their father died in 2004. With this history in mind, you can see a blending of old and new, tradition and modernity, both in the wine and in the estate.

The visitor center reflects Paolo’s love of cycling. And they have a wolf habitat on grounds with several wolves from central Europe. The wine offerings include three Brunello’s, a Rosso di Montalcino, and two blends, Ateo and Fabius, both of which are seen as quite revolutionary for Montalcino since they use French grapes.

Our visit was enjoyable, but not our favorite of the trip. Maybe it would have been better if we had shown up on time. We had trouble finding the place, and our tour guide was somewhat perturbed by our tardiness. The tour was good, but the tasting better. We chose the 2013 Brunello di Montalcino to bring back. Drink date is 2021 to 2033.