2015 Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona Brunello di Montalcino Tuscany 750 ml

When one of our favorite bargain Brunello estates meets one of the greatest vintages of all time, we expect stellar. 

And the 2015 Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona left us speechless. 

Led with aromas of pipe tobacco and cherry, followed by a rich and layered palate of Morello cherry, leather, and minerals, this first-class Brunello seduced us from the second we pulled the cork—and left the critics in a similar state of bliss. James Suckling crowned it with a best-ever 98 points, Wine Enthusiast backed that up with a 97-point Editors’ Choice nod, and Wine Advocate called it “no doubt one of the most graceful Brunellos to emerge from the 2015 vintage.”

Those are the kind stratospheric scores and rave reviews that normally set us up for the shock of a triple-digit price—but when it’s Ciacci, we and the Wine Access faithful that have given their Brunellos 4.5 out of 5 stars know better. This best-ever bottle is just $60. Considering what it normally costs to fill your cellar with 98-point Brunello, we recommend grabbing as much as you can, and guaranteeing a decade of your own Brunello bliss. 

Even before Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona established itself as one of the most sought-after Brunellos in Tuscany, the estate had a fantastic story. The property is partially located on a Unesco World Heritage site, and sits in close proximity to the medieval village of Castelnuovo dell'Abate and the 11th-century Romanesque Abbey of Sant'Antimo. It was in the Countess Elda Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona’s family for a century, and when she passed away in 1985, she did something shocking: She left it all to her estate manager.

That man was Giuseppe Bianchini, and for the next 20 years he did what the countess had never done. He planted vines in earnest, and focused on elevating the estate’s wines and bringing them to the world. 

After Giuseppe passed away in 2004, his son Paolo quit a promising professional cycling career in order to take over at Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona. It didn’t take long for him to assert himself as a winemaker: He placed a 2007 Brunello at #9 on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of the Year, and one of his 2012s was named one of the top 50 wines in the world by influential Italian magazine Gazzetta dello Sport. 

Now, Paolo Bianchini is a big name in the world of Tuscan wine, and his Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona is one of our most consistent picks for top-notch Brunello at a reasonable price. And like a cyclist putting in his greatest performance on the biggest stage, Paolo has risen to the occasion of the best vintage ever. And Brunello lovers are the big winners.