Thanksgiving Deal Ciacci Piccolomini D'aragona Brunello Di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Di Pianrosso Santa Caterina D'oro 2015 Now 85% Cheaper [HCxSamWe]

97 points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, November 2020

The 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna di Pianrosso Santa Caterina d'Oro is a fine and delicate wine that cleverly delivers the intensity of the vintage but without the heaviness or the ripeness. This wine holds back, just enough, to affirm its poised balance in terms of fruit richness, texture and tannic structure. It shows symmetry throughout. Dark cherry fruit, cassis, plum, lavender and campfire ash set the tone. The mouthfeel is thickly woven and generous, more so than the more linear and focused 2016 Brunello Pianrosso (that I preferred by a tiny margin). This special Riserva represents a 11,000-bottle production.

Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona boasts its unique style that is undoubtedly shaped by the very special microclimate nestled on the backside of the Castelnuovo dell'Abate hill where this estate is located, with panoramic views of Monte Amiata and the rolling hills of Tuscany at its southern flank. I've seen the sunset from this property, and these grapes are kissed by those last golden rays of the day. I am struck by the warmth of personality on offer by this exciting range of new releases. This terrain is wild and unexplored, off the proverbial beaten path, both figuratively and literally.

- Monica Larner