Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona sits on the south-east flank of Montalcino, in the medieval village of Castelnuovo dell'Abate, next to the Romanesque abbey of Sant'Antimo. The 195-hectare estate dates back to a 17th-century palace built by Bishop Fabivs de' Vecchis, and is best known for two single-vineyard Brunellos drawn from the Pianrosso vineyard. Today the family business is run by siblings Paolo and Lucia Bianchini, with the next generation already at work in the cellar and on visits.
Tuscany
Bookable experiences, curated by our editors. External booking where marked.
A guided visit of the Molinello cellar and a tailored tasting in the restored Tuscan country house opposite, with a choice of indoor tasting room or outdoor terrace. Multilingual on request (Italian, English, Japanese, French).
Book this experienceA guided visit of the Molinello cellar and a tailored tasting in the restored Tuscan country house opposite, with a choice of indoor tasting room or outdoor terrace. Multilingual on request (Italian, English, Japanese, French).
Book this experienceThe Palazzo at the heart of the estate was raised in the 17th century by Fabivs de' Vecchis, Bishop of Montalcino and Abbot of Sant'Antimo. After his death the property passed at auction to Countess Eva Bernini Cerretani in 1868, then to the Ciacci family of Castelnuovo dell'Abate in 1877. The compound name dates from the marriage of Count Alberto Piccolomini d'Aragona, a descendant of Pope Pius II, and Elda Ciacci. In 1985 Countess Elda Ciacci bequeathed the estate to Giuseppe Bianchini, the family's farmer of long standing, who modernised production, raised quality, and built export markets. Giuseppe died in 2004, leaving the business to his children Paolo and Lucia. Paolo handles winemaking and runs ASD Brunello Bike, a charity cycling club; Lucia oversees administration. Their nephew Alex looks after cellar work and logistics, while Ester runs public relations. The 50 hectares of vineyard sit inside the Val d'Orcia Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, looking south across the Orcia river toward Monte Amiata. Soils are medium-grain marl and shale of Eocene age, and the workhorse here is a clone of Sangiovese Grosso selected from the estate's oldest vines, picked for thick-skinned berries that hold up in difficult vintages. The flagship Pianrosso vineyard alone covers 11.69 hectares between 240 and 360 metres above sea level. The cellar produces Brunello di Montalcino DOCG in three readings: a base estate bottling, the single-vineyard Pianrosso, and the Riserva Vigna di Pianrosso Santa Caterina d'Oro from a careful selection of grapes within Pianrosso itself. Beyond Brunello sit Rosso di Montalcino DOC and Rossofonte, two Sant'Antimo DOC wines (Fabivs and Ateo), an IGT Toscana red, an organic estate olive oil, and a Grappa di Brunello Riserva from Pianrosso pomace. Two cellars share the work: the historic underground rooms below the Palazzo, where the oldest vintages still rest, and the modern Molinello cellar near Castelnuovo dell'Abate, designed by Giuseppe Bianchini and opened at the end of the 1990s. Visits are by reservation only, with tastings in a restored Tuscan country house opposite the cellar.
Editorially verified by ItalianWines.co.uk.
Plate I · TUSCANY
Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona's current bottle selection is led by Brunello di Montalcino DOCG. The clearest grape signal comes from Sangiovese and Merlot.
8 wines 
Tastings
Tours
Accommodation
Booking required 
