Ciacci Piccolomini D'Aragona Ciacci Piccolomini Brunello di Montalcino Pianrosso 2020
DOCG

Ciacci Piccolomini Brunello di Montalcino Pianrosso

Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona
Vintages 2020 2019 2018

Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona's single-vineyard Brunello, from the 11.69-hectare Pianrosso parcel on galestro and marl above the Orcia river. Three years in Slavonian oak botti build a ruby-to-garnet Sangiovese of forest-floor depth, Morello cherry an

UK Market From £44.71 Found across 3 retailers
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Tasting Notes

Tasting Pianrosso, Ciacci Piccolomini's flagship single vineyard

Forest floor, leather and Morello cherry over firm, oak-built tannin: the savoury Sangiovese signature of the galestro Pianrosso parcel, drawn from producer notes, critic scores and nearly 10,000 Vivino ratings.

Tasted by
ItalianWines editorial
Tasted on
6 June 2026
Source
Drinker consensus · confidence Medium
Taste profile
Body Light / Full
Tannins Smooth / Grippy
Sweetness Dry / Sweet
Acidity Soft / Crisp
Nose

Pianrosso opens ruby-to-garnet and savoury rather than sweet, the galestro-and-marl site at Castelnuovo dell'Abate showing in forest floor, dried leather and underbrush that Vivino's 9,938 reviewers flag as its signature earthy register. Above that sit Morello cherry and plum, with the spice the three years in Slavonian botti lend: liquorice, tobacco, a turn of black pepper. Recent vintages bring camphor and crushed violet, the floral and mentholated lift Kerin O'Keefe and Vinous both single out.

VioletViolet
Black cherryBlack cherry
PlumPlum
TobaccoTobacco
Forest FloorForest Floor
LeatherLeather
OakOak
Black pepperBlack pepper
LiquoriceLiquorice
Palate

This is full-bodied, warm Sangiovese from a southern, sun-exposed Montalcino slope at 240 to 360 metres, so the fruit is ripe and the alcohol generous, 14.5% in 2018 and 2019 and nearer 15% in the warmer 2020. The galestro keeps it honest: bright, almost sanguine acidity and the iron-and-cherry core Wine Spectator calls out run beneath close-grained, velvety tannins built by the long oak ageing. The 2018 is the most lifted, 2019 the most complete, 2020 the richest.

Finish

Long and savoury, closing on liquorice, dried herb and the crushed-stone salinity of the Pianrosso marl rather than on oak, with firm tannin that asks for food or a few more years in bottle.

Overall

Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona's flagship single vineyard, made only in the best years and aged a year longer than the estate's straight Brunello, and it shows: Vivino's crowd rates it 4.4 from nearly 10,000 ratings and critics regularly reach the high 90s. A serious, food-driven Brunello for drinkers who want depth and cellaring over easy fruit, best from its drink-from year onward.

Best by 2038
Live UK pricing

Buying Pianrosso: vintages, prices and where it is stocked

Live UK listings span the 2018, 2019 and 2020 vintages from roughly 45 to 68 pounds, with the 2020 the most widely stocked of the three.

Best price · 75 cl £44.71 at 8wines
Price spread £44.71 – £68.44 Across 3 UK retailers tracked
Retailers tracked 3UK 3 in stock
Vintages live 2020 · 2019 · 2018 Current release: 2020
Per-litre (75 cl basis) £59.61 Per-litre price for the lowest current offer
Last checked 7 Jun 2026, 14:13 BST Refreshed once every 24 hours
Wine fit score

How Ciacci Piccolomini Pianrosso scores across six uses

Strong on food, cellar and occasion, lower on everyday drinking: a deliberate, structured Brunello rather than a midweek pour.

Best with food 9.0/10

High-tannin, bright-acid Sangiovese built for red meat, game and aged cheese; firm structure makes it a strong table red rather than a sipper.

Best for an occasion 9.0/10

High-prestige single-vineyard Brunello di Montalcino DOCG at 45 to 68 pounds with consistent high-90s critic scores; a clear occasion and gifting bottle.

Best for cellar 8.8/10

DOCG ageing-mandated Brunello with three years in Slavonian botti, high tannin and 14.5 to 15% alcohol; recent vintages drink well to 2038 and beyond.

Best value 8.0/10

Lowest live price near 45 pounds sits below the usual single-vineyard Brunello benchmark of 55 to 90 pounds; price_aggregate is unpopulated so the benchmark is category-derived.

Scoring is rule-based and deterministic. The model and weightings are documented in our editorial methodology.

Denomination Compliance Snapshot

Brunello di Montalcino in five fields

A compact view of what the Brunello di Montalcino denomination actually requires, and how this bottle sits inside it. Pulled from the official Italian disciplinare.

Allowed grapes
1 varieties listed
This bottle: Sangiovese.
Minimum ageing
Recorded by producer
Disciplinare ageing rule not yet recorded.
Region / area
Comune di Montalcino, Toscana
Source: Editorial.
Style
DOCG · Brunello di Montalcino
Classification
DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita)
What that means →
Retailer Shortlist

Where to Buy

Compare tracked offers from verified retailers at a glance. Stock is shown only where the retailer exposes it. Logos, sale pricing, and the strongest offer are surfaced first.

Best Live Price £44.71
Retailers Tracked 3
Last Checked 7 Jun 2026
Decantalo logo

Decantalo

Awaiting restock
Vintage 2020
£64.99
£86.65/L · checked 7 Jun
Notify me
75 cl · Low stock confidence
Vintages

Pianrosso vintage by vintage: 2018, 2019 and 2020

Two classic years and one warm one: the 2018 and 2019 are cool-edged and built for the cellar, while the riper 2020 reaches near 15% alcohol from 43,000 bottles.

2020 Current release
Lowest price
£44.71
Retailers
2 in stock · 1 awaiting restock
ABV
15.0%
Window
Drink now through 2036

A warm growing season gave a riper, more powerful Pianrosso at around 15% alcohol from 43,000 bottles. James Suckling scored it 98 for vibrant strawberry, cola and liquorice over firm velvety tannins, while Wine Advocate found the ripeness fuller than usual. Drink 2026 to 2036.

2019 Previous release
Lowest price
£68.44
Retailers
0 in stock · 1 awaiting restock
ABV
14.5%
Window
Drink now through 2039

A benchmark Brunello vintage, with Pianrosso harvested between 11 September and 4 October 2019 in classic conditions. Vinous awarded 100 points for crushed raspberry, Morello cherry and forest floor over silky, integrated tannins; best from 2027 to 2039.

2018 Previous release
Lowest price
£57.70
Retailers
1 in stock
ABV
14.5%
Window
Drink now through 2038

A classic, cool-edged Montalcino vintage that suited Pianrosso's south-eastern site: Kerin O'Keefe scored it 98, citing camphor, forest floor and Morello cherry in tightly woven, velvety tannins lifted by bright acidity. Drink from 2025, with cellar room to 2038.

Drink-now / hold guidance reflects general style cues for this wine, not a forecast for a specific bottle. Where vintage-level editorial notes exist, they appear above.

The disciplinare, the place, the label

Why Ciacci Piccolomini Pianrosso is priced where it is

A single-vineyard Brunello made only in the best years, aged three years in Slavonian botti and a year longer in wood than the estate's straight Brunello.

01

DOC, DOCG, IGT: what the badges mean

Italian wine law sorts bottles into a pyramid. DOCG sits at the top: tightly drawn boundaries, prescribed grapes, mandatory ageing, government tasting before release. DOC is the same idea with looser thresholds. IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) is broader still, requiring only that 85% of the grapes come from the named territory.

Brunello di Montalcino is in the DOCG tier. That is not a quality verdict, it is a description of how much freedom the producer has at vinification and ageing.

02

The denomination rules, in detail

  • Allowed grapes. 1 varieties listed in the disciplinare
  • Yield ceiling. 8.0 tonnes per hectare
  • Tasting panel. Mandatory pre-release tasting commission
03

Region and area context

Brunello di Montalcino falls within Tuscany , covering Comune di Montalcino, Toscana.

04

Reading the label

  • Ciacci Piccolomini d’AragonaProducer / estate
  • SangioveseGrape varieties (in declared order of dominance)
  • Brunello di Montalcino DOCGGeographic indication and quality tier
  • 2020Vintage (year of harvest)
  • 15.0% vol · 75 clAlcohol by volume and bottle size
  • Imbottigliato all’origineEstate-bottled
05

What sits behind the price of Ciacci Piccolomini Brunello di Montalcino Pianrosso

Tracked from
£44.71
Direction
Mostly cost up
Drivers
6 up / 0 down
Main factor
Single-vineyard selection from the 11.69-hectare Pianrosso parcel
  1. 01

    Single-vineyard selection from the 11.69-hectare Pianrosso parcel

    Cost up

    Pianrosso is bottled only in the best years from one named parcel, with its riper fruit also feeding the estate's Riserva; that selection lifts it above generic Brunello, which is why UK prices start near 45 pounds rather than the 30s.

  2. 02

    Three years in Slavonian oak botti, a year longer than the estate Brunello

    Cost up

    36 months in large Slavonian casks plus at least eight months in bottle ties up capital and cellar space well beyond the DOCG minimum, and the extra year in wood over the straight Brunello is built into the price.

  3. 03

    Brunello di Montalcino DOCG ageing and yield rules

    Cost up

    The DOCG caps yields at 8 tonnes per hectare and mandates long ageing and a release tasting, structurally raising the cost base for every bottle of Brunello before the producer adds anything.

  4. 04

    Critic demand: consistent high-90s scores

    Cost up

    A run of high-90s reviews (Vinous 100 for 2019, Suckling 98 for 2020, O'Keefe 98 for 2018) and a 4.4 Vivino average keep demand firm and support the price across vintages.

  5. 05

    UK alcohol duty and VAT

    Cost up

    At the 2026 HMRC rate of 2.67 pounds duty for still wine up to 15% ABV, plus 20% VAT, roughly 10 to 11 pounds of a 45-pound bottle is UK tax before any retailer margin.

  6. 06

    Imported in modest volume

    Cost up

    Pianrosso runs to tens of thousands of bottles a year (43,000 in 2020) split across world markets, so UK allocations are small and carry import, shipping and distributor costs that a high-volume supermarket red avoids.

Perfect Pairings

Dishes that complement this wine

Fiorentina steak, plated

Fiorentina steak
Brasato al Barolo on stoneware bowl with Bay Leaf, Beef Chuck, Carrot

Brasato al Barolo
Ossobuco alla Milanese on stoneware bowl with Beef Broth, Carrot, Celery

Ossobuco alla Milanese
Pecorino sardo e pan carasau on stoneware bowl with Honey, Olive Oil, Pan Carasau

Pecorino sardo e pan carasau
Porcini mushroom risotto, plated

Porcini mushroom risotto
Food Pairing

Sangiovese tannin and Tuscan acidity: dishes that fit Pianrosso

The estate pairs Pianrosso with game, roasted and braised meat and aged cheese; its firm tannin and bright acidity want protein and fat, not delicate fish.

Tannin softening Strong match

Bistecca alla Fiorentina and grilled red meat

Pianrosso's close-grained, oak-built tannins need protein and fat to soften, and a charred Tuscan T-bone gives them exactly that. The wine's savoury, iron-and-cherry core is local to the same Sangiovese-and-galestro country as the steak, so structure and flavour pull in one direction.

Try with: Fiorentina steak · ribeye steak · grilled lamb chops · tagliata · More pairings →

Body matching Strong match

Brasato, ossobuco and slow-braised meat

This is a full-bodied Brunello at 14.5 to 15% alcohol, so it wants dishes with matching weight and long-cooked depth. Braised beef and veal shank meet that body, while the wine's bright acidity cuts the marrow and reduction richness rather than being flattened by it.

Try with: Brasato al Barolo · Ossobuco alla Milanese · beef stew · lamb shank · More pairings →

Aromatic bridge Good match

Mushroom and forest-floor dishes

The earthy, leather and undergrowth notes that Vivino's reviewers most often name in Pianrosso bridge straight to mushroom and truffle. The shared savoury, autumnal register makes the wine taste more complex alongside porcini than against any fruit-led plate.

Try with: Porcini mushroom risotto · truffle risotto · mushroom pappardelle · More pairings →

Fat cutting Good match

Aged pecorino and hard mountain cheese

Sangiovese acidity and firm tannin slice through the salt and fat of a well-matured cheese, while the wine's spice from three years in Slavonian botti echoes the nuttiness of aged pecorino. A classic Tuscan close to a meal.

Try with: Pecorino sardo e pan carasau · aged pecorino · hard mountain cheese · More pairings →

Acidity matching Good match

Game and roasted dark meat

The producer pairs Pianrosso with hare, pheasant and wild boar, and the logic holds: the wine's lively acidity and savoury tannin frame gamey, slightly sweet dark meat without either side overpowering the other. Reach for older vintages as the tannin settles.

Try with: Wild boar ragu · roast pheasant · venison stew · roast duck · More pairings →

Avoid Clash

Delicate fish, raw shellfish and chilli heat

Pianrosso's firm tannin and 14.5 to 15% alcohol overwhelm delicate seafood and turn metallic against oily or raw fish, while chilli heat is amplified by the alcohol. Save this Brunello for red meat, game and cheese, and pour a coastal Tuscan Vermentino with the lighter plates.

Skip with: Sushi · oysters · grilled sole · spicy chilli dishes · Pairing guide →

Drinking + cellar

Cellaring Pianrosso from Castelnuovo dell'Abate

Recent vintages drink well past 2038, the 2019 the longest-lived of the trio; firm tannin and high-90s critic scores make it a keeper as well as a table wine.

Drinking window
2026 → 2036

Peak around 2030. Best in the years above; holds without falling over either side.

Decanting
h1

A short splash decant softens the first-pour edge and opens the aromatics.

Cellar potential
High

DOCG ageing-mandated Brunello with three years in Slavonian botti, high tannin and 14.5 to 15% alcohol; recent vintages drink well to 2038 and beyond.

Buy now or wait?
Buy now

£44.71 is the lowest tracked offer for the current vintage and we have no signal of further discounting.

Sources & trust

Where these Pianrosso notes come from

Prices & stock

Read directly from each retailer’s public product page once a day. Last refresh: 7 Jun 2026, 14:13 BST. We do not hold stock and we do not accept payment for placement.

Confidence · High
Tasting notes

Drawn from what drinkers consistently report on Vivino and Wine-Searcher, summarised in our own words. A crowd read across many tasters, not a single critic.

Confidence · Medium
Appellation rules & ageing

From the official Italian disciplinare for this denomination, cross-checked against the Ministry of Agriculture register.

Confidence · High
Why it costs what it costs

Our reading of the price, drawn from the disciplinare, public UK duty rates, and typical landed-cost benchmarks. Not a quote from the producer or a retailer.

Confidence · Medium
Drink window & cellar potential

Style guidance for this kind of wine at this price point. Treat it as advice, not a forecast for the bottle in your hand.

Confidence · Medium
Related

Explore Sangiovese, Brunello di Montalcino and Tuscany

Producer
Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona Tuscany
Grapes
Sangiovese
Denomination
Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
Region
Tuscany Region guide
Cuisine
Italian Cuisine 5 dishes paired

Common Questions

It is 100% Sangiovese, as required for Brunello di Montalcino DOCG. The fruit comes from the single 11.69-hectare Pianrosso vineyard, replanted in the 1980s on galestro and marl in the warm south-eastern corner of Montalcino near Castelnuovo dell'Abate.

Pianrosso ferments in temperature-controlled stainless steel and glass-lined concrete tanks, then ages for three years (36 months) in large Slavonian oak botti, followed by at least eight months in bottle. That is a year longer in wood than the estate's straight Brunello, which is why it carries more spice and depth.

Both, depending on the vintage. The 2018 drinks well from 2025 to around 2038, the 2019 is best from 2027 to 2039, and the warmer, riper 2020 is approachable from 2026. All reward an hour open in the glass; for younger bottles, cellaring softens the firm tannin.

Red meat, game and aged cheese. The estate recommends stewed and roasted meat and game such as hare, pheasant and wild boar, and mature cheeses. Classic Italian matches include Bistecca alla Fiorentina, brasato, ossobuco and porcini risotto. Avoid delicate fish and chilli heat.

Very highly rated. Critics regularly score it in the high 90s: Kerin O'Keefe gave the 2018 a 98, Vinous awarded the 2019 a perfect 100, and James Suckling scored the 2020 a 98. Vivino's drinkers rate the wine 4.4 out of 5 across nearly 10,000 ratings.

Current UK listings run from about 45 pounds to 68 pounds a bottle depending on vintage and retailer, which is competitive for a single-vineyard Brunello di Montalcino. The 2020 is the most widely stocked of the available vintages.

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Ciacci Piccolomini Brunello di Montalcino Pianrosso
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