Started off the long holiday weekend the right way – in the air conditioning with Brunello and Duck Risotto.
The 2006 Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona Brunello di Montalcino is just as I remembered from tastings past; the house style hasn’t changed at all.
The wine was opened for 45 minutes before dinner but not decanted. In the glass, the color is a pretty violet, with medium depth, clear to the rim. Naturally, very young looking. Aromas flow generously from the glass. Fresh berries, new suede and leather, slight piney brush like earthiness. In that sense, it’s somewhat rustic, perhaps a bit less polished than other Brunello.
In the mouth the wine is fresh and vibrant with juicy berry flavors, sweet tobacco and balanced acids and tannins. Very nice indeed, but not as complex as some 2006’s have shown. That said, it’s a delicious Sangiovese that I think will cellar nicely for 5-7 years and evolve into a rustic, elegant Brunello. Good value here too. 90 points, about $29.
| 2006 Ciacci Brunello di Montalcino |
With the Brunello, we had a delicious Risotto of duck confit, grilled chicken, shittake mushrooms and English peas. The pairing was amazing. The finished plated risotto below, but a full post soon devoted to the step by step creation of this wonderful dish.
Salute!
| Risotto with duck confit, grilled chicken, shittake mushrooms and English peas |
John, I think I have another one of these around; should be interesting to see in a few years if I like it just as much as I did earlier this year.
I would say that Brunello is maybe the most consistently good wines I've tasted, having not found one I didn't like or love.
Dennis,
In good vintages, I couldn't agree more. And now that Brunello have come down so much in price, there really isn't a good reason to not buy as much as you can afford if you're an Italian wine lover. Ciacci was always a bit too rustic for my tastes, but this wasn't too far in that direction. The 06's are just lovely. (I sound like a broken record)