Damiano Ciolli Awards

94 - CIRSIUM CESANESE DOC RISERVA 2015

Good full ruby. An extremely pungent floral quality (geranium, lavender, violet, peony and iris) lifts the red fruit-scented nose further complicated by quinine, cardamom and juniper; Gin lovers will love this. Bright, juicy and dense, with a Pinot Noir-like lightness of being and very pure flinty red cherry, rose petal and herbal nuances that linger impressively. Finishes long and suave with silky tannins and repeating floral notes. Spent 10 days on the skins and was fermented in cement with no temperature control; then moved one year to large oak barrels before spending another year in cement tanks. Cirsium is usually released to the market after another twelve–eighteen months in bottle. One of Italy’s truly great red wines made from Cesanese d’Affile and Comune vines planted in 1953. Ciolli has now rented another small historic vineyard of Cesanese Comune planted in 1944 that is situated close to the original Cirsium vineyard. This has allowed him to slightly increase the number of bottles he makes of Cirsium a year (depending on the vintage, there are roughly 3,000-4,500 bottles produced annually). Strangely enough, in the 2017 vintage it is the Cirsium that is more floral and lighter on its feet than the Silene.

93 - SILENE CESANESE DOC SUPERIORE 2017

Deep ruby. Concentrated aromas and flavors of dark plum, black cherry, botanical herbs and minerals. Suave, rich and dense, with a multilayered ripe quality that lingers impressively on the long smooth finish. Rather big and luscious for Silene, which is usually characterized by fresher red cherry, berry and floral notes, this big, opulent wine is a remarkable success in the difficult 2017 vintage. In fact, because of the extreme heat that characterized the 2017 growing season, the grapes were harvested in early September instead of the end of September/beginning of October as is customary in the area. Winemaker Letizia Rocchi’s ninety years old grandmother Fiorina remembers this was by far the earliest Cesanese grapes were ever picked at the estate. Depending on the vintage, about 16,000-25,000 bottles are made a year. One of the most atypical but also best Silene ever.