Inspiring tasting for the Prime Donne with two 5 star Brunello: the brand new 2012 and the 2010 ready to be prepared for bottling

Daniela Scrobogna and Astrid Schwarztogether with the consultant wine

My daughter and the Prime Donne on tasting

maker Valérie Lavigne and the cellar master Barbara Magnani finished the tasting with a smile, sure to have chosen wines that will have an impact.

With no Brunello 2009 to taste, vintage where the selection Brunello Prime Donne will not be produced, the super tasters concentrated on the vintages 2012 and 2010.
The 2012 inspired them for its power and fullness already well expressed only a few months from vinification. The new 5 and 7 hl barrels in French oak have been chosen for the first phase in ageing of this sumptuous wine.
For the future Brunello 2010 it was in fact the last tasting before bottling. The blend between small and medium barrels chosen by the tasters will permit production of only 6.600 bottles. Less than foreseen by decidedly excellent.

The Brunello dedicated to women, in the direction for Sangiovese and Montalcino tipicity, a new research of personality and finesse with little “oak effect”

Brunello2008_PrimeDonne

The Brunello Prime Donne 2008 expresses its full belonging to the identity of Sangiovese and Montalcino. In other words it exalts those characteristics of the grape variety and of the Brunello territory that right on the Montalcino hill reach their excellence. A choice that puts the wine’s personality in the role as protagonist. The choice of refined style is also evident: a togetherness of harmony, elegance, roundness and lengthiness.

The effect of the barrel ageing, where the wine has rested for more than two years, becomes softer also because of the choice of medium and large barrels after the winemaker Valerie Lavigne asked us to empty our cellar of barriques.

The French winemaker Valérie Lavigne arrives at Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s estate with the intention of tasting the future Brunello in the winery. Impossible to go into the vineyards.

Fattora del Colle - degustazione Brunello 2007

It was also impossible to taste the future Brunello 2008 with the 4 Prime Donne tasters. Too much snow, real mounds all over the place. However we are able to have a blind tasting of 6 new Brunello 2007 chosen among those in the same price range as ours.

The result is comforting, all excellent wines, Montalcino puts on show some true gems this year even thug they have some very different personalities for each winery. Ours is loved by al and this pleases us greatly.

Valérie Lavigne and the cellar master Barbara Magnani work for hours in the small office on the ground floor where, one hundred years ago the head farmer of Fattoria del Colle kept his writings. Inside this room the perfume of wine is intriguing and there are a dozen bottles around the place.

It’s wonderful to see two young competent and passionate women work

Fattoria del Colle - Valérie Lavigne - Barbara Magnani

together. It is a new generation of wine making professionists and they speak English to understand one another and thy know how to dose the wine from different barrels so as to find perfect equilibriums. For Valérie Brunello must express the essence of Sangiovese: elegance, energy, austerity but also softness. Dinner with delicious food prepared by Antonio, chef of the Osteria at Fattoria del Colle.

Not happy with the tastings carried out during the day, we drink a wonderful Barolo 2000 by Beni di Batasiolo and a Primitivo di Manduria well spoken of but not very apt to accompany food. This is what is wonderful about being a wine producer, loving the land and its unique produce and knowing how to enjoy it together with those who understand it.

Today is the beginning of the Chinese New Year and this is the year of the dragon. A magic year for this wine which changes completely.

New vintage, new blend of grapes, new name and new packaging for the Drago wine by Donatella Cinelli Colombini.

“Il Drago e le 8 colombe” in the flesh

The doves represent the women and consequently refer to the female cellar staff, a revolutionary work situation for Italy. With the arrival of the female consultant wine maker Valérie Lavigne the doves increase in number and the name of the wine changes: it used to be called “Il Drago e le Sette Colombe” and has become “Il Drago e le 8 Colombe”

Quite on the contrary the Drago emphasizes a male presence – nobody here wants to be discriminating – in the person of Carlo Gardini, Donatella’s husband who is a great wine lover
The arrival of Valérie Lavigne, sets of a serious thought about Italian grape varieties and the possibility of blending them to make high quality wines that are able to sell on foreign markets.
From here the desire to emphasize the Sagrantino grape, a variety greatly used in Umbria, which is just 20km away from Fattoria del Colle and belongs to the same geographical area. For the moment we are cultivating Sagrantino grapes in just a few rows, but soon it will be possible to harvest a whole new Vineyard.

Having ones company brochure in Chinese is something new and very different from the usual brochure in English or German to which we are more accustomed. It makes us feel less provincial. It is only a sensation but it gives courage, in a moment where the future seems to be without certainties, being able to looks toward China with good commercial possibilities is definitely a relief.

Violante Gardini with the chinese brochure

And now Violante (the Cinellicolombini Jr) export manager for Asia gets almond shaped eyes. She has accepted the request made by our importer and has created a brochure with text in Chinese and images which are apt for that market: the historic halls of the villa at Fattoria del Colle, the works of contemporary art in the Sangiovese Brunello vineyards …. Most of all, on the front page the team of all girls at the Casato Prime Donne winery in Montalcino. There is also the French consultant winemaker Valérie Lavigne. The contrast between the very Tuscan images of stone walls, cypress trees, and sweet hills of the Val d’Orcia with Chinese characters and the text is a strong one, but all considered it appears new and pleasant.