In the new wellness centre of the Agriturismo Fattoria del Colle in Trequanda, which is owned by Donatella Cinelli Colombini, the surrounding countryside itself creates  part of the relaxing ambiance, the stunning vineyards, the vegetable gardens full of tasty produce, the themed guided tours and walks and the many festivals and celebrations which occur frequently through the year where you can meet new people and make new friends

Jacuzzi with a view

‘The wellness centre will have a huge jacuzzi for private use, it will be able to be used exclusively by you together with your friends and family. You will be able to enjoy a great wine at sunset with views of some of the most beautiful countryside in the world stretching out in front of you.’This is the vision which has inspired Donatella Cinelli Colombini to develop the new Spa Centre in the Fattoria del Colle in southern Chianti. ‘It is a lovely property which will be available for up to 6 people for their exclusive use thus ensuring total privacy.’  Donatella concludes. But these are not the only things which make this relaxation centre unique. The design concept and the facilities are very modern however it has further been enhanced by the addition of some hand-made tiles whose designs are based on the illustrations found on nineteenth-century tiles which were used in traditional Turkish baths of that period and the Odalisque which were painted by Ingres. These  stunning decorations help to create the relaxed ambience and felling of wellbeing and, dare we say, makes the environment a little bit sexy. Here you have the opportunity to enjoy delicious wine whilst relaxing in the warm water of the pool.

Hammam

The Relaxation centre is being created for the use of the guests of the Fattoria del Colle which include many  different types of people, some professional and some intellectual, in particular we find that foreigners are attracted to come and enjoy a visit at the fifteenth  century farm house.  All the Apartments and Bedrooms are furnished with Antiques, but no televisions, there are 3 swimming pools, 4  gardens  and parkland with age old trees, a games lodge with a pool table,  a restaurant which serves traditional local dishes from the Siena area (which have been even further improved by our excellent chef), a cooking school and  most important of all two wineries for the production of Brunello, Chianti and Doc Orcia wine.

The Relaxation Spa Centre has been created in an annex of the villa and has breathtaking views over the Val d’Orcia and the Crete Senesi. It is equipped with a turkish bath, a sauna,  a relaxation room, a hydro massage shower, a Kneipp pool and a hot tub. Individual massages take place directly in the guests own rooms to ensure maximum comfort and privacy.

Agriturismo Fattoria del Colle is situated at the  centre of an area which is

Jacuzzi and Kneipp pool

surrounded by stunning towns which are re-known for their Architecture and Art: Cortona, Montepulciano, Pienza, San Quirico d’ Orcia and Montalcino. La Fattoria del Colle has 101 beds all of which are situated within historic buildings. We offer our visitors a weekly program which includes cooking lessons, guided tours of the cellars with wine tastings, archery in our local woods and lovely events which we organise in our wine cellar, these often include the opportunity to taste truffles, local cheeses and even Tuscan cigars all accompanied by contemporary music such as  Gianna Nannini,  Baustelle and Jovanotti. For lovers of great wines and Tuscan cuisine we also hold  theme weekends where you can experience and enjoy both. And now, on top of all these wonderful experiences we have added the wellness spa.  We aim to offer top quality equipment and facilities, situated within minimalist architecture which we feel sure will help to pamper even the most demanding of our customers and ensure that they achieve complete relaxation and leave feeling fully rejuvenated.

25 euros per person – entrance to the centre for 2 hours.
200 euros for 2 people for the exclusive rent  of the spa for 2 hours.

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Chronicles of Violante Gardini (Cinelli Colombini Jr) – our introduction into the world of wine

Mondavi Winery

A week of visits to the wineries of Sonoma and Napa valley for the students of the Master OIV – the International Organisation for Vineyards and Wine.

We visited various wineries which were situated in the areas of Lodi, Sonoma and Napa, interestingly all of them differed from each other quite considerably. Some of the wineries had huge vats, one of which had a filter which was as big as our entire wine cellar. Interestingly the wine which they produced, in my opinion, was not very good. Other wineries were much smaller, and of these, in my opinion, the most interesting and distinctive ones were those created by Robert Mondavi.   He is one of the most successful Californian wine producers in the world. It is a pity that in the end, after having financed the creation of the Department of wine in Davis University, and after having built impressive cellars such as Opus One, Mondavi has had to sell everything to one of the large multinational wine companies,  Constellation.
In a visit to the Opus One we were accompanied by experienced winemaker Michael Silacci, an individual  who has worked in this wine cellar for more than10 years. He is a person who has a great passion for his wine which he enthusiastically shared with all of his audience. He told us how the concept of this project came about and explained the collaboration between Robert Mondavi and Philippe de Rothschild who wanted to create something unique together, almost like the composers of old must have felt about composing the ‘First Opera’. They considered everything, the architecture, the vineyards, the technology – I was also very impressed by the fact that Mr.Silacci is very careful to listen to the advice and tips given to him by his workers and assistants, a very surprising and pleasing method of management practise to find, especially in a cellar as well known as Opus One.

Violante in Opus One vineyards

Harvesting by night. In this part of America it is really cold at night, it is only after 11am in the morning that the sun rises sufficiently to let the heat from the sun to begin to warm us all.

Silacci told us  that during one of the first years that he worked in this area he decided to implement one of the ideas which had come to him during a particularly restless and sleepless night . A few days before the beginning of the harvest he gathered together all of his pickers and gave them the following instructions “I’ll see you tomorrow at 2” , everyone thought at first that he was referring to 2 pm in the afternoon so then had to explain that instead of 2 o’clock in the afternoon he meant 2am in the middle of the night. In the first few hours of the harvest he went to check that the pickers were all ok but he felt so cold that he decided they must all feel the same as him, half frozen to death. So he ran to get them all some coffee and  warm croissants and distributed them all amongst his workers, it was only after he had given out all the warming food and drinks that he realized that pickers hadn’t been cold at all because they were not standing still like him, but by working hard picking the grapes they were kept nice and warm!!! However a precedent had been set and from that day on the harvesting for the Opus One winery continues to take place at night and always, at the end of the first day of harvesting, they continue the tradition of drinking hot coffee and eating warm  croissants in the vineyards in the middle of the night!
Opus One 2005, is definitely my absolute favourite amongst all Californian wines which I have tasted during my time in this area (88% Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc 3%, 5% Merlot, Malbec 1% and 3% Petit Verdot). Not only is it delicious, but for me, it symbolises courage, geniality, good business sense and a desire to win. The entire production has only one label and all the bottles are sold at extremely high prices even in the cellar itself.
The Mondavi Winery’s wines have not left me speechless with their quality and taste, but they will always continue to be one of the most famous cellars in the world…
In the Sonoma Valley, my favourite wine was “Tribute” 2007 which is almost entirely biodynamic (organic crops) and which is produced by a  winery called the “Benziger Family Winery“.
We visited the vineyards on an electric train, but what initially we assumed would be a very ‘touristy visit’ then proved to be a wonderful experience, thanks to the lady who accompanied us. Joe Benziger put so much passion into what she said that we all too became enthusiastic through her energetic delivery. According to her, the energy comes from the Sonoma land, which was originally volcanic, an area which has been famous for its wine for a considerable time. In any case, for whatever the reason, the final result was that we were left with a very strong positive impression, definitely we could feel the metaphoric heat from that extinct volcano!!!

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Two or more autochthonous varieties used together: its seems obvious but until a few years ago the blend with  most success was made with Sangiovese together with international varieties, today though,  on the other hand the need for identity, of originality, of a distinctive character, pushes wine makers towards new solutions which associate traditional varieties from the same territory, but there is lots more

Valérie Lavigne Donatella Cinelli Colombini e Barbara Magnani

Valerie Lavigne, the wine consultant that Donatella Cinelli Colombini has brought from the Bordeaux University into her wineries Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino and Fattoria del Colle in southern Chianti, explains her conception of winemaking. Something opposite to globalization but however able to compete at very high quality levels in an international scenario.
Her reasoning starts with a question mark that puts a doubt on the very same concept of “international variety”. For the French wine expert
<< Autochthonous varieties, when combined with the image of a great wine produced in this region, Brunello Sangiovese for example, are always cultivated at their northern limit, therefore where it is always a little more difficult than elsewhere to get a full maturity. It is in these conditions that the grape expression is the most original and most inimitable. The international varieties like merlot, cabernet sauvignon or chardonnay, when grown in Bordeaux and Burgundy are at their northern limit. The aromas of these varieties, in these circumstances are very unique and identifiable. Grown in warmer or drier climates wines produced can be good but not very great wines. Their aromatic expression loses its unique character>>. In other words the concept of Merlot is the same everywhere” is for her pure illusion. On the contrary it is only challenging nature, in extreme conditions, that one reaches excellence.
But this is where the “terroir” factor comes into it, or rather the imprint, the distinctive trait of the territory << it is having a recognizable taste that makes a great wine, the taste which is the specific expression of one or more varieties grown in a certain region. Without this authentic imprint of the terroir there can be no diversity. The search for quality is consequently, in my opinion, inextricably bound to the concepts of territory, identity and consequently diversity>>

One of Casato Prime Donne's vineyards

This concept puts the vineyard in the position of prime protagonist, and brings with it a question: in which direction should we go? << I think that it is the time to study a blend among autochthonous varieties, therefore to produce wines tied to a specific territory and consequently with a recognizable and inimitable taste. Why not imagine the effect of combining the colourful, powerful, low acid and very tannic Sagrantino with the more delicate, most acidic and less colourful Sangiovese ? It is the tannin quality of each that will guide the blend. But there are probably other ways to explore or deepen in all cases. What about Colorino for example?
A courageous point of view, that of the French researcher, who in her opinions, shows years of research on wine aromas, carried out in the most prestigious wine university in the world. Her ability as researcher and as wine taster have led her to be chosen by the Head of the Enology faculty in Bordeaux, Denis Dubordieu, to constitute together with Christophe Olivier, a group of consultants who advise excellent wineries such as Châteaux d’Yquem, Margaux and Cheval Blanc. Valérie, is not an ordinary woman, but an export who’s opinion count greatly in the wine world.

Cantina Casato Prime Donne

So identity is essential, and so is the protection of the distinctive characters of the grapes of a specific territory obtained also through a different rapport with barrels << The wood must not disturb this authenticity, it must remain a support, an element of complexity>>. At the same time the vineyard must be << eco-compatible to produce great wines>>. In her word a strong no towards those who pollute using as a justification the intent of making great wines.  <<no residues of pesticides not only in wines but also in soil, water and air, unspoilt and adorned countryside. A countryside which is clean and beautiful. The producers of a territory defend the environment investing in the economic, social and cultural future of their children.>>.

Fattoria del Colle in Trequanda

“Traveller” UK  from the “Condé Nast” editorial group, so as if to say, the queen of tourism magazines, in the May 2011 edition has published the 10 most beautiful wineries to visit in Toscana and Umbria, ours are in third position.

A bronze medal for Donatella Cinelli Colombini wineries, surpassed only by Tenuta di Capezzana and Fonterutoli.  An unexpected but very welcomed honour which projects us among the  excellent destinations of Italian wine tourism. In our wineries the tours are different to other places. At Fattoria del Colle in Trequanda the visit includes the halls of 16th century villa with the bedroom which once belonged to the Grand Duke of Tuscany, the chapel, the gardens, and obviously the winery which produces Chianti and Doc Orcia wines. The tour begins in a medieval hermitage, crosses the remains of a tower and finally rises up into the loft where the Vinsanto caratelli are stored.
At Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino  the Brunello barrels are alternated with frescoes regarding Montalcino’s

Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino

 history, and the  hall for the wine tastings exhibits the most beautiful photographs of the Val d’Orcia  from the last 10 years. For those who would like to work off some of the wine tasted , before driving once again there is a path through the Sangiovese vineyards with panoramic resting spots where works of contemporary art and quotations from famous women enrich the landscape.

Leone rosso Orcia Doc 2007, Donatella Cinelli Colombini

The Leone Rosso Doc Orcia  has obtained extraordinary results from the most authoritative wine magazine in the world, Wine Spectator

After the 91 /100 rating in fact arrives the Top Values which declare it 11th  among the Italian Reds under 25$  for the quality-price ratio and 93rd among the best 383 wines in the world between 15$ and 25$, again for the quality-price ratio.

The Leone Rosso is the first wine made by Barbara Magnani, cellar mater in Donatella Cinelli Colombini wineries. Barbara has created an elegant wine from 60% Sangiovese and 40%  Merlot grapes from Fattoria del Colle in Trequanda, vinified and aged separately, for six montis in French oak barrels which had already been used once before.
For information:
Donatella Cinelli Colombini Az. Agr.
vino@cinellicolombini.it
www.cinellicolombini.it
tel.+39  0577 662108