BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO RISERVA 2016
In the wonderful 2016 harvest, 5 stars, the best Brunello Riserva ever produced at Casato Prime Donne, apt for long cellaring
Montalcino-fermentation-room-for-Brunello-Casato-Prime-Donne
There is a magic, a mystery, a beauty … in nature, which must be understood and enhanced. In 2016 in the vineyards at Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino one of these wonders took place in the Sangiovese grapes for Brunello.
THE MAGIC OF THE BRUNELLO 2016 BORN FROM A LONG VEGETATION CYCLE
Every year, to produce grapes, the vine performs a vegetative cycle similar to the pregnancy that gives birth to babies.
For women it lasts nine months, for the vine six.
Two months from budding to flowering, two months from flowering to veraison, which means to the change of colour of the clusters and the last two months until harvest.
With climate change when it is very hot the budding takes place, often, 15 days sooner and therefore also the harvest generally takes place in advance compared to the traditional calendar.
Instead, in 2016, the vegetative cycle, so the pregnancy of the grapes began early and ended late because in the last phase the climate slowed down the ripening.
Brunello-di-Montalcino-Riserva-2016-Donatella-Cinelli-Colombini
This has created an authentic masterpiece in the vineyards at Casato Prime Donne. The perfect grapes that produced a very elegant and satisfying Brunello, silky like very thick velvet, deep and able to defy time.
CASATO PRIME DONNE IN MONTALCINO
Casato Prime Donne is a property of 40 hectares of which almost half are vineyards of Sangiovese variety. The cultivation is organic, certified since 2018. Donatella Cinelli Colombini‘s estate already belonged to her ancestors in 1592. It is located in the northern area of Montalcino where the climate is cooler and the soils are colder and rich in clays.
Cultivation and harvesting are manual. Shortly before full ripening, the grapes are tasted to divide the vineyards into small parcels with homogeneous characters and to decide the harvest calendar. The area with the greatest qualitative potential is destined to the production of Brunello Riserva.
TECHNICAL SHEET FOR BRUNELLO RISERVA 5 STARS
VINEYARD: Montalcino, Casato Prime Donne.
CLIMATE: very rainy winter and spring. Hot summer interrupted by strong disturbances that have brought down the thermometers and hydrated the soil. Veraison began on July 20. In the maturation phase, the thermal shock, between night and day, has created perfect conditions for a slow and gradual maturation and for the synthesis of perfumes.
GRAPE VARIETY: 100% Sangiovese
2016-Harvest-Sangiovese-grapes-for-Brunello
HARVEST: From 26th to 30th September. Manual harvesting with selection of the bunches in the vineyard and selection of the grapes on the sorting table in the cellar. Perfect grapes, with very homogeneous ripeness, small bunches and berries. Well lignified grape seeds, soft and easily soluble skins that have quickly yielded to the must colour and noble materials.
VINIFICATION: alcoholic fermentation of 15 days followed by a long maceration in small truncated shaped conical vats in bare cement. During vinification, mechanical plungers reproduce, in a modern form, the ancient techniques used in Tuscany for hundreds of years. Selected yeasts were used at Casato Prime Donne.
MATURATION IN WOOD: large barrels and French 5-7 HL oak tonneaux produced in small artisan workshops. The Brunello Riserva has not undergone filtration before bottling.
QUANTITY PRODUCED: 10.500 bottles.
DESCRIPTION OF THE BRUNELLO RISERVA 2016
COLOUR: bright ruby red. The structure that guarantees the longevity of the wine is evident from how slowly it rotates in the glass.
BOUQUET: Complex, fine. Hints of small ripe red fruits, cedar, nuts are accompanied by notes of coffee, chocolate, tobacco.
TASTE: Extremely harmonious, concentrated and long. An elegance that satisfies with silky tannins and persists at length.
TO BE SERVED OR PRESERVED THE BRUNELLO RISERVA 2016
FOOD PAIRING: important meat dishes and aged cheeses. Requires foods with an intense flavour and low fat.
TABLE SERVICE: Room temperature (18-20 °C). White crystal goblets with wide cup. Uncork a few hours before the service and decant.
CELLARING: 30 years and over. Lay the bottles down, in a dark and cold place. Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s winery replaces the corks, certifying the operation after 20 years from the year of bottling.