92/100 AWARDED TO ROSSO DI MONTALCINO 2022
EXCELLENT RATING OF 92/100 FROM WINE ENTHUSIAST ON THE ROSSO DI MONTALCINO 2022 BY DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI WHICH IN THE MOUTH RECALLS CRISPY AND FRESH WILD BERRIES
by Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination
The Rosso di Montalcino 2022 was born in a very hot year with no rain for seven months. The winemakers at Casato Prime Donne saw grapes arrive in the cellar with berries as small as peas that were then transformed into wines full of noble substances and especially tannins.
A WINE BORN WITH KINDNESS
To obtain silky wines from such a rich must, it was necessary to vinify with extreme delicacy, then extend the maceration in contact with the skins and then bring forward the placing in the barrel to November.
The result is a small masterpiece of harmony: a powerful but elegant and fresh wine thanks to the perfect acid content of the grapes.
The description written by Danielle Callegari perfectly reflects the character of this Rosso di Montalcino 2022 << Aromas of cherry, red orange peel, warm brick, earth and chopped sage create a nose that is at the same time austere, warm and structured. On the palate, crisp and fresh berries combine with notes of aromatic herbs, soil and citrus, all on deep and enveloping earthy tones>>.
WHO IS DANIELLE CALLEGARI
WineEnthusiast – Rosso di Montalcino 2022 Donatella Cinelli Colombini, Casato Prime Donne, Montalcino
The comment is written by Danielle Callegari, editor for Italian wines at Wine Enthusiast. Danielle is a “super taster”, that is, a person with a higher-than-average number of taste buds, which allows her to identify flavors and aromas better than us mere mortals. Added to this is the brain of a university professor, capable of remembering and organizing an impressive number of notions. Danielle Callegari is small in stature but has a great mind and can make an important contribution to the understanding of Italian wine thanks to her vast culture.
A Ph.D. at the prestigious New York University, Danielle Callegary is an Associate Professor and Director of Communications for the Dante Society of America. She has written about a variety of topics, but primarily on two seemingly contradictory themes: Dante (who puts gluttons in hell) and Italian cuisine. Her first monograph, “Dante’s Gluttons: Food and Society from the Convivio to the Comedy,” was published by Amsterdam University Press in 2022, and she has two other editorial projects in development: the first on the long history of the Italian cookbook and its political implications starting from Frederick II’s 13th-century Liber de coquina; the second on Italian wine and questions of authenticity, identity, and sustainability, developed through an imaginary dialogue with Mario Soldati.
We must give special credit to Wine Enthusiast for choosing people capable of broadening their gaze from wine to history, territories, and productive civilizations. As an editor on Italian wine, Danielle Callegary carries the legacy of two extraordinary women: Monica Larner and Kerin O’Keefe. Three journalists with great cultural background and sensitivity.
CASATO PRIME DONNE IN MONTALCINO
Casato Prime Donne from which this Rosso di Montalcino comes is a 40-hectare property on the north side of Montalcino. The 18 hectares of vineyard contain only Sangiovese vines. They have been organically grown since 2015 and certified since 2018. The soils are of different types: at the top they are from the Plio-Quaternary era with a prevalence of clay and marine sands. At the bottom they are deeper and of a more recent geological era with an abundance of pebbles brought, millions of years ago, by the Suga stream.
The vineyards surround the cellar and this creates ideal conditions for the harvest because the grapes arrive in the fermentation vats in less than half an hour from the moment they get picked.
Casato belonged to the ancestors of the current owner Donatella Cinelli Colombini, already at the end of the sixteenth century. In the past it was used for hunting and for honeymoons, today it is dedicated to wine. The label of the Rosso di Montalcino underlines the connection with the family. In fact the 3 doves visible on the label are Donatella, her husband Carlo and her daughter Violante