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97/100 FROM JAMES SUCKLING FOR IOsonoDonatella 2016
SUCKLING AWARDS WITH 97/100 THE BRUNELLO WHICH DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI CREATED TO TELL HER STORY. PRODUCED IN ONLY 180 BOTTLES WITH A CERTIFICATE OF ORIGIN
By Donatella Cinelli Colombini #winedestination
IoSonoDonatella 2016 – 97/100 by James Suckling
An extraordinary vintage like 2016, a super selection of 180 bottles sold only inside a box containing a flight of 3 vintages of Brunello IOsonoDonatella 2013, 2015 and 2016. The latter has a particularity: it has a “pedigree”, which means it is certified with the names of all those who have owned it. Obviously the first signature belongs to Donatella Cinelli Colombini and the certificate serves to trace the wine as if it were an important painting.
It is the desire to create something rare, precious and exclusive, in addition to the intrinsic quality of the wine that brings IOsonoDonatella Brunello into the field of collector’s wines. A quality that is confirmed by the stellar score given by James Suckling, the critic who, among wine journalists of global stature, is the one who most addresses consumers who are always in search of precious wine gems.
EASTER 2024 IN TUSCANY TO REGENERATE BODY AND SPIRIT
From 29 March to 1 April 2024 at Fattoria del Colle in Trequanda to regenerate in nature, with small pleasures and some fun cultural enrichment
Fattoria del Colle agriturismo Appartamento
“Total wellness” is the magical effect of places where there is harmony between man, nature and history. Places like the Fattoria del Colle built in 1592 and remained almost intact for centuries with the incredibly beautiful panorama of the Val d’Orcia and the Crete Senesi surrounding it. This is the countryside of great red wines and the most ancient Tuscan cuisine which, together with
some sins of gluttony, offers places of faith such as the abbeys of Sant’Antimo and Monte Oliveto Maggiore where you can listen to Gregorian chants.
This is why the long Easter weekend in the “most beautiful countryside in the world”, immersed in the refined but informal atmosphere of a historic farm, offers unique moments and the unrepeatable opportunity to regenerate both in body and spirit.
OFFER: CHIANTI SUPERIORE 2021, IL DRAGO E LE 8 COLOMBE, 2 FAMILY WINES
Be among the first to receive the Chianti Superiore DOCG 2021 directly to your home together with Il Drago e le 8 Colombe IGT Toscana 2019 for €98.00
Offer- 3 Chianti Superiore 2021 e 3 Il Drago e le 8 Colombe 2019
The Superiore denomination indicates a Chianti with superior quality characteristics and aging ability. It is produced only in vineyards that have a greater vocation and lower production. This Chianti Superiore is certified BIO-organic and is a “farmhouse” wine as we call it in Tuscany, that is, it is a “family wine” born in the property’s vineyards, and then vinified, matured and bottled by the same winery.
Indicazione Geografica Tipica, on the other hand, is one of the five denominations present in Italy, namely DOP, DOC, DOCG and IGP, used to indicate the best table wines present on the community market, which respond to certain characteristics such as production area and the use of traditional techniques.
THE INTERNATIONAL PRESS HAS ALREADY NOTICED OF OUR IL DRAGO E LE 8 COLOMBE
92 James Suckling
92 VINOUS – Eric Guido
92 Wine Enthusiast
ROSSO DI MONTALCINO DOC 2022 ORGANIC WINE
2022 CHARACTERIZED BY DROUGHT HAS GIVEN GRAPES AND WINES OF EXCEPTIONAL STRUCTURE AND REQUIRED DELICATE WINE-MAKING TO MAKE THE TANNINS SILKY
Rosso di Montalcino 2022 – Donatella Cinelli Colombini
2022 will be remembered as the year of drought and tannin. The grapes were very small. The very favourable relationship between the skin and the juice of the grape produced an exceptional concentration of noble substances and above all of tannins in the wine. For this reason, the vinification was very delicate and the maceration in contact with the skins was prolonged. In this way the cellar workers made the tannins of the new wine silky and non-aggressive. With the same purpose, the future Rosso di Montalcino was put into barrel in November, a month earlier than usual. The result is a powerful and sunny Rosso, like the heat of summer 2022, but also with a surprisingly fresh sip thanks to the perfect acid content of the grapes.
THE FIRST SCORES ARRIVE FROM VINOUS FOR THE NEW VINTAGES
ERIC GUIDO INVITES US TO BUCKLE OUR SEATBELTS, JUST LIKE WHEN A PLANE TAKES OFF, BECAUSE BRUNELLO 2019 TAKES WINE LOVERS STRAIGHT INTO THE SKY
New Brunello di Montalcino 2019 by Donatella Cinelli Colombini
<< The current releases from Montalcino are a treasure for collectors and enthusiasts of this denomination>> writes Eric Guido at the beginning of his article on the 2019 Brunellos. << This is a year in which the entire area has excelled, from the south -west to east and from north-east to west>> explains the young but talented American critic, showing a Brunello shelf full of <<world-class wines of the highest quality and, in most cases, at reasonable prices>>.
But the positive considerations do not stop here, Eric Guido also underlines the sequence of three excellent harvests 2019, 2020 and 2021, starting to trace the specificities of each << ….2019 offers a fusion of power and elegance in a rare way while maintaining a delicious balance between acidity and structure… The terms classic, bold, cool-toned, crisp and elegant fill my tasting notes…. 2020, an elegant year with great concentration and high alcohol….. finally, 2021 presents a marriage between the previous two, with rich, intense fruit, elegance and balanced tannic structures >>.
These three aces promise to drive wine enthusiasts, and especially Brunello lovers, crazy.
BRUNELLO RISERVA 2018 BY DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI
2018, a twentieth century style harvest with the grapes for the Brunello Riserva harvested last to capture every ray of sunshine and to pick very small bunches and berries
Brunello riserva 2018 Donatella Cinelli Colombini
The Brunello of this vintage is characterized by a particular richness of aromas thanks to the cold nights of the entire maturation period and by the evident vocation for long aging.
2018 follows a year of extreme heat and therefore everyone welcomed the insistent spring rains with joy. In fact, the storms continued, making the winemakers work a lot and worrying the cellar staff because the bunches, and especially the berries, were too big. Furthermore, a disturbance of Nordic origin at the end of August had stiffened the grape skins. In September the positive turning point: sunny days made the grapes return to their optimal size, progressively softening the skins. To favour the action of the sun, the vines were stripped. The Sangiovese grapes for the 2018 Brunello Riserva were harvested on October 1st.
HARVEST AT CASATO PRIME DONNE AND THE ROLE OF THE GRAPES PICKED FOR THE RISERVA
It is worth explaining how the harvest is planned at Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino. The vineyards surround the winery. They are on 4 different types of soil and with different exposure.
OFFER: BRUNELLO 2019 AND BRUNELLO RISERVA 2018 PREVIEW
Donatella’s Club members will be among the first in the world to taste the new releases from the Casato Prime Donne winery. Directly to your home 3 bottles of Brunello 2019 and 3 bottles of Riserva 2018 for €339.00
This offer is for those who want to start the new year with the right wines to celebrate any special occasion!
The 2019 harvest is to be considered one of the best harvests in Montalcino, with perfect grapes for the production of a great Brunello apt for aging. The 2018 Brunellos are characterized by a particular richness of aromas thanks to the cold nights during the entire maturation period and can be cellared for a long time.
BRUNELLO PRIME DONNE 2019 BIO -ORGANIC
In Montalcino, 2019 will be remembered as the perfect Sangiovese harvest. Bunches and berries so small that the winemaker Valérie Lavigne said <<it looks like Cabernet>>
Brunello di Montalcino selezione Prime Donne 2019
This harvest had two surprising characteristics: on the day of harvest the vines were still in vegetation, an unusual circumstance that also occurred in 2010. As in that magical year, the grapes were excellent and abundant. An increasingly frequent characteristic with the new climate in which the vines find balance with a higher number of bunches than in the past.
Another surprising element is the robustness of the grapes. Sangiovese has few layers of cells in the skins, which is why the rainfalls, during the harvest period, are feared by producers and expose the bunches to possible mildew attacks. Well, in 2019 there were two very strong storms, on 22-23 September and on October 2nd, which the Sangiovese survived intact.
With such a perfect grape, the must immediately showed extraordinary characteristics: intense colour and a wealth of impressive polyphenols. In order for these noble components to evolve well, very long macerations were carried out and the racking was delayed by a week -10 days.
ENOUGH OF PHOTOCOPY WINE TOURISM
WINE ALONE IS NOT ENOUGH AND THE BARRELS ARE ALL THE SAME. INSTEAD TOURIST CELLARS ARE ATTRACTIVE ONLY IF THEY OFFER UNIQUE EXPERIENCES AND THEY RENEW THEM EVERY YEAR
Winery tours Toscana Brunello Casato Prime Donne
<<The proposals of the tourist wineries must be designed based on the specificities of each production reality and the needs of the visitors>> says Donatella Cinelli Colombini, inventor of the Cantine Aperte- Open Cellars day <<it is wrong to copy from your neighbour who is successful, it is wrong to only offer the guided tour with the explanation of the production process by only changing the number of wines being tasted, it is wrong to offer the same thing every year even if it was liked in the past. Enough of photocopy wine tourism>>.
5 WINERY TOURS AT CASATO PRIME DONNE AND 5 AT FATTORIA DEL COLLE, TAILORED EXPERIENC
ES FOR TOURISTS AND FAMILIES, WINELOVERS AND ENTHUSIASTS WISHING FOR EXCLUSIVITY
Faithful to the principles she teaches in the manuals and post-graduate courses, Donatella presents 5 different winery tours this year for each of her wineries, the Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino and the Fattoria del Colle in the Orcia DOC region. The former focused on Brunello and the latter on the discovery of a Tuscan farm that has remained almost intact for over 400 years.
CHIANTI SUPERIORE DOCG 2021
CHIANTI SUPERIORE 2021 FROM FATTORIA DEL COLLE A FAMILYWINE FULL OF TUSCAN ELEGANCE AND YOUTHFUL ENERGY THAT PUTS FLAVOUR IN EVERY SIP
Chianti Superiore 2021 DOCG Donatella Cinelli Colombini
Fattoria del Colle was very lucky in 2021: it was saved from the frost and hailstorms that hit many parts of the Italian and Tuscan vineyard.
A great fortune that the winemakers of Donatella Cinelli Colombini wineries wanted to live to the full by making a harvest with attention to every detail. The year was called the “puzzle harvest” because the vineyards were divided into small areas based on the ripeness of the grapes. The harvest calendar was built according to the maturation of each portion, ensuring that the small fermentation vats in the cellar were full every evening. A method that entailed greater costs, more staff and more time due to the constant movement from one vineyard to another. The result is greater respect for the fruit, which is always picked at the moment of its maximum potential and an increase in the quality of the wines.
NEW OFFER: FROM TUSCANY 6 BOTTLES OF ORGANIC EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
Our new offer with EVO oil blend and 2 monocultivars from Fattoria del Colle delivered to your home for tasty and healthy dishes
Three 0,750lt bottles of BIO Evo Oil blend 2023, one 0,500lt bottle each of BIO Evo Oil 2023 Correggiolo, Moraiolo and a blend at €134.00
New Offer with Olio EVO blend and 2 monocultivar from Fattoria del Colle
A VERY LIMITED BUT HIGH-QUALITY PRODUCTION FOR THIS NEW OFFER
In 2023, quantity production was lower than usual, but the yield per quintal was higher! The fruit setting of the olives occurred late due to the rains, and the hot and dry periods that followed also reduced production, causing part of the olives to fall
The 2023 oil has aromas of cut grass and is slightly bitter and a little spicy in the mouth. Ideal for making a plate of pasta, a Tuscan soup but also a pizza much tastier.
THE OLIVE GROVES OF THE FATTORIA DEL COLLE
Fattoria del Colle is located in an area famous for the quality of its extra virgin olive oil. Trequanda, where the farm is located, has been included in the register of “Rural landscapes of historical interest” thanks to the olive groves that cover its hills. Here we have 6 hectares of Correggiolo (frantoio) and Moraiolo olive groves and some Olivastra that produce TOP oils.
TOGETHER WITH THE BOTTLES OF OIL, A RECIPE BOOK WITH THE TYPICAL DISHES FROM THE AREA
Furthermore, as a gift, you will receive a booklet with traditional local recipes for appetizers, first courses, second courses and desserts, plus you will also find some newly created recipes by the chefs at Fattoria del Colle and also by Donatella! We also add the recipe for “chickpea soup”, the best dish to enjoy the EVO oil just arrived from the mill.
ORGANIC BRUNELLO 2019 FROM CASATO PRIME DONNE
The 2019 super harvest marks the beginning of a lucky series for Montalcino with 4 excellent consecutive vintages. A circumstance that has never happened in the past resulting from the new climate.
New Brunello di Montalcino 2019 by Donatella Cinelli Colombini
The 2019 harvest is to be considered one of the best Montalcino harvests with small, loose Sangiovese bunches and grapes the size of a coin. A perfect grape for the production of a great aging Brunello. In fact, by transforming into wine, it immediately gave colour and aroma to the must. To fix the particular richness of noble materials deriving from the grapes, after alcoholic fermentation, the future Brunello 2019 underwent a very long maceration in contact with the skins and was drawn off with a delay of 10 days compared to normal.
BRUNELLO 2019 AND THE NEW CLIMATE
The 2019 Organic Brunello di Montalcino from Casato Prime Donne celebrates the effects of the new climate which has especially rewarded the cooler areas of Brunello. The northern area of the Montalcino hill, where Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s estate is located, has always been considered the most humid and least sunny side. A circumstance that was once a misfortune and is now a fortune because, together with the richness of clay that makes the soil cold, it allows a gradual maturation of the grapes even in the current hot summers.
Obviously, the vines are cultivated differently from the past, for example, winemakers try to reduce the surface area of active (young) leaves to 80 cm2 for each kg of grapes, in order to limit transpiration and therefore water consumption. Just as the management of the foliage of the vines has changed, which now serve to shade the grapes and protect them from the sun while they were once trimmed (cut). In fact, thirty years ago, the sun’s rays were sought while now they are avoided. The ORGANIC vineyard like ours therefore has a messier appearance than in the past, with lots of grass and many shoots but this wild appearance also corresponds to a greater respect for nature and the needs of the vines.
MONTALCINO’S CONDITO
CONDITO IS A TRADITIONAL PEASANT SALAD FROM SOUTHERN TUSCANY BUT WE CAN TURN IT INTO A DELICIOUS HEALTHY STARTER
by Donatella Cinelli Colombini #turismodelvino
Condito from Montalcino bychef Doriana Marchi
This was the “coffee break” for the farmers who went out at dawn in the summer to harvest, during the cooler hours. They returned home in the late morning to eat and then work in the stables and warehouses.
In addition to omelettes and cured meats, the housewives also would put on the table the Condito, a salad made with celery, cucumber, tomatoes, green peppers and spring onion. All coarsely chopped, seasoned with extra virgin olive oil, pepper and salt. The name Condito comes from the difference with the normal salad which was dressed with oil immediately before eating it. The Condito, on the other hand, was “seasoned” in advance so that a sort of infusion was formed with the liquids from the tomatoes and the oil. A sauce that allowed it to be eaten with bread or on toast.
The peasant bread made with sourdough, kneaded by hand and baked in a wood oven once a week, had a thick, dark crust which, as the days passed, became less hard. Today, finding really good bread is the most difficult task because, in most cases, after a few hours it becomes inedible.
2023 EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL FROM FATTORIA DEL COLLE
SCARCE BUT GOOD AND SWEETER THAN PAST YEARS. THE 2023 EVO OLIVE OIL ARRIVES FROM THE ORGANIC GROVES AT FATTORIA DEL COLLE FOR DELICIOUS AND HEALTHY DISHES
Moraiolo e Correggiolo monocultivar oil 2023
Evo oil will be scarce this year too. By now we have become accustomed to harvesting few olives but we continue to love the trees that characterize our landscape. Trequanda, where the Fattoria del Colle is located, has been included in the register of “Rural landscapes of historical interest” thanks to the olive groves that cover its hills and which, since the Renaissance, have given rise to the production of terracotta jars in the hamlet of Petroio