Vines and wines

25 March 2026

in Forum: News and lifestyle, Vines and wines

PREVIEW OF THE ORCIA DOC RISERVA CENERENTOLA

Cenerentola DOC Orcia Riserva 2020 Fattoria del Colle Donatella Cinellicolombini Toscana

10 VINTAGES OF ORCIA DOC CENERENTOLA TOGETHER WITH FASHION, DESIGN, EVENTS, SONGS AND FILMS FROM THE SAME YEARS TO DISCOVER HOW WINE IS CULTURE AND A MIRROR OF HUMANITY

Donatella Cinelli Colombini and her daughter Violante transformed the presentation of the 2020 Orcia DOC Riserva Cenerentola into a true workshop centred on the concept of “wine is culture.” A new and stimulating experience that engaged 60 guests, including journalists and industry professionals.

We’ll try to understand if wine changes its interpretation of the vineyard like a great piece of music. To illustrate the concept with an example, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 has a different character whether the orchestra is conducted by Toscanini, von Karajan, or Muti. The score is the same, just as the grapes and terroir are the same, but the final result changes based on an interpretation of the historical moment.

On Monday, March 23, at the Fattoria del Colle di Trequanda, for the first time, the wine will be tasted alongside the civilization in which it was born, an experience that will likely open new horizons for wine storytelling.

The tasting includes 10 vintages: 2001, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018 of Orcia DOC Cenerentola, and the new 2020 Riserva, under the impeccable guidance of Ilaria Lorini, the first woman to be crowned Best Italian Sommelier (AIS) in 2025. From the first Italian wineries with an all-female staff, one could not expect anything different.

4 March 2026

in Forum: News and lifestyle, Vines and wines

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini

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THE VALUE OF “ONLY THERE” IN TOURISM

FROM TOURISM SHOPPING BASED ON AUTHENTIC, IDENTITY-ORIENTED, AND EXCLUSIVE PRODUCTS TO THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL STRENGTHENING OF TERRITORIES. THIS IS NON-CANNIBAL TOURISM.

l'importanza dei prodotti autentici e identitari per il turismo soprattutto quando sono esclusivi di un luogo

Famous street food in Naples – pizza margherita. Authenticity at its best!

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination, Casato Prime Donne Montalcino, Fattoria del Colle Trequanda

When I first went to the UK, I bought a kilt that I wore for years. I was 17, and in Italy, especially in Siena, it wasn’t possible to buy anything similar. There were pleated skirts with tartan patterns, but not in the same wool and not with such beautiful designs.

Over the next 50 years, the industrial production of clothing, food, and originally handcrafted objects, as well as globalization, led to a progressive diffusion of “ethnic products” in world markets. Kilts could also be purchased in Tuscany and later online, at prices much cheaper than my first tartan skirt. But the quality was no longer the same, nor was the charm of an authentic object purchased in the production area.

Once upon a time, the greatest appeal of travel was the possibility of immersing oneself in a reality different from one’s own, where the sights, lifestyle, sounds, flavours, and smells allowed one to discover a civilization whose artistic monuments were the jewels of its crown.

9 February 2026

in Vines and wines

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini

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An offer of “Wines for Her”, and not just for her!

Would you like to receive a preview of 3 bottles of Brunello Prime Donne 2021, and 3 bottles of Cenerentola 2021, delivered directly to your home for €234,00?

Offerta wine club Donatella Cinelli Colombini Cenerentola doc Orcia Brunello Prime Donne 2021

wine club offer Donatella Cinelli Colombini Cenerentola doc Orcia Brunello Prime Donne 2021, Fattoria del Colle, Casto Prime Donne Tuscany

A tribute to women who make a difference

An offer designed to celebrate femininity in wine, the strength of women who innovate, and the courage of those who have paved new paths towards gender equality. Two iconic wines, born from a unique winery in Italy: the first with an entirely female staff.

This selection is designed to:

🎁 Give to a special woman, as a sign of esteem and recognition
💪 Celebrate women who break down barriers, in work, in society, in life
🕊 Remember and honour all those who have paved the way in the fight for gender equality

Each bottle contains a story of commitment, talent and female passion

🍇 Offer of the Month – For Donatella Club Members

3 bottles of Brunello Prime Donne 2021 and 3 bottles of Cenerentola Orcia DOC 2021

2 bottles of each wine with its own label

And one bottle of each type with a customizable label

+2 shopping bags, 2 tissue papers, and 2 package sealers customized with the Donatella Cinelli Colombini logo

Price: 234,00 euro instead of 268,50 euro

For those who wish to double

459 euro instead of 537,00

12 December 2025

in Vines and wines

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini

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DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI PRESENTS HER BRUNELLO RISERVA 2020

THE BRUNELLO RISERVA 2020 IS EXCELLENT AND WILL BECOME WONDERFUL. A WINE FOR COLLECTORS AND LOVERS OF RED WINE TO CELLAR THAT REQUIRES PATIENCE.

vendemmia del Brunello 2020 Toscana Montalcino Casato Prime Donne

Brunello 2020 harvest in Toscana Montalcino Casato Prime Donne

The highly elegant style that characterizes all Donatella Cinelli Colombini wines is enhanced in the Brunello Riserva. These are wines designed to last. In the 2020 vintage, this characteristic is extremely evident in the silky yet taut tannins and the acidity that lends vitality to the palate and is well balanced by the intensity of the flavour and the alcohol. Those who drink it now will find a great Brunello in their glass, but those who have the patience to wait two or three years will enjoy truly extraordinary powerful and velvety harmonies.

THE BRUNELLO RISERVA 2020 IN THE VINEYARD AND IN CELLAR OF CASATO PRIME DONNE

In 2020, the winter was mild and dry, so the vines budded early, and the frost of March 18-23 caused more damage than expected for that time of spring. The result was a reduction in the number of grapes in the vineyards. A very rainy June allowed the vines to withstand sixty days of scorching heat from mid-July to mid-September. The leaves were used for shade, leaving the rows with an unattractive but highly protective bushy appearance. For the same reason, pre-harvest leaf removal was avoided.

At harvest time, the grapes were perfectly ripe, healthy, with well-lignified seeds, and had the typical crispness of great vintages. Analytical data even better than 2019: smaller berries, higher extractable polyphenols, potential alcohol around 14%, and a good acidity. Very colourful and fragrant musts.

6 November 2025

in Vines and wines

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini

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CHIANTI SUPERIORE DOCG 2024 FATTORIA DEL COLLE

FOR DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI THE 2024 HARVEST WAS AN ABUNDANT ONE WITH AN EXTRAORDINARILY FAVOURABLE FINISH THANKS TO THE SHOWERS IN SEPTEMBER.

At the end of August, after 60 consecutive days of scorching heat, the vines were at a standstill, and Donatella Cinelli Colombini was very worried. Then the weather changed, with heavy thunderstorms and a drastic drop in temperatures, dropping to 10°C at night.

These were ideal conditions for grape ripening, skin softening, and the synthesis of aromas.

The harvest was carefully prepared, leaf-pulling and removing excess bunches from the vines.

The harvest calendar was then planned like a military operation, monitoring the weather forecast, analysing the grapes, and tasting them to position machines and workers on the best day for each vineyard or portion of the vineyard.

A planning that called for very long days and work even on holidays, but the result was excellent.

11 July 2024

in Forum: News and lifestyle, Vines and wines

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini

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Leone Rosso 2021 Organic Orcia Doc

Leone Rosso 2021 Doc Orcia was born in a harvest of excellent quality, 5 stars, but scarce quantity due to a serious frost at the beginning of April...

28 June 2024

in Vines and wines

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini

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OFFER: COMPARE THE TWO VERSIONS OF BRUNELLO 2019

Receive this proposal at home that includes 3 bottles of Brunello 2019 and 3 bottles of Brunello Prime Donne 2019 for €279.00

NEWS ON THE 2019 VINTAGE

This harvest has 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 fro Brunello 2019 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, but we maintain a production per hectare of 60 quintals.

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 Casato Prime Donne is located, has always been considered the humid and less sunny side. A circumstance that was once a misfortune and is now however 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.

Brunello di Montalcino 2019 e Brunello di Montalcino Prime Donne 2019

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BRUNELLO AND BRUNELLO PRIME DONNE

Brunello and Brunello Prime Donne are born in the first Italian winery with an entirely female workforce. Brunello Prime Donne, however, is the first long-aging red created for female consumers. Every year 4 super experts taste all of Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s Brunello and choose the barrels or tonneaux in which to mature it as well as the final blend. They are the Masters of Wine, Rosemary George and Madeleine Stenwreth, the wine shop owner Astrid Schwarz and the Sommelier Daniela Scrobogna. Therefore, based on their decisions, Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s winemakers create Brunello Prime Donne which is generally the most structured and is produced only in the best harvests.

THE RATINGS OF THE TWO VERSIONS SPEAK CLEAR

31 May 2024

in Vines and wines

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini

0 Comments

OFFER: NEW SANCHIMENTO WITH ROSSO DI MONTALCINO

A proposal that includes a wine from each of Donatella’s farms: 6 bottles of Sanchimento and 6 bottles of Rosso di Montalcino at your home for €219.00

The Sanchimento 2023 from Fattoria del Colle is a real treat for lovers of Donatella Cinelli Colombini wines. It is partly produced in amphora as was done in antiquity. This is a very small series of only 1200 bottles. The Rosso di Montalcino by Casato Prime Donne, on the other hand, is a wine already known and appreciated by international wine critics. This offer proposes something new to discover, and a confirmation!!

Two wines to drink now, without having to wait. Two fresh wines with an extraordinary aromatic richness.

THE NEW SANCHIMENTO 2023 BIO IN ORANGE VERSION

Sanchimento comes from organic Traminer grapes and, in the cellar, is produced according to organic protocols. The particular production process of this wine is the result of the creativity of Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s three oenologists, who in three years of experimentation have developed a method capable of enhancing the characteristics of the vine, increasing the complexity of the wine and giving it distinctive characteristics.

Upon their arrival in the cellar, the grapes are cooled in small baskets then a quarter of them are fermented in terracotta amphorae from Impruneta with the orange system, i.e. with the skins and without the addition of yeasts. The wine remains closed in the jar almost until bottling when it is combined with Sanchimento produced with the traditional method.

6 December 2022

in Vines and wines

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini

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94 and 93 points for the Brunello 2018 by Donatella

James Suckling, as always, is the first of the great international critics to publish his judgments on Brunello, and he rewards those by Donatella with 93 and 94 points

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini

WHO IS JAMES SUCKLING

James-Suckling-with-ErikaRibaldi-DonatellaCinelliColombini

He was born in Los Angeles in 1959 and lives between his home in Borro (Arezzo) and Hong King but is also an honorary citizen of Montalcino.
After his studies in political science and journalism at the Universities of Wisconsin and Utah he began to write and from 1981 for the new born magazine Wine Spectator. In 1984, he followed his passion for wine by making his first trip to Europe and the following year he became the European correspondent of the Wine Spectator, a role he held until 2010.
Subsequently his activity as a taster continued with an online magazine that bears his name and that organizes splendid events all over the world. He was among the first to understand the potential of digital communication and is on the podium as one of the strongest wine influencers in the world.
Suckling is internationally regarded as one of the most knowledgeable and influential critics for wine and vintage cigars. His sophisticated style is known in life as in tastings. For example, Suckling has always tasted only with his glasses and now uses a line of crystal goblets created especially for him.

20 October 2022

in Vines and wines

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini

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Brunello di Montalcino 2018 BIO

2018 crowns the talent of Tuscan winemakers. A vintage that is very reminiscent of those of our grandparents and has given us a modern, elegant and richly scented Brunello

2018-grape-harvest-in-Montalcino-sangiovese-Donatella-Cinelli-Colombini

After a very dry 2017, the first half of 2018 was very rainy and replenished the soil’s water reserves. A positive element for nature but also a challenge for those who cultivate the vineyards. 16 rainy days in January, 16 in February, 20 in March, 11 in April and 18 in May. In June the Sangiovese vines for Brunello had few bunches and a lot of grass also because we grow organically and therefore without herbicides.

THE 2018 VINTAGE IN MONTALCINO

An English summer, with an umbrella always at hand and, at the end of August an Arctic disturbance that whitened the Alps and stiffened the skin of the grapes in our vineyards. September had sunny days and almost winter nights. An anomalous climatic situation that has greatly helped the vineyards. The grapes became smaller and as they matured they softened and an amazing synthesis of aromas took place.

The aromatic richness is the characterizing element of the 2018 vintage.

13 October 2022

in Vines and wines

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini

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Rosso di Montalcino 2021 from Casato Prime Donne

Donatella Cinelli Colombini presents Rosso di Montalcino 2021 born in an amazing vintage. Never before 4 super vintages one after another in Montalcino

harvest-2021-Sangiovese-Casato-Prime-Donne-Montalcino-Violante-Cinelli-Colombini

Montalcino’s series of extraordinary harvests does not seem to want to stop: 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022. Never before has the land of Brunello lined up such a dazzling sequence.

Each vintage with different characteristics to create the desire and curiosity to taste them all. Rosso di Montalcino offers this opportunity rather quickly and here is the 2021, vigorous and velvety after six months spent in cask.

The young appellation of Montalcino is experiencing a period of particular success. A growing market demand that has literally emptied the cellars, monographic tastings by Sommeliers and journalists, an event that highlights “RED Montalcino” and a number of articles never seen before. In short, it is a trendy wine that young wine lovers like for its drinkability and pleasant and understandable style.

6 October 2022

in Vines and wines

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini

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WHO WE WERE, WHO WE ARE AND WHO WE WILL BE

The dream of producing great wines comes true. Donatella Cinelli Colombini tells of the difficult beginning and the slow creation of a brand with a strong identity

2002 Casato-Prime -Donne-Montalcino-Donatella-Cinelli-Colombini-in-the-cellar

1998-2002 HEROIC YEARS

20 hectares of old vineyard and 5 hectares of new planting on an excavation that unfortunately will have many problems and a short life.

There are no cellars and the wine is held part at the Fattoria dei Barbi and part of it in spaces rented from producer friends.

The production of wine begins with a “dowry” of the future Brunello 1993, 94, 95, 96 and 97

The “Donatella Cinelli Colombini” brand is created, along with the logo and labels of the first wines. The Prime Donne project is born with the winery managed by a female staff, the Brunello selected by a group of female tasters and the Casato Prime Donne award dedicated to the new female role in society and work.

In 2001 the winery of the Fattoria del Colle was inaugurated

In 2002 the Casato Prime Donne winery was inaugurated

Planting of the new vineyards begins: Cenerentola and Pieve at Fattoria del Colle, Ardita and Pero at Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino

Experimentation of the native Foglia Tonda vine starting from 400 grafts from the vitarium of the Regione Toscana

The vines are cultivated in a conventional way, in the cellar there are barrels and barriques. The oenologists are initially Luigino Casagrande and then Fabrizio Ciufoli.

23 June 2022

in Forum: News and lifestyle, Vines and wines

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini

0 Comments

Poolwine

A category invented by the young sommelier Vincenzo Donatiello in 2018 which includes wines for the swimming pool: fresh, immediate and pleasant but never trivial

Poolwines-vini-da-piscina-Spumante-Rosè-Metodo-Classico-Donatella-Cinelli-Colombini

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini

Wine experts snub them by branding them as thirst quenchers without real quality but actually they exist all over the world. The French call them vins de soif that is wines for thirst, in English they take the name of poolwine which corresponds to the swimming pool wines proposed by the Lucanian sommelier Vincenzo Donatiello.

VINCENZO DONATIELLO AND POOLWINES

It was this thirty-year-old professional who proposed them for the first time in Italy in 2018. Vincenzo was the maître of the Piazza Duomo restaurant in Alba until February 2022, with the starred chef Enrico Crippa.

9 June 2022

in Vines and wines

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini

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ROSSO DI MONTALCINO 2020, 5 STARS

In Montalcino, for the first time, there have been 3 extraordinary harvests 2019, 2020 and 2021 one after the other. The one in the middle is extraordinary for its bouquet and full taste

Rosso-di-Montalcino-2020-Casato-Prime-Donne-Donatella-Cinelli-Colombini

Never before has there been such a favorable sequence. A great gift for winemakers but also a great challenge because the three vintages had very different characteristics and therefore had to be interpreted in a different way.

2020 started badly with a small frost during the bud (18-23 March) which reduced the quantity of grapes. The winter was mild and arid. The rain came in June in a very abundant way, throughout the month. The heat began in mid-July and lasted until September with almost no rain but with a strong difference in temperature between night and day. At the time of harvest, the grapes were very small, perfectly ripe and with totally lignified seeds. They gave rise to colourful and fragrant musts with the typical crunchiness of the great Sangiovese vintages.

Rosso di Montalcino 2020 comes from the same ORGANIC vineyards as Brunello. The winemakers at Casato Prime Donne, just before the harvest, divide the vineyards into small plots, by tasting the grapes. Those to be used for the Rosso di Montalcino must have a good component of polyphenols and potential alcohol but lower than those that will produce the wine destined for long aging. Rosso di Montalcino must in fact give satisfaction to those who drink it in the first years of life.

11 May 2022

in Vines and wines

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini

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Il Drago e le 8 Colombe IGT Toscana Rosso 2019

Donatella Cinelli Colombini presents her Supertuscan Il Drago e le 8 Colombe, for the first time in organic version

2019 the harvest of the super Sangiovese, the year in which the bunches and berries of the king of Tuscany grape variety looked like Cabernet, the king of the Bordeaux vineyard.A dream of a harvest, with abundant, perfect grapes that were harvested by hand and then vinified in small vats where the must quickly took on a very intense colour.

Sangiovese 2019 grape harvest after 4 days

The bunches of Sagrantino and Merlot, which also make up the blend of Il Drago e le 8 Colombe were also of the highest quality. Each grape variety was vinified separately but, to make the most of the richness of the 2019 grapes, all made a very long post fermentation maceration. For this reason the racking was postponed for a week – ten days for all types: Sangiovese, Merlot and Sagrantino.

There was also a small variation in the aging in cask compared to usual. When the wine was ready to be moved from the vats to the barrels, the Covid epidemic caused the first lockdown, forcing the cellar work to be slowed down. Too bad because precisely because of the superior quality of the vintage, the quantity of barrels purchased was greater than usual.

IL DRAGO E LE 8 COLOMBE: A WINE DEDICATED TO MEN FROM THE ALL-FEMALE WINERY

The cellars belonging to Donatella Cinelli Colombini, Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino and Fattoria del Colle, in Trequanda, where this wine is born, are the first in Italy with an entirely female staff. Il Drago e le 8 Colombe is dedicated to the only male present: Carlo Gardini, husband to Donatella and creator of small, highly awarded series of Passito and Vin Santo. He is the dragon mentioned in the name of the wine and surrounded by 8 doves: the consultant Valérie Lavigne, the oenologists Barbara, Sabrina, Giada and the cellar staff, the incoming and sales staff. An oenological gynoecium that is constantly growing in number.

SUPERTUSCAN – IGT TOSCANA IL DRAGO E LE 8 COLOMBE

Il Drago e le 8 Colombe is an “author’s wine” and does not belong to any denomination. This category arises from the need to express the creativity of wine makers without subjecting them to the rules of the Doc-Docg regulations. The name Supertuscan highlights the qualitative ambitions of the wines of this type which enjoy a great international prestige. Il Drago e le 8 Colombe contains three different grape varieties: Sangiovese, which gives the wine its elegance, Merlot (20%) which adds pleasantness and Sagrantino (20%) which increases the structure. All the grapes are grown, vinified, aged in cask, bottled and refined at Fattoria del Colle in compliance with the BIO (organic) rules.

What do you want to book?

Vines and wines

PREVIEW OF THE ORCIA DOC RISERVA CENERENTOLA

THE VALUE OF “ONLY THERE” IN TOURISM

An offer of “Wines for Her”, and not just for her!

🍇 Offer of the Month – For Donatella Club Members

DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI PRESENTS HER BRUNELLO RISERVA 2020

THE BRUNELLO RISERVA 2020 IN THE VINEYARD AND IN CELLAR OF CASATO PRIME DONNE

CHIANTI SUPERIORE DOCG 2024 FATTORIA DEL COLLE

Leone Rosso 2021 Organic Orcia Doc

OFFER: COMPARE THE TWO VERSIONS OF BRUNELLO 2019

Receive this proposal at home that includes 3 bottles of Brunello 2019 and 3 bottles of Brunello Prime Donne 2019 for €279.00

NEWS ON THE 2019 VINTAGE

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BRUNELLO AND BRUNELLO PRIME DONNE

THE RATINGS OF THE TWO VERSIONS SPEAK CLEAR

OFFER: NEW SANCHIMENTO WITH ROSSO DI MONTALCINO

THE NEW SANCHIMENTO 2023 BIO IN ORANGE VERSION

94 and 93 points for the Brunello 2018 by Donatella

WHO IS JAMES SUCKLING

Brunello di Montalcino 2018 BIO

THE 2018 VINTAGE IN MONTALCINO

Rosso di Montalcino 2021 from Casato Prime Donne

WHO WE WERE, WHO WE ARE AND WHO WE WILL BE

1998-2002 HEROIC YEARS

Poolwine

VINCENZO DONATIELLO AND POOLWINES

ROSSO DI MONTALCINO 2020, 5 STARS

Il Drago e le 8 Colombe IGT Toscana Rosso 2019

IL DRAGO E LE 8 COLOMBE: A WINE DEDICATED TO MEN FROM THE ALL-FEMALE WINERY

SUPERTUSCAN – IGT TOSCANA IL DRAGO E LE 8 COLOMBE

What do you want to book?

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CASATO PRIME DONNE

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