Vines and wines

Passito 2014 a sweet masterpiece

In Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s all female staffed wineries, the only man around is Carlo, lover of sweet wines and of this Passito

Producing passito is an annual ritual that captivates Donatella Cinelli Colombini and most of all her husband Carlo Gardini. A maniacal attention that is possible only because very few bottles are made and because Carlo Gardini and the cellar master Barbara Magnani  have unlimited passion for sweet wines. Their efforts have been rewarded with 93/100 for the 2013 production by Wine Advocate.

2014 was in fact the “organic” year, for those, like us at Fattoria del Colle, grow vines without the use of chemical products brought grapes home healthy and ripe. The At the beginning of September the pink clusters of Traminer grapes from the Sanchimento vineyard, surrounding the Chapel at Fattoria del Colle , were picked by hand, and chosen one by one. The cluster were then put into baskets to dry naturally.

This is the most laborious phase in the production because the cellar master Barbara Magnani  must move the grapes continuously according to the weather, if it rains for example. In 2014 the summer was rainy and cool, but at the beginning of September the sun came out and there were only three showers during the whole month. The good weather lasted all of October  while the baskets with the Traminer grapes continued being moved around to find every single ray of sunshine.

A great Rosé from a fantastic harvest

Donatella Cinelli Colombini presents her Rosa di Tetto 2015 which was born from a 5 stars harvest

The 2015 harvest has without doubt been a fantastic one. 5 stars and with the ambition to be remembered among one of the best of the century.

The rainfalls that preceded the harvest in 2015 had two effects, the first negative and the second positive. The blooming was disturbed by the bad weather and this reduced the production of grapes, so the vintage resulted in being scarce. On the other hand the water trapped in the soil helped the vines resist the very hot month of July, in so creating the conditions for a gradual ripening of the grapes. The cool august completed the job and the difference in day and night temperatures favoured the synthesis of the aromas. The result is an excellent rosé.

Orcia, the most tourist attracting wine region in Italy

In the wonderful land of DOC Orcia wine, the most beautiful wine in the world, 65% of the wineries have a restaurant or a country inn

 

The territory where the Orcia wine is born, south of Siena, is between the Brunello di Montalcino and Nobile di Montepulciano wine regions, and is considered the most beautiful wine district in the world. Part of it is a Unesco world heritage site and it contains 13 municipalities, all rich in art and history, as well as thermal spa centres such as Bagno Vignoni, Bagni San Filippo, San Casciano dei Bagni and Chianciano Terme.

So the Orcia DOC wines come from a paradise like landscape that attracts tourists from all over the world. For this reason the Consorzio del vino Orcia has wanted to verify how many of its wineries are open to tourism. The result is extraordinary  65% of the wineries has a country inn or restaurant  <<In other words Orcia is the most touristic wine region in Italy>> said Donatella Cinelli Colombini president of the Consorzio.

The 13 municipalities of the wine region receive every year more than 1 million tourists and about the same excursionists, those who visit daily.  Also many foreign tourists own a second home in this area. Tourism is a strong source of finance in this area. This economy is intertwined with wine because the wine and food offer is perceived as an important component of the cultural exponent. In other words wine tasting, like a tour to an abbey, enriches the visitors with emotions and knowledge and is enjoyed with the same amount of interest.

Winery hotel, where the cellar is

In Stockholm the first hotel with barrels in the reception, it is called Winery Hotel and proposes weekends with wine just like a real winery

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, Brunello, Casato Prime Donne

 

Wine tourism success can be measured also with the increase of wineries everywhere, such as the Winery Hotel. Last year saw the revelation of the  “urban winery” with grapes arriving in crates in the middle of London and wine lovers paying to take part in the choosing of the grapes. Then the vineyard on a skyscraper in New York and a few months ago we saw the images of the domestic winery with wine making apparatus in the lounge. So competition is always stronger for the real wineries.

The last novelty is the Winery Hotel in Stockholm <<Sweden’s first combined urban winery and boutique hotel. This is in fact in Sweden, a nation where the climate has been up until now too cold to cultivate vines and so there are no wineries. But maybe it is because of this that the proposal of a winery hotel, where you can see the production process of wine and then taste it, can result in being incredibly attractive. In fact the invitation is << follow the freshly-picked grapes’ journey from barrel to bottle>> …  and finishes with the sentence: increase your wine knowledge.

Vinitaly IOsonoDONATELLA come and take a selfie in my place

Donatella Cinelli Colombini is hunting for a lookalike to photograph and propose on Instagram with the #iosonodonatella hashtag

Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s Vinitaly stand (Hall 6 stand D4) becomes a photographic studio with a silhouette that playfully resembles her. The invitation is for friends, wine lover and buyers, to come and take a selfie or a photo in her place << #iosonodonatella and so are you!>> and to immediately post the image on Instagram, this is what the Signora del Brunello proposes.

In this occasion we open the Vinitaly doors also to those who stay at home, as anyone can join us in this game with the Donatella name and the prestigious Brunello 2010 IOsonoDONATELLA <<the best wine I ever made>>.

For the first time it is actually at Vinitaly <<we have made only 600 bottles and it sold out in 15 days that is why there was no time to organize tastings and presentations>> explains Cinelli Colombini proud of this rare and precious wine: on the bottle stands here crest in gold leaf, inside a shiny ring hat recalls her student studies on medieval jewellery. So at Vinitaly there will be a unique opportunity to taste Brunello IOsonoDONATELLA and even to take her place, at least for a moment.

US women must choose: sex or alcohol

The US authorities wish to make women choose between sex or alcohol and the Italian researchers discover that future fathers should also not drink

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini Brunello Casato Prime Donne

The indication by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding the consumption of alcoholic beverages by women in fertile age. According to them half of pregnancies are casual and get recognized only after a few weeks. If the future mum drinks alcohol in the phase she is exposing the child to a risk of malformations. This is the reason for the advice, for fertile women, who do not use contraception, to never consume alcohol. As if to say sex or alcohol. This request has created a pandemonium as it forces women to choose between consumption of alcohol even moderate, and sex. Among the fiercest reactions is that by Katie Jean on Instagram who has published a sketch with the drinks apt for every type of contraception, so those using the pill should drink red wine as they are traditionalists, gin drinkers should use the contraceptive patch, while those who ask their partner to wear a condom is apt for drinking beer because they prefer things that are simple and varied.

Even though this ironic image travelled the world over, the advice from the CDCP alarmed practically everyone but especially 4 million American women who might remain pregnant. In reality drinking alcohol during the first few days of a pregnancy is not so risky, while those who consume alcohol during the whole pregnancy might have a baby with Foetal alcohol syndrome or FAS, so with a small head a low IQ and heart problems.

Here's why Brunello di Montalcino is unique

What makes Brunello di Montalcino so special and inimitable? Here’s why the wine from every winery in Montalcino different and what makes Casato Prime Donne stand out

Montalcino is the place where the Sangiovese variety reaches excellence; the soils are from very old geological eras, the climate is favourable and the grape growers’ passion helps to create real masterpieces with just one grape variety: Brunello di Montalcino. Few territories the world over can produce wonderful wines with just one variety Burgundy with its Pinot Noir, the Rhone valley with  Syrah … these areas the soil vocation and the love of the grape growers unite perfectly. This also happens in Montalcino. At Casato Prime Donne for example, where there is a small hill facing south and with the Suga stream close by. The owner’s ancestors used to go to Casato by horse, to go hunting in the big woods that reached the sea. Already in 1592 they were paying taxes, for the products of their land. But it was Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s grandfather, Avvocato Giovanni Colombini, who emphasized this area with Sangiovese vineyards to produce Brunello. In the past few years thanks to the changes in climate the quality of the grapes has reached extraordinary levels. In fact the cool microclimate at Casato Prime Donne allows a slow and gradual ripening of the grapes and this gives the wine extraordinary elegance, harmony and complexity. 

Leone Rosso by the Lioness Donatella Cinelli Colombini

Leone Rosso Orcia Doc in a roaring new version. Harmonic, full, extremely pleasant and elegant is the perfect example of the 2013 harvest here in the DOC Orcia

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini

This wine Leone Rosso owes its name to the blazon which belonged to Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s ancestors, the Socinis, and old family ,who in 1592 built Fattoria del Colle which is where this wine comes from. Among the Socinis there were 5 heretics. Two of which –Lelio and Fausto – were particularly important opponents of the Catholic church and for this reason were excommunicated. Fattoria del Colle was confiscated and only in 1919 it was bought back by a Socini, great-grandfather to the present owner Donatella Cinelli Colombini.

Today the estate covers 336 hectares of which 17 of vineyard for the production of Chianti DOCG and Orcia DOC. This last denomination was created in the year 2000 in the beautiful and intact territory in southern Tuscany between the more famous Brunello and Vino Nobile territories.

The 2013 harvest has been described by Prof Attilio Scienza as “old style” with lower temperatures than in the previous years, soil plentiful of humidity and a traditionally long vegetative cycle that makes longer lasting more complex wines. The harvest was not very plentiful but excellent for those like Donatella Cinelli Colombini picked before the arrival of the rainfalls.

The 10 wine words, but not in English

Wine is in itself a universal message, but the history of wine is full of terms from all over the world and here are the 10 most used wine words

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, Brunello, Casato Prime Donne, Toscana

I often read the thoughts of Julien Miquel, a French wine maker, who lives in New Zealand and is an authentic social wine genius.  This year his Social Vignerons won the Wine Blog Award among the novelties. I suggest you follow him on Facebook, Twitter or on his blog or in Vivino because he opens up new horizons for you. Here I am quoting an article of his about the 10 most common wine words and you will discover the curiosities that only a super wine expert knows

Wine for Julien is like an actor that doesn’t need an interpreter to be understood << But there are a few wine terms that keep popping up on wine labels all the time. So you are simply better off understanding their meaning if you want to know what you’re buying>>

So here is Julien Miquel’s wine dictionary with the 10 most popular non-English wine words that appear on back labels, because as everyone knows the front label is nearly always the work of a graphic artist, while the obligatory by law information and the explanations are always on the back.

Wine trends in 2016

A new generation becomes protagonist of wine consumption: millenials and the 2016 wine tendencies reflect its multiethnic and environmental character

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini, Brunello, Casato Prime Donne

According to the report by Wine Intelligence the main terms for 2016 will be: loyalizing, trust, small, now, transparent, fusion, interaction, personalized, wellness

MILLENNIALS Will be determinant in the 2016 wine tendencies. Their preferences go for wines that tell a true story (and they immediately realized which are false) and those which respect the environment. Authenticity and handmade are liked very much. But also wine as a discovery and as an experience of different places and cultures, so they will be less attracted by the brand and more by exploration. Young people want to interact, understand and share.

ALWAYS HIGHER UP Vineyards will be higher up to beat the heat. There are those who have planted vines at more than 1000 metres in Argentina and at 2.000 m in Chile

PROSECCO The bubble has exploded. In GB  36% of habitual drinkers chooses Prosecco. Demand has surpassed the offer but there is a new request for quality and alternatives … especially in the Spanish cava

Brunello di Montalcino 2011 surprisingly great

General stupefaction over the  Brunello di Montalcino 2011 that is liked just as good, if not more, than the legendary 2010 vintage

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini

It all began on January 22° when Luciano Pignataro, genial and transgressive as ever, publishes an article “Brunello di Montalcino: la 2011 è meglio della 2010. (Brunello 2011 is better than 2010- Blind tasting of 44 samples”.

The group of tasters is of very high level: Fabio Casamassima, Luciano Di Lello, Antonio Di Spirito, Daniele Moroni, Gianmarco Nulli Gennari, Andrea Petrini, Giuseppe Picconi, Luciano Pignataro, Stefano Ronconi, Fabrizio Russo, Maurizio Valeriani.

Informal location, chequered tablecloth and what seems to be quite a joke is instead a real touch of genius. Because among the general bewilderment these Brunello, from a 4 star vintage,2011,  with no expectations from the market, result on average better than the 2010 vintage, that so celebrated by critics and buyers all over the world.  All the better known Brunello included, even Biondi Santi . Only in 8 cases, including mine and that of the best known winery in Montalcino, did the 2010 beat the most recent, but however the differences were really minimal and the level in general very high.

To confirm this opinion come, on January 29th, the ratings by Walter Speller super – tater from the very well known blog by the Master of Wine Jancis Robinson. In this case we can compare the Brunello “selection” 2011 and the riserva 2010 or rather those wines for which every winery strives to do their best. Here too the opinions are very close, and considering that Speller liked the Riserva 2010 very much, he said to MontalcinoNews <<it is rally a quality Riserva it was years since there had been such quality >>

Salon, the Champagne preferred by a teetotaller called Hitler

Only 37 vintages made during the 1900’s, from the grapes coming from 20 very small vineyards in Mesnil-Sur-Oger, the  Salon Champagne is the rarest Blanc de Blancs, it is the first cult wine By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, Brunello, Casato Prime Donne This was created to be something exclusive, in 1905, when the fur coat dealer decided to create Champagne, made only with Chardonnay, like no other. He chose the areas where the grapes reach perfection and crates a masterpiece that he keeps all for himself. No blends with other vintages, at least ten years ageing, which are decidedly enough for it to...

Rosso di Montalcino 2014 the year of ORGANIC vineyards

Donatella Cinelli Colombini  presents her Rosso di Montalcino 2014 portraying a 20th century style vintage in the sign of ORGANIC vineyards.

2014 a vintage like in the 20th century with great cluster thinning and reduction of the leaves just like our grandfathers used to do. At the end perfect grapes that were sound and rewarded the great work done by the grape growers.

In fact 2014 has been the vintage for a comeback for those who, like Donatella Cinelli Colombini, believe in a manual and organic cultivation of the vineyards. Healthy vines, healthy and ripe grapes. Those who have used pesticides cannot say the same.

The Rosso di Montalcino 2014 is being put on sale a few months earlier than foreseen because of the great success that was obtained by the previous vintage.

The new style of the Rosso di Montalcino by Donatella Cinelli Colombini, that is so liked by wine lovers all over the world, is based on a very delicate vinification which extracts from the grape skins only the best. The result is very satisfying and easy to match with food from all over the world, it is elegant, round but most of all extraordinarily harmonious.

It is this extreme harmony that is the distinctive trait of the grapes from Casato Prime Donne, thanks to the slow and gradual ripening of the grapes typical for this area. In 2014 the climatic conditions were ideal for the synthesis of the grape aromas and consequently those of the wine. It is in fact the climate that has impressed in the 2014 wines a very modern style: deep, round and not very alcoholic.

Pinot Noir bubbles could prevent Alzheimer’s

Professor Spencer’s discovery makes all Champagne producers jump for joy as their precious bubbles keep the brain young

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini Montalcino Casato Prime Donne

300 very fortunate volunteers are drinking a glass of  Champagne three times a week to see if their brain cells benefit more than those of the 300 volunteer, the less lucky ones, who are not drinking any. This experiment carried out on rats  gave exceptional  results after only 6 weeks: the rats who had  Champagne showed an increase of 200 % in those proteins necessary for memory functions. Professor Jeremy Spencer from the Reading University has consequently thought of repeating the trial on human beings over a three year period. Apparently the polyphenols are the beneficial substances present in Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, in other words the black grapes used to make precious French sparkling wines. Cellular ageing that provokes the loss of memory starts at around 40 years of age, and continues until we are around 80. So this is the  senile dementia typical in the elderly who forget where they have put things that they have just bought, or where they have been that morning. It is this forgetfulness that seem to be treatable with Champagne, and never before has such a cure been more appreciated, also because Prof. Spencer said to start as soon as possible. How wonderful!