Vines and wines

A dragon shaped QR code

The Il Drago e le 8 Colombe wine tells its story through a QR Code on the label, containing curiosities in Italian and in English

For someone who thinks she knows about wine communication this really is the limit:  Donatella Cinelli Colombini is one of the last to do wine storytelling on the label …. But those who drink her Drago e le 8 Colombe will be able to learn about the strange name chosen for the wine, and the strange blend, by simply scanning the QR code with their mobile phone. A way to discover the Tuscan traits not only in the glass but also through descriptions.

Il Drago e le 8 Colombe comes from Fattoria del Colle in the middle of the oldest and best preserved area of Tuscany and it brings with it aroma of ripe red fruits and the powerful and harmonious taste typical of a hilly territory where the aril is clean and the ripening of the grapes is slow. Typical food in this region grilled beef steak and pecorino cheese, both wonderfully matched with the Il Drago e le 8 Colombe IGT Toscana.

The vineyards are cultivated following the organic regime and by hand as has been done for centuries. In the cellar there are only women. But there is also a dragon this is Carlo Gardini, husband to Donatella Cinelli Colombini the owner, he is one of the initiators of the new experimentations. A game of symbols that say that the Fattoria del Colle winery is feminine not feminist because the great wines have no gender and they are produced and consumed by those who love nature, culture and good things.

Montalcino a village of wine and wine sellers

Let’s take a peek at the wine stores and restaurants in Montalcino to see how wine tourism is changing and how the trade that welcomes it changes too

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, Brunello, Casato Prime Donne

On one thing everyone agrees << 2017 has been a great year for tourism in the Brunello region>> . Helped by the hot climate that has urged people to leave the cities, but has put our vines through great difficulties, but it also has increases tourism in the countryside by putting in a line row and rows of fantastic beautiful days.

Lots of tourists and lots of tasting and shopping.

While talking to those who work in contact with tourists it is possible to discover some curious things.  The wine lovers who come to Montalcino desire most of all to discover Brunello and concentrate their buying sprees on this <<they are not even interested in the Rosso di Montalcino, they want only Brunello>> says Sergio Pierangioli who however admits <<your Cenerentola Doc Orcia sells well, maybe it’s because of the name, maybe because of the label, maybe because it is different …>>.

There is though another sort of wine lover that wants to taste and most of all buy excellent bottles from the most famous Italian appellations and so has stores ship them home bottles of Barolo, Amarone, Aglianico … <<they do not have the time to visit all of the famous wine regions but they want to buy these wines because in Brazil or Canada they would cost much much more>> they explain in the BD Bruno Dalmazio wine store.

Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s wine medal collection

The excellent ratings from the International press regarding Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s wines made in the first Italian wineries to be staffed only by women

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

The results are excellent, for the whole range, obviously the Brunello bottles obtain higher ratings, but even the simpler wines have had excellent reviews. It is a great motive of pride, and means that all has been done well in the vineyard and in the cellar, but most of all it also signifies having a great respect for one’s clients. <<In my winery there are not bottles especially for journalists and VIP’s, we have some sections at higher prices, but all the bottles are the same and the market is repaying us for this choice of honesty and correctness>>.

Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino and Fattoria del Colle in Trequanda have 34 hectares of vineyards cultivated organically and manually cared for.

There are two cellars, in historic buildings and fermentation areas in modern structures. Here to the passion and daily attention are evident in the handmade tonneaux, the new truncated cone shaped bare concrete vats , the plungers that allow the fermentation to happen without the use of pumps… so many details that help preserve the natural harmony that wine gets from grapes. In the end, only 160.000 bottles sold in 35 nations but none go to supermarkets.

<<Here are the ratings for my last vintages>> says Donatella Cinelli Colombini, quite rightly proud <<I shall be expecting you in Tuscany to see my small but wonderful wineries>>

Orcia Doc Cenerentola puts on her crown

Cenerentola becomes a princess with the 2015 harvest. A five star harvest with quality levels never reached before for Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s Orcia Doc wine

Cenerentola becomes a princess with the 2015 harvest. This is the happy finale after a long journey, lots of trials, lots of hopes and a great dream. It was in 2000 that Donatella Cinelli Colombini fell in love with a Sienese grape variety that was practically extinct: Foglia Tonda. A vigorous and rustic variety that in the poor Tuscan vineyards a century ago did not get thinned out with green harvesting and consequently did not ripen. But Donatella together with her agronomists has found the way to make the vines less productive and bring the clusters to perfect ripening. They also learnt which are the best soils and expositions for this variety that, if cultivated in humid areas with little sun well expresses its objections.

In the cellar too there have been many experiments and not all lucky ones. Now the Foglia Tonda variety is picked for last, it ferments and ages alone, for at least 12 months in 5 hectolitres French oak tonneaux, this is when it joins the best Sangiovese made at Fattoria del Colle.

In its sales Cenerentola’s story is all uphill, like all other wines based on rare autochthonous grape varieties.

It is different and 15 years ago journalists’ appreciation didn’t go to more territorial wine making. Then what was rare become trendy, the autochthonous, like what is natural, and so Cenerentola began to find more and more important and better and better ratings from the great experts.

A Rosa di Tetto rosé for Donatella Cinelli Colombini

2016 is a 5 star harvest  where the vines had a vegetative cycle that was extremely long. A slow and perfect ripening of the grapes produced  masterpiece grapes for this Rosa di Tetto.

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, Rosato IGT, Toscana

Rosa di Tetto is produced at Fattoria del Colle from a Sangiovese vineyard planted in 1999 and cultivated according to the organic regime at 400m above sea level. It has a more French style rather than Italian, evident in its faded out pink colour but most of all in the taste and rich aroma that recalls green apple and flowers.

It is strange to say but sometimes the best Sangiovese is not beautiful to the eye. In fact the grapes of this variety have a much more delicate skin than the Cabernet or Merlot varieties, and for this reason, when they are perfectly ripe, as in 2016, they are very fragile and break with just touching them. In our winery we pick by hand, choosing the clusters one by one in the vineyard. Then they are rapidly brought to the cellar to avoid that they lose liquid and begin the fermentation inside the crates.

The result is like a dance, among the rows of vines, the pickers bend and stand up, the crates are first on the ground then brought up into the air to empty rapidly the clusters into the bins that bring them into the cellar. In less than 20 minutes the grapes reach the sorting table, that chooses the best grapes and then into the fermentation tanks.

The 2016 harvest had an extraordinary quality potential, and for this reason the group of pickers was made up of more than 15 people. This allowed us to pick each small plot of vineyard on the exact day of perfect ripening and so produce high quality wines for the whole range of the two wineries Fattoria del Colle and Casato Prime Donne.

Sanchimento 2016 only 2000 bottles IGT

The 2016 5 star vintage. Limited edition of only 2000 bottles for the I.G.T. Toscana Sanchimento from Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s Fattoria del Colle

The small Sanchimento vineyard was planted in 1990 with Traminer grapes on the north side of the hill that goes up behind the chapel at Fattoria del Colle 404 m above sea level. The soil is deep with mostly clay and quaternion deposits.

The choice of the Traminer variety is quite unusual in Tuscany and depends on Fausto Cinelli’s preference; he was Donatella’s father, for this variety which wants cool climates and especially cold nights like those at Fattoria del Colle.

From this vineyard Donatella Cinelli Colombini produces only 2000 bottle a year of I.G.T. Toscana bianco. A small and cosseted selection that bears the name of the

chapel next to the vineyard: San Clemente I Pope in 97 a.D. in Sebastopoli. San Chimento is in fact the medieval name of the same saint.

The 2016 vintage is one of the best of the last few years thanks to its very long vegetative cycle was very long, the vines did sprout early and arrived at complete ripening in the usual dates, in   a gradual and slow manner. From this happy instance and from the cold nights in September, depends the particular richness in aroma of the Sanchimento 2016.

A Chianti Superiore that lives up to its name

Chianti Superiore is produced all over the Chianti territory except in Chianti Classico. It indicates the best grape and Chianti wine selections

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini, Toscana, agriturismo, winery

2015 a year with highs and lows: our vineyards a spectacular harvest, whereas just a few miles away the hail destroyed roofs and even cars. We feel exceptionally lucky!

The great vintages of the last thirty years such as 2010 and 2015 have great similarities: rainy winter, bad weather in the spring which disturbed the flowering and reduced the number of clusters produced, hot summer with very high temperatures in July and cooler ones in August, clear sky during the harvest.

A scheme which brings to the production of great red wines. 2015 was consequently an excellent year.

At Fattoria del Colle the vineyards are on top of the hill, 404 m above sea level. The quaternary deep soils have mostly sea sands and fragments of sandstone. The older vineyards were planted in 1996; the youngest are 10 years old. They are organically grown and the training system chosen is spurred cordon

They are a beauty to see, because the vine are healthy, in a natural balance with the beautiful surrounding landscape, which is intact and preserved through the centuries: no factories, no intensive farming, nothing different from hundreds of years ago.

The Chianti Superiore by Donatella Cinelli Colombini is practically only Sangiovese; the addition of a few clusters of other varieties is in respect of the tradition that wants Chianti to be a mix. Its main element is consequently the gentle elegance of the Sangiovese, with that characteristic aroma of violets which characterizes this appellation.

Brunello and Brunello Prime Donne 2012 94-93-94-92

Excellent reviews regarding our Casato Prime Donne Brunello 2012 from Wine Advocate, Jancis Robinson, James Suckling and Vinous

The two Brunello 2012 produced by Donatella Cinelli Colombini are really liked by all and are among the best ever produced at Casato Prime Donne. This vintage, labeled a 5 star one, has divided the International press, the only sure thing is that its extreme pleasantness, which will make restaurateurs happy as already after a few moments from the uncorking of the bottle, it presents complex aromas and pleasing sensations

The two Brunello from Casato Prime Donne are born in the coolest side on the Montalcino hill, where in 2012 a great heat wave arrived. The fact that we are in a cooler area, the preparation of the soil,  and that in winter we grow beans between the rows, while in July and August we do frequent ploughings, have permitted the production of high quality Brunello.

Here below you find the ratings by Monica Larner from Wine Advocate – Robert Parker Jr and then following those of other wine critics.

 

BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2012 PRIME DONNE 94+

Shows floral notes of pressed violet or red rose petal that distinguish it from its peers. Those delicate tones are very much in line with Sangiovese despite the hot growing season. Background notes of cassis dried plums and spice fill in the rear. A dry mineral note that recalls polished river stone or crushed granite also appears. This wine boasts a terrific bouquet that is infused with elegance and grace. The mouthfeel is polished and streamlined. The persistence is slightly shorter than 2010but this wine more than makes up for this thanks to the high quality of its aromas. Anticipated maturity 2018-2030.

Organic winery: I want the symbol back again

There are many reasons to use an organic regime in the vineyards in an environmentally friendly way, I am though doubtful about the elimination of sulfites from the cellar

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

 

The main reason to cultivate a vineyard in an organic or biodynamic way is the grape growers love for his plants and his wish to see them in a perfect equilibrium. In a way a similar sentiment as for a child. To have healthy vines, able to react to the sun and to the adversities of the climate and so can give grapes of superior quality, this should be the second motive. In fact a study carried out by the prestigious  University of California Los Angeles UCLA (it has 3 Nobel Prize winners among its past students) upon a sample of 74.000 wine tasted by Wine Advocate-Robert Parker, Wine Enthusiast and Wine Spectator revealed that the average rating on red wines made with organic and biodynamic grapes is  5,6 points higher with respect to the rest. An advantage that decreases by 1,3 points for white wines. A powerful sign that ought to be considered with attention by those who aim at producing excellent wines.

The reasons to choose a regime that respects nature are also dictated by the desire that one has to live in the midst of the vineyards . Without  touching the situations where there is true pollution such as those shown on the  France 2 Cash Investigation program in February 2016 in the  Bordeaux area, where the analysis carried out on kids hair revealed the absorption of prohibited and cancerous substances, there is a new awareness regarding the environment that pusher all of us to live in a healthy ambiance. Environments which have been put at risk by farming practices where chemicals are used even in a controlled manner such as the “lutte raisonnée”.

In the same way, whoever practices organic farming, realizes that it is not enough for u s to be able to deliver a natural environment to future generations, we must do more. Copper is a polluting metal, its use in the Vineyard must be diminished. It is on the other hand necessary to learn how to use mushrooms, mating disruption, increase in the predator population already present I the environment to create biological to reinforce the plants’ “immune defenses” and also turn to other natural methods like using seaweed.

Super selection of only 320 bottles of Passito di Traminer

Passito 2105: a sweet masterpiece born from a vineyard that is 50 years old, that is cultivated organically and that grows thanks to Carlo and Barbara’s attentions

An exclusive production to which Carlo Gardini, Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s husband dedicates assiduous care and attention together with Barbara Magnani the cellar master. The Sanchimento vineyard from her the Passito grapes come is nearly 50 years old and it is the oldest at Fattoria del Colle. This age gives the wine elements of finesse, complexity and minerality.

This is an artisan Passito made with a lot of passion and nothing else. Carlo and Barbara fuss over the crates where the Traminer grapes are put as if they were baby cribs. They move them according to the sun, they shelter them inside if it rains and they check every cluster every day to be sure that the natural drying proceeds perfectly. A very big job for just 120 litres of production, justified only by the great passion that the pair has for sweet wines.

Donatella Cinelli Colombini does not share their enthusiasm, quite the contrary for her a wine must have a nice intense ruby colour, so she does not take part in the tastings where Carlo and Barbara taste Sauternes, Tokay moulded wines and Passito from all over the world. Fortunately not everybody feels the same as Donatella and their efforts have been rewarded by 93/100 for the 2013 production from the important US magazine “Wine Advocate”.

The Passito comers from deep and well drained soils, from quaternary era, characterized by clay in also in conglomerate form. The Traminer vineyard is cultivated in organic regime. It is next to the Chapel at Fattoria del Colle, 404 m above sea level.

The Prince of Wales meets Brunello

On April 1st I met the Prince Charles the Prince of Wales, who charmed me off my feet. I assure you it is not an April fools, quite the contrary here I tell you all

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

We producers we called to meet at 6 pm, but the royal couple arrived two hours later. Allegra Antinori, Jacopo Biondi Santi, Leonardo Frescobaldi, Vittorio Moretti from Petra, Giuseppe Mazzacolin from Felsina, Giovanni Manetti from Fontodi …. All ready to serve bottles that were impeccably presented by the sommeliers of FIS Fondazione Italiana Sommelier duided by Franco Ricci in person. The setting was spectacular: Villa San Michele, a terrace over Florence with a facade decorated by Michelangelo. The panorama is similar to that seen from my home, where in the 14^th century Giovanni Boccaccio set the scene of the “Ninfale fiesolano”, on the other hand maybe my view of Florence is better, but I do not have the exquisite elegance of the halls of this exclusive and romantic hotel. Maybe it is because of this luxury that Prince Charles and his wife Camilla have chosen it for

their Italian stay.

I was expecting a somewhat sad character, someone frozen by etiquette but surprisingly Prince Charles was delightful, with a stupendously British “sense of humour” and an ability to mingle with people fruit of a life dedicated to his nation. He is an extraordinary ambassador for the United Kingdom, people love him. When I told him that my Brunello Riserva came from a winery staffed only by women he laughed thinking about how it might be cosseted but he was incredible curious about the organic regime in the vineyards <<is it difficult here for you? And how do you cure diseases?> he wanted to know.

Supertuscan: the multiethnic Il Drago e le 8 Colombe 2014

2014 surprises us with very pleasant wines at Fattoria del Colle, wines in a “20th century style”, elegant, complex and perfumed such as the Il Drago e le 8 Colombe

2014 was the year for organic wines. Only those, who like us, chose to grow their grapes without systemic products, brought home ripe and sound grapes. Contrary to the common certainty that “in rainy years only chemistry allows you to produce good grapes” it was in fact the grape growers who were more careful of the environment who picked the best grapes.

The 2014 vintage of “Il Drago e le 8 Colombe” is characterized by its great elegance, drinkability and pleasantness, with moderate alcohol and great harmony. The cool nights during the summer in 2014 favoured a slow ripening of the grapes and an aromatic richness superior to usual.

This wine is named “Il Drago e le 8 Colombe” because it tells of the curious situation in the first all female staff winery in Italy, but where there is also a male presence.

It is Carlo Gardini, husband to Donatella Cinelli Colombini, the owner. He too expresses his passion for fine wines by following the procedures for producing of the desert wine making, the Passito and the Vin Santo.

He is the dragon on the label while the eight doves are: Donatella, her daughter Violante, the winemaker Valérie Lavigne, the cellar master Barbara and all the wine staff at Fattoria del Colle: Debora, Alessia, Antonella and Margherita.

Il Drago e le 8 Colombe is a “Supertuscan” wine, a Tuscan wine not covered by a DOC regime. It has fewer regulations regarding blends. This is made with Sangiovese, Merlot and Sagrantino. A variety the latter typical of the neighbouring Umbria and that in Fattoria del Colle grows perfectly. In this wine the three varieties bring different characteristics: The Sangiovese gives elegance, the Merlot pleasantness and Sagrantino gives structure.