BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO DOCG 2020 ORGANIC
FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE MONTALCINO VINEYARDS LINE UP THREE 5 STAR HARVESTS ONE AFTER THE OTHER. 2020 IS PERHAPS THE ONE WITH THE GREATEST HARMONY AND INTENSITY
A circumstance that has never happened before which confirms the extraordinary vocation of the Brunello area for the cultivation of Sangiovese, its only grape variety. The favourable effect of the new climate which multiplied the excellent harvests was also confirmed.
However, 2019 and 2020 have different characteristics that enthusiasts will be able to enjoy comparing.
2020 A YEAR AND A BRUNELLO TO REMEMBER
In 2020, the year of Covid, there was a spring frost (18-23 March) which drastically reduced the grapes in the vineyards.
After a mild and arid winter, June was very rainy while from mid-July to the end of August the heat was never interrupted by storms. The good weather continued in September until the harvest when the disturbances began to arrive. The rain circled around leaving Casato Prime Donne dry until September 25th when the harvest was almost completed. That day there was a real downpour but, fortunately, almost all the grapes were already in the cellar.
The 2020 Sangiovese grapes were perfectly ripe, healthy, with well-lignified seeds, small berries and the typical crunchiness of great vintages.
CASATO PRIME DONNE IN MONTALCINO
The Casato Prime Donne cellar, where this wine was born, is a flagship of female oenology and is the first in Italy with a staff of only women. The oenologists and cellar workers, the sales and tourist reception workers are all women. A project born in 1998 when Donatella Cinelli Colombini separated from the family business and was looking to hire a wine technician to take care of the future Brunello in barrels that she had received from her mother.
Among the oenology students, all the males had a contract in their pocket while the women were systematically rejected by the good wineries. Donatella discovered the existence of this discrimination so ancient and widespread as to be invisible. The Prime Donne Project was born from this episode and the decision to create a winery with an entirely female workforce to demonstrate how women could produce great wines just like men.
Today Casato Prime Donne has 18 hectares of vineyards on a total surface area of 40 entirely cultivated in a certified organic way.
It is located on the northern side of the Montalcino hill on soils with 4 different types of mixture, where, however, the presence of marine clay is always abundant. At Casato the vines, all of the Sangiovese variety, are trained using Guyot and spurred cordon methods. Here the oldest vineyard dates back to 1987. The cellar for the ageing of the Brunello in barrels is located in the basement of the building that the ancestors of the current owner, Donatella Cinelli Colombini, used since the end of the sixteenth century, for hunting and for honeymoons.
DESCRIPTIVE SHEET OF BRUNELLO 2020 CASATO PRIME DONNE ORGANIC
TYPE: dry red
PRODUCTION AREA: Tuscany, Montalcino, Casato Prime Donne vineyards
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VINTAGE: mild and arid winter. A brief late frost, when budding was just beginning, led to a reduction in the grapes produced. Very rainy June followed by a dry and hot period interrupted by a major disturbance at the end of August. Even in September the days were sunny but the night-day temperature range was strong and this facilitated regular ripening and an excellent synthesis of aromas.
GRAPE VARIETY: 100% Sangiovese
HARVEST: from September 17th to 28th. Manual harvesting with selection of the bunches in the vineyard and selection of the grapes on the sorting table in the cellar.
VINIFICATION: 15 days in truncated cone-shaped bare concrete vats with open cap, puncher and automatic temperature control. Both spontaneous vinifications and vinifications with the use of indigenous yeasts selected at Casato Prime Donne were made. Excellent content of polyphenols, very colourful and fragrant musts.
BARREL AGEING: 2 years and more in 15-20 hl barrels and 5-7 hl French oak barrels
QUANTITY PRODUCED: 48,500 bottles
TASTING AND TABLE SERVICE
COLOUR: bright ruby red
AROMA: refined, rich in references to red fruits, undergrowth and spices
TASTE: the most evident feature is the harmony and the savoury, almost silky pleasantness in the mouth. Beautiful and long finish
FOOD PAIRING: wine for important lunches or dinners, it should be paired with mature cheeses, tasty meats and intense but not fatty foods.
TABLE SERVICE: Room temperature (16-18°C). White crystal glasses with large bowl. It is better to uncork one hour before serving and decant.
CELLARING: 10-15 years and beyond. Have the cork replaced in our cellars when the wine level drops on the shoulder of the bottle. Keep the bottles lying down, in a dark and cold place.