CENERENTOLA ORCIA DOC RISERVA 2020-ORGANIC
A SERIES OF ONLY 200 NUMBERED MAGNUM BOTTLES FOR DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI’S FIRST ORCIA DOC RISERVA. FOR WINE LOVERS LOOKING FOR EXCLUSIVENESS.
Sangiovese harvest 2020
The very small production run limits this wine’s audience to connoisseurs seeking exclusive bottles. In short, it’s a rare gem.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment for over a year,” said Donatella Cinelli Colombini, without hiding her affection for the Cenerentola wine, which she considers one of the greatest successes of her professional life. “I believed in the native Foglia Tonda grape variety when it was on the verge of extinction, and I followed step by step the research for the right way to grow, harvest, and age it. I found winemakers who love it as much as I do—Valérie Lavigne and Barbara Magnani—and I made the Cenerentola DOC Orcia wine a true princess of winemaking,” she says, referring to the international ratings that award it scores between 91 and 94 out of 100.
“Producing an Orcia Riserva means showcasing Cenerentola’s excellent aging potential. The Sangiovese and Foglia Tonda grape varieties are genetically father and son. The former gives the wine elegance, the latter power. In the Fattoria del Colle terroir, at 400 meters above sea level, they find a particularly favourable habitat, producing elegant, powerful, velvety, and wines for cellaring.”
DOC ORCIA CENERENTOLA 2020 FROM FAIRY TALE TO WINE
Each magnum bottle will come in a white “royal case” with gold lettering that recalls the fairy tale from which the wine’s name originates. Indeed, Cinderella is a fairy tale transformed into wine. The Orcia DOC, to which it belongs, was created on February 14, 2000, nestled between the territories of its two more famous “sister” wines: Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. With courage, tenacity, and talent, the young appellation is establishing itself, and wines like Cenerentola are already exported to over 20 foreign markets.
CENERENTOLA’S HOME AT FATTORIA DEL COLLE
Cenerentola DOC Orcia 2020, Donatella Cinelli Colombini, Fattoria del Colle, Trequanda Toscana
Cenerentola is a “family wine,” or as it’s called in Tuscany, a “farmhouse wine” bottled by the vineyard owners. It all happened at Fattoria del Colle, where 15 hectares of organic vineyards are located at 400 meters above sea level, on Pliocene marine sand soil.
Fattoria del Colle was built by Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s ancestors in 1592. Today, the small hamlet inhabited by farmers long ago has been transformed into a tourist centre with apartments and villas, three swimming pools, a restaurant and cooking school, a wellness area, and three parks.
DESCRIPTIVE SHEET OF THE CENERENTOLA DOC ORCIA 2020 RISERVA
TYPE: Dry red.
APPELLATION: Orcia DOC Riserva
PRODUCTION AREA: Tuscany, Trequanda, Fattoria del Colle vineyards.
VINTAGE CHARACTERISTICS: The spring frost (March 18-23) left the vineyards at Fattoria del Colle almost unscathed, but reduced the number and size of the bunches.
Mild and dry winter and spring. Very rainy June. From mid-July through August, scorching heat. In September, the day-night temperature range, along with the rain, allowed the vines to recover and begin ripening.
GRAPE VARIETY: Sangiovese and Foglia Tonda
HARVEST: September 28th to 30th. Manual harvest with very careful selection of the bunches. The berries were very small (weighing 1.60), with high extractable polyphenol levels (over 700). Sangiovese was harvested first, the Foglia Tonda later. The two varietals were vinified separately.
VINIFICATION: In 50-hl truncated-cone concrete vats equipped with a punch-down system and temperature control. The arrival of a cold wind lowered the atmospheric temperatures, making refrigeration of the vats unnecessary.
AGEING IN WOOD: 12 months in 5-hl French oak tonneaux and small barrels. The Sangiovese and Foglia Tonda wines were aged separately and blended only before bottling. Just before bottling, the wine was aged in a bare concrete egg-shaped tank.
QUANTITY PRODUCED: 200 magnum bottles
CENERENTOLA DOC ORCIA RISERVA 2020 IN THE GLASS AND AT THE TABLE
COLOUR: Intense and brilliant ruby red.
AROMA: Fine, intense and intoxicating. It begins with hints of ripe red fruits, particularly blood orange. It then develops notes of undergrowth, spicy notes, and exotic fruits.
PALATE: Harmonious and intense, it satisfies with an enveloping and silky finish. The substantial structure is well balanced by the fruit. The finish is long and pleasant.
FOOD PAIRING: A great wine to pair with roasts and dishes with a strong flavour but lacking in fat. Also excellent on its own with aged cheeses. Avoid vinegar, raw onions and garlic, artichokes, and asparagus.
SERVING TEMPERATURE: Serve at room temperature (18-20°C) in wide-bowled clear crystal glasses.
CELLARING: 20 years. Keep the bottles flat, in a dark and cool place.