PREVIEW OF THE ORCIA DOC RISERVA CENERENTOLA
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.
Vertical tasting of the Cenerentola DOC Orcia Donatella Cinelli Colombini, Tuscany
WINE IS CULTURE, AND WE’LL PROVE IT
The new aspect of the March 23rd tasting of Orcia DOC Cenerentola comes when information on the climate, winemaking, and maturation of each vintage is complemented by the historical, musical, design, fashion, sports, and film events that characterize those same months. Images and sounds demonstrate how wine follows the civilization of its time, just like interior design or ready-to-wear clothing. The wines are tasted while listening to the year’s biggest hit, while the images transport us back in time.
EVENTS, SPORTS, FASHION, DESIGN, CINEMA, MUSIC, AND TASTINGS FROM 2001 TO 2020
Historical events and climate extremes from 2001 to 2020 demonstrate the growing insecurity that is progressively pushing people around the world toward a search for intimacy and authenticity, reflected in fashion and design as well as wine.
The most immediately visible parallel is between fashion and wine. At the beginning of the new millennium, clothing displayed an ostentatious luxury and a tendency toward excess, mirroring the giant wines with abundant colour, alcohol, power, and oak. This was followed by a search for sobriety, with the use of black and austere colours, which coincided with the 2008 economic crisis and, in wine, marked the transition from the winery’s prominence to a return to the vineyards.
Between 2013 and 2016, a sort of “democratization” occurred, with fashion and wine beginning to travel online. Sportswear, including sneakers, became part of everyday life, and the street style phenomenon was born. Clothing became more inclusive of sizes, ethnicities, and gender identities. In wine, diversity, personality, and authenticity became increasingly important. As we approach 2020, attention to sustainability grew. In clothing, vintage and second-hand items, like natural wines, became fashionable. Values became central, and brands lost their appeal. Then Covid arrived, and the feeling of insecurity became a reality.
<<I never imagined that our “homemade” attempt to parallel the Orcia DOC Cenerentola with the changing human civilization would take us so far>> comments Donatella Cinelli Colombini, delighted that the celebration of the new Cenerentola Riserva takes place with a celebration of wine <<as culture and not just as cultivation>>.
ORCIA DOC: A RECENT WINE IN AN ANCIENT TERRITORY
The Orcia DOC was created in 2000 in the hilly area between the Brunello and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano production zones. In 2004, much of this area became a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to the integrity of its landscape and the wealth of small art cities along the Via Francigena. The vineyards are part of this landscape and ensure its survival. Orcia DOC wine is predominantly Sangiovese (at least 60%) and its distinctive characteristics include a blood orange aroma and a fresh palate. This latter aspect is linked to the solid structure that makes Orcia wines suitable for long aging.
ORCIA DOC CENERENTOLA
This characteristic inspired Donatella Cinelli Colombini to produce 200 magnum bottles of Orcia DOC Riserva Cenerentola. The Cenerentola wine was created in 2001 using two native grape varieties: 65% Sangiovese and 35% Foglia Tonda. After years of trying to understand the cultivation, harvesting, and barrel aging of Foglia Tonda, which had been abandoned for almost a century, Cenerentola finally achieved its first international successes with the 2013 vintage, and the following year (2015) saw the addition of the crown on the label. In 2019, Donatella organized a forum bringing together Foglia Tonda producers to exchange experiences and results. Today, this grape variety is considered one of Tuscany’s most interesting native varieties.
PREVIEW OF THE ORCIA DOC RISERVA 2020 CENERENTOLA
The 2020 vintage began with a spring frost (March 18-23) that left the Fattoria del Colle vineyards almost unscathed but reduced the number and size of the bunches. Winter and spring were mild and dry, June was very rainy, and the summer was scorching. September’s rain and the day-night temperature range allowed the vines to recover. Manual harvest took place from September 28th to 30th . The grapes were very small (weighing 1.60) and had an excellent extractable polyphenol content (over 700). Sangiovese and Foglia Tonda get vinified separately. During the winemaking process, the extremely cold nights made temperature control in the vats unnecessary. Barrel maturation lasts 12 months in 5hl French oak tonneaux and in small barrels.
The 200 bottles of Cinderella are packaged in white cases with gold lettering that recalls the fairy tale of Cinderella and her transformation into a wine fairy tale.