ROSSO DI MONTALCINO DOC 2022 ORGANIC WINE
2022 CHARACTERIZED BY DROUGHT HAS GIVEN GRAPES AND WINES OF EXCEPTIONAL STRUCTURE AND REQUIRED DELICATE WINE-MAKING TO MAKE THE TANNINS SILKY
Rosso di Montalcino 2022 – Donatella Cinelli Colombini
2022 will be remembered as the year of drought and tannin. The grapes were very small. The very favourable relationship between the skin and the juice of the grape produced an exceptional concentration of noble substances and above all of tannins in the wine. For this reason, the vinification was very delicate and the maceration in contact with the skins was prolonged. In this way the cellar workers made the tannins of the new wine silky and non-aggressive. With the same purpose, the future Rosso di Montalcino was put into barrel in November, a month earlier than usual. The result is a powerful and sunny Rosso, like the heat of summer 2022, but also with a surprisingly fresh sip thanks to the perfect acid content of the grapes.
THE 2022 VINTAGE OF ROSSO DI MONTALCINO FROM CASATO PRIME DONNE
Sangiovese is a rather rustic vine variety of which there are 108 clones. The clone that produces Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino has been acclimatized for about a thousand years in this territory where there have been cold periods and hot periods. This is why Sangiovese reacts well to the excesses of the new climate. From a climatic point of view, 2022 was a year of excesses due to the drought which lasted seven months, until August. Luckily the vines had few grapes, due to the frost the previous year, and this helped them to withstand the thirst. The great work of the grape growers was also crucial in keeping the vines healthy: in winter the soil was aerated and made soft and alive with manure and green manure. In spring and summer the vineyards were hoed often and the foliage of the vines were used to shade the bunches and then wrapped around the shoots with the “crouching” technique.
THE CASATO PRIME DONNE IN MONTALCINO
Casato Prime Donne is a 40-hectare property on the north side of Montalcino. The 16 hectares of vineyard contain only Sangiovese vines grown with spurred cordon and Guyot systems. They have been cultivated organically since 2014. The soils are of different types: at the top, from the Pleo-Quaternary era with a prevalence of clay and marine sand, at the bottom they are deeper and of a
Rosso di Montalcino 2022 – Donatella Cinelli Colombini
more recent geological era with an abundance of pebbles brought in, millions of years old. ago, from the Suga stream. The vineyards surround the cellar and this creates ideal conditions for the harvest because the grapes arrive in the fermentation vats in less than half an hour from the moment they were harvested.
Casato belonged to the ancestors of the current owner Donatella Cinelli Colombini, already at the end of the sixteenth century. In the past it was used for hunting and honeymoons, today it is dedicated to wine. The label of Rosso di Montalcino underlines the connection with the family, in fact the 3 doves visible on the label are Donatella, her husband Carlo and her daughter Violante.
DESCRIPTION OF THE ROSSO DI MONTALCINO 2022
TYPE: dry red
PRODUCTION AREA: Tuscany, Montalcino, Casato Prime Donne
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VINTAGE: a 7-month drought that the vines tolerated surprisingly well. The first storms arrived in August and this rehydrated the vines allowing the grapes to ripen without signs of wilting.
GRAPE VARIETY: 100% Sangiovese
HARVEST: from 5-14 September, 15 days earlier than the normal calendar. Manual harvesting and use of the sorting table to choose the grapes. The grapes showed a very homogeneous maturation. Berries with hard skin and very small calibre. For this reason, crushing was carried out during destemming.
VINIFICATION: in truncated conical steel vats with open cap, punching down and temperature control. Indigenous yeasts selected at Casato Prime Donne were used. After alcoholic fermentation, the wine remained macerated in contact with the skins for 20 days in vats with a closed cap.
BARREL AGEING: 6 months in 5-7 hectolitre oak tonneaux.
QUANTITY PRODUCED: 30,000 bottles
ORGANOLEPTIC DESCRIPTION OF THE ROSSO DI MONTALCINO 2022
COLOUR: intense and brilliant ruby red.
AROMA: primary aromas of herbs, wild strawberries and other dark fruits. Slightly spicy and with some floral hints of violet
TASTE: full, harmonious, with a satisfying sweetness and an extraordinarily fresh finish with a persistent crunchy sensation
FOOF PAIRING: gastronomic wine designed to be drunk at the table together with tasty and not too fatty foods. Excellent for brunch and with cold foods such as cured meats and medium-aged cheeses. Perfect with tasty first courses, roasted or grilled meats.
TABLE SERVICE: serve at room temperature (16-18°C) in large tulip-shaped white crystal glasses.
CELLARING: Montalcino wines are all long-lived but Rosso di Montalcino is intended to be drunk when young. The bottles should be kept cold (16°C) in the dark, lying down and preferably consumed within 5 years from the harvest