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VINEYARDS AT CASATO PRIME DONNE (1)

THE SECRETS OF GREAT VITICULTURE, DRAWN FROM THE FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE OF A PRODUCER CRAFTING AN EXCEPTIONAL BRUNELLO BY LETTING THE GRAPES DO THE WORK- EVEN AS THE CLIMATE CHANGES

Sangiovese per il Brunello Donatella Cinelli Colombini Casato Prime Donne Montalcino

Sangiovese for Brunello Donatella Cinelli Colombini Casato Prime Donne Montalcino vineyards

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination

I began managing the vineyards at Fattoria del Colle in Trequanda and Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino in 1998, when my parents gifted me the two estates.

Across the two properties, there were about 25 hectares of old vineyards featuring many dead vines (gaps in the rows) and a multitude of grape varieties and Sangiovese clones—all mixed together and often of poor quality. Unfortunately, it is impossible to restore vineyards in such a state, so I had to uproot and replant them.

I adore centenarian vineyards and envy those who own them. The only old vineyard I managed to save is Sant’Antonio, planted in 1987; it is treated like a relic and tended to with great care… yet it is only forty years old.

I HAVE BEEN PLANTING VINEYARDS FOR 25 YEARS IN THE “GOLDEN CUP” OF BRUNELLO

The remaining vineyards at Casato Prime Donne have been replanted between 2000 and the present day. This process was carried out gradually—planting one or two hectares a year—and relied on a team of excellent vineyard workers led by two extraordinary, passionate “vignerons”: Efisio Luche and Davide Rinaldi. I recall that in 2015, when Denis Dubourdieu—the renowned and formidable professor from the University of Bordeaux’s oenology department—visited us and walked through every single vineyard, he said to Efisio: “Félicitations, vos vignobles sont impeccables.”

Casato Prime Donne is located in the northern Brunello zone, atop a 225-meter hill formed by the fragmentation of the larger Montalcino hill—a process that created the Montosoli rise and, right next to it, our own. In front lies a small valley carved by the Suga stream, which may well have been a river millions of years ago. It is a stunning, cup-shaped area that turns golden yellow after the harvest, thanks to the Sangiovese leaves—a landscape we might well call the “golden cup.”

6 July 2026

DONATELLA AS A CHILD

I WAS A LONER, A TERRIBLE STUDENT, AND AN AVID READER. I WITNESSED THE TUSCAN COUNTRYSIDE TRANSFORM FROM A STATE OF ABANDONMENT TO A RENAISSANCE DRIVEN BY WINE AND TOURISM

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination, Fattoria del Colle Trequanda, Casato Prime Donne Montalcino

Donatella e la madre Francesca Colombini

Donatella and her mother Francesca Colombini

Many refer to the twentieth century as the “Short Century”—a term coined by British historian Eric Hobsbawm—due to the rapid pace of change; yet, in the early 1960s, it felt as though one were living in a nineteenth-century bubble. It was a world precariously balanced between the lingering past, the economic boom that was emptying the countryside, and social rituals that seemed destined to last forever—only to be swept away by the events of 1968.

As a young girl, I used to spend summers in Montalcino playing with the children of the neighbouring farmers, who would run around barefoot. In winter, back in Florence, boys and girls attended separate classes at the Ponte a Mensola elementary school; we girls wore white smocks with pink bows at our collars. Traffic and crime were low, and we children would walk home alone.

22 April 2026

WINE SPECTATOR ON THE BRUNELLOS 2021 AND RISERVA 2020

EXCELLENT SCORES FOR DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI’S NEW BRUNELLOS, WHICH EARN TWO 94/100 AND ONE 93/100, CONFIRMING THE APPRECIATION OF INTERNATIONAL CRITICS

Brunello 2021, Brunello Riserva 2020, Brunello Prime Donne 2021 Wine Spectator Rtings

Wine Spectator is the most widely read and followed magazine among collectors and high-spending wine lovers around the world. Achieving a good score in this magazine means gaining entry to the top restaurants and wine shops. Achieving this every year, as happens with Donatella Cinelli Colombini‘s wines, is a sign of consistent quality that only the best wineries can achieve.

The critic tasting the Brunello and other Tuscan wines is Bruce Sanderson, senior editor of Wine Spectator, who has directed the magazine’s tastings for years.

19 February 2026

BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO PRIME DONNE 2021 ORGANIC AND SINGLE VINEYARD

DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI’S FIRST “SINGLE VINEYARD” BRUNELLO IS THE PRIME DONNE SELECTION 2021

Sangiovese per il Brunello vendemmia 2021 Toscana Montalcino Casato Prime Donne

Sangiovese for the 2021 harvest Toscana Montalcino Casato Prime Donne

The Ardita vineyard is one of Montalcino‘s finest. Every year, in any climate, it produces perfect grapes with small clusters and berries and uniform ripening.

It was planted in 2002 at 225 meters above sea level in a Plio-Quaternary soil with a prevalence of clay and marine sand. It had a slow start and is still not very vigorous; in fact, it almost never requires green harvesting because it spontaneously produces about a kilo of grapes per plant.

Like all the world’s great vineyards, the Ardita vineyard requires very little attention; in other words, it “does everything itself” thanks to a particular terroir. Even in the cellar, the wine produced from the Ardita vineyard requires no human intervention because it is flawless; therefore, it simply needs to be carefully stored in the finest quality barrels.

For this reason, the tasters who choose Brunello Prime Donne through blind tastings of the estate’s entire production often prefer the powerful, velvety structure of the wine from the Ardita vineyard. In the past, they requested it be aged in barrels (15-20 hl), but now they are also fascinated by the character of 5-7 hectoliter tonneaux, especially when steam-bent.

THE 2021 VINTAGE IN MONTALCINO

The 2021 harvest will be remembered as the longest and most expensive because the grapes were selected bunch by bunch in the vineyards. Due to an Arctic current that swept across Europe at the end of April, a large portion of the buds were scorched by the frost, while those that were still closed opened late, several days later. The vines’ growing cycles therefore began at different times, and the grapes therefore ripened at different times.

The bunches and berries were small and beautiful. But to pick them at the perfect moment of ripeness, the harvesters had to select them by hand, moving from one vineyard to another. It was a huge undertaking.

The very long ripening phase of this vintage created the foundation for the wines with excellent structure and with a particular vocation for long aging.

29 January 2026

WHAT A WINE TOURIST SEES IN MY WINERY IN WINTER

IN WINTER, NEW BARRELS ARRIVE AND THE OLD ONES ARE REMOVED. THE FEW WINE TOURISTS ARE TREATED LIKE VIP GUESTS AND ARE THE FIRST TO TASTE THE NEW BRUNELLOS.

Botti nuove in cantina Toscana Brunello Casato Prime Donne Montalcino

New barrels in the cellar Tuscany Brunello Casato Prime Donne Montalcino

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination

Wine tourists flock to our wineries at Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino and Fattoria del Colle in Trequanda from April to November, but the peak season is September and October. However, the wineries are open even in winter, though reservations are absolutely essential as the reception service is by request only.

The few visitors we do have have tangible advantages. They are pampered, and if they want to stay a few more minutes, they aren’t pressured by le next tourists.

IN JANUARY YOU CAN BE THE FIRST TO TASTE THE NEW BRUNELLO

For us Brunello producers, the new vintage begins on January 1st, so wine lovers who visit my cellars in the first month of the new year can sample and take home an exclusive new wine to offer to friends, since only a few journalists have already tasted it. Typically, at this stage, Brunello is still slightly closed, like any wine destined for long aging, but it has greater energy, offering a beautiful tasting experience for those who drink it.

18 November 2025

MICHAEL GODEL’S EXCELLENT RATINGS

Brunello Di Montalcino DOCG 2021, Brunello Riserva DOCG 2020 e Brunello Prime Donne DOCG 2021 Casato Prime Donne Donatella Cinelli Colombini Toscana

CANADIAN BRUNELLO EXPERT AWARDS DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI’S WINES EXTRAORDINARY SCORES, AND HIS FAVORITE IS THE IOsonoDonatella SELECTION

For many years, renowned Canadian critic Michael Godel has spent extensive periods in Montalcino. He has visited most of the Brunello wineries, tasting all their wines. He therefore has a deep knowledge of the places, the people, and the different Brunello production philosophies, including its evolution over time. Receiving a positive assessment from him is a great honour and a great satisfaction.

Donatella Cinelli Colombini was delighted to receive the stellar scores of 96, 95, 95, 94, and 93 awarded by Godel to five of her Brunellos. These wines are produced at Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino on the northern slope of the Montalcino hill, where the clay-rich soil is cooler and creates ideal conditions for the gradual ripening of the grapes.

7 October 2025

UNMISSABLE APPOINTMENT WITH WHITE TRUFFLES AND FINE RED WINES

AN EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIENCE ON A NOBLE TUSCAN FARM WHERE WHITE TRUFFLES OF EXTRAORDINARY FINENESS, BRUNELLO WINE, AND ITALY’S MOST FAMOUS EVO OIL ARE MADE

Fattoria del Colle Trequanda weekend del tartufo

Fattoria del Colle Trequanda white truffle weekend

Rejuvenate amidst landscapes shaped by man over the centuries, at the time of year when the Sangiovese vineyards turn to a golden splendour on the hills. It’s the season of the white truffle of the Crete Senesi, known for its extraordinary elegance, rivalling that of Alba. It is also season of freshly produced EVO oil, which at Fattoria del Colle is diversified into five varieties, one of which is preserved in antique terracotta jars. It’s the season when you can already preview the future 2021 Brunello. Click here for more info

3 UNFORGETTABLE WEEKENDS WITH TRUFFLES WITH AN INCREDIBLE AROMA AND GREAT WINES

The first 3 weekends of November, coinciding with the Crete Senesi White Truffle Market.
Stays take place at Fattoria del Colle, a hamlet-like property built in 1592 around the villa where Donatella Cinelli Colombini still lives today. The villa will open its historic rooms for a guided tour.

27 March 2025

EASTER 2025 IN TUSCANY IN TUSCANY IN FULL SPRING

REGENERATE YOURSELF WITH A BREATHTAKING LANDSCAPE, GREAT WINES, CAREFULLY PREPARED DISHES, ENGAGING EXPERIENCES AND AN ENVIRONMENT FULL OF HISTORY, TRADITIONS AND JOY

Granduca Room – Fattoria del Colle

Fattoria del Colle is a very small hamlet built at the end of the sixteenth century on a hill overlooking the Val d’Orcia and the Crete Senesi. It is waiting for Easter for lovers of Brunello, traditional Tuscan cuisine, old local traditions, views and nature.

A UNIQUE PLACE WITH A LONG HISTORY AND ENCHANTING VIEWS

A setting of ORGANIC vineyards and olive groves, beyond which there is a landscape of wonderful harmony dotted with cities of art and abbeys. Places of great spirituality such as Monte Oliveto Maggiore just 11 km away.

For the Easter weekend, Fattoria del Colle offers an intense program of three visits with experiences and tastings,

Easter 2025 – historical winery of Fattoria del Colle

gourmand lunches, brief cooking lessons, two toasts and of course itineraries in the woods, relaxing stops to enjoy the wonderful landscape in the silence of nature.

For great wine lovers there is an extraordinary tasting of three 5-star vintages of Brunello 2013, 2015 and 2019 in the section Prime Donne and Riserva versions.

The tastings continue at the table with creative and highly traditional recipes combined with Brunello, Chianti Superiore Supertuscan and Doc Orcia wines. The Fattoria del Colle restaurant is a romantic, refined but informal place to make everyone feel welcomed and pampered.

9 January 2025

95,94, 94,93 STELLAR RATINGS BY WINE ADVOCATE FOR DCC’S BRUNELLOS

EXCELLENT RATINGS AND A MOVING MEMORY OF CARLO GARDINI IN THE INFORMATION SHEET WRITTEN BY MONICA LARNER ABOUT BRUNELLO 2018, 2019 AND 2020 BY DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI

Donatella Cinelli Colombini has known Monica Larner for many years, they have different ideas but they respect each other and above all they are fond of each other. This is why Donatella cried reading what Monica wrote about her husband Carlo in Wine Advocate –Robert Parker. She felt understood and embraced with affection. << I don’t remember having met Donatella without the super supportive Carlo right there at her side. They were a strong couple who were on an equal footing>>.

This is perhaps the most important thing for a producer: feeling understood in his or her deepest life choices.

15 November 2024

BRUNELLO 2020 JAMES SUCKLING 93/100

AS ALWAYS, THE FIRST RATING ON THE NEW BRUNELLO COMES FROM JAMES SUCKLING, THE AMERICAN CRITIC WHO WAS THE FIRST GREAT FLAG-BEARER FOR BRUNELLO IN THE USA...

10 October 2024

BRUNELLO HARVEST 2024, A MASTERPIECE

PLENTIFUL WONDERFUL GRAPES WITH OLD STYLE RIPENING WHICH, THANKS TO THE WEATHER FORECAST AND HARVEST TECHNOLOGY, ARRIVED IN THE CELLAR IN PERFECT CONDITIONS

by #donatellacinellicolombini

Brunello-Montalcino-vendemmia-2024-casato-prime-donne

Brunello-Montalcino-harvest-2024-casato-prime-donne

For the first time, in many years, the ripening of the grapes was what winemakers dream of: the ripening of the pulp of the grapes (technological) and that of the skins (polyphenolic) occurred simultaneously and completely.

Average 13% alcohol, lignified seeds, small berries and bunches, good content of noble substances, acidity and PH just below perfection… And lots of grapes.

At the beginning of September no one was hoping for such a spectacular result, in fact everyone was pessimistic because the weather forecast was terrible.

CHRONICLE OF THE 2024 HARVEST: FROM PESSIMISM TO JOY

After 60 days of scorching temperatures in July and August, with temperatures of 37°C during the day and 22 at night, the vines are still. Veraison is slow and ripening does not seem to progress. Then the weather changes suddenly and a very rainy month begins: from early September to early October, around 200 mm of rain falls. It’s cold and at night the thermometer drops to 10°C.

Managing a climate of this kind is very difficult: you need a team of very good agronomists, grape growers and oenologists, excellent harvesting technology and a pinch of luck. We have all this and in fact we produce an amazing harvest.

19 September 2024

NOVEMBER WEEKEND WITH WHITE TRUFFLE AND GREAT TUSCAN WINES

NOVEMBER 2024 WEEKEND IN TUSCANY FOR WHITE TRUFFLE HUNTING IN THE WOODS, TO TASTE IT AND LEARN HOW TO COOK IT, VISIT THE CELLARS AND TASTE BRUNELLO

White truffle from the Crete Senesi

Have you wondered what makes the white truffle of Alba and that of the Crete Senesi so valuable? Both are born in the territories where great red wines are made: Barolo and Brunello. Both contain very little garlic aroma. In the sixteenth century the white truffle was called “garlic of the rich” due to its acute component which, however, in the most prized types, is very delicate. A character perceivable both on the nose and in the mouth, where the taste is more harmonious, almost “honey-like”.

Obviously, the quality of the white truffle is at its peak immediately after its extraction from the ground and rapidly decreases as the days pass. This is why true truffle lovers come to eat it in the place of production and want it freshly “dug out”. In 2024 the summer was very hot and low in rainfall, this reduced the production of white truffles which will therefore be rare and (I fear) expensive. Don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy this exclusive and delicious fruit of the earth, come and experience a truffle weekend in Tuscany, at Fattoria del Colle.

13 September 2024

MONTALCINO SEPTEMBER 14TH CASATO PRIME DONNE AWARD 2024

Maria Canabal's quote to Montalcino and many young people destined to become positive examples for their peers: artists, pastry chefs, goldsmiths and students...

8 August 2024