casato prime donne Tag

2026 HARVEST UNDERWAY

WHITE GRAPES AND THOSE DESTINED FOR SPUMANTE HAVE ALREADY ARRIVED IN THE CELLAR; NOW, HOWEVER, WE ARE HARVESTING THE RED GRAPES FOR SUPER TUSCANS, CHIANTI SUPERIORE, DOC ORCIA AND FINALLY FOR THE BRUNELLO The time has come! For Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s estates—Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino and Fattoria del Colle in Trequanda—the most important time of the year has begun. The 2026 season was marked by heavy winter rains that persisted into spring, disrupting the flowering stage. This situation had two effects: reducing the size of the developing grape clusters and building up water reserves in the soil. THE 2026 WEATHER AND ITS...

4 September 2026

CASATO PRIME DONNE BECOMES THE SUBJECT OF A UNIVERSITY THESIS

GAIA D’AMBROSIO GRADUATED FROM LUISS WITH A THESIS TITLED “FEMALE LEADERSHIP AND INCLUSION: WHEN DIVERSITY BECOMES STRATEGY. THE CASE OF CASATO PRIME DONNE”

Gaia d’Ambrosio con la sua tesi di laurea in Economia e Management allìUniversità Luiss - riguardante il Casato Prime Donne

Gaia d’Ambrosio with her thesis regarding Casato Prime Donne

It is gratifying when one’s work inspires others and one’s choices are viewed favourably in an authoritative setting. That is why Gaia d’Ambrosio’s thesis filled us with pride. Gaia earned her Bachelor’s degree in Economics & Management from Luiss University in Rome, with Professor Cinzia Calluso—of the Chair of Business Organization within the Department of Business and Management—serving as her thesis supervisor. Below, I present the final section of her thesis, containing the conclusions.

CONCLUSIONS OF GAIA D’AMBROSIO’S THESIS

This thesis analysed how female leadership and gender diversity can be transformed into a strategic asset. Through a theoretical analysis and an empirical case study of Casato Prime Donne, it became evident that the presence of women in business acts as a tangible driver of innovation, differentiation, and competitiveness. The issue extends beyond mere social equity.

19 August 2026

CASATO PRIME DONNE VINEYARDS (3)

DONATELLA RECOUNTS THE EVOLUTION FROM SUN-SEEKING VITICULTURE TO PROTECTING THE GRAPES FROM EXCESSIVE SUN – PRIMARILY BY USING THE LEAVES AND ALTERING THE SHAPE OF THE VINEYARDS...

17 August 2026

VINEYARDS AT CASATO PRIME DONNE (2)

A TESTAMENT TO ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITMENT: ORGANIC FARMING THAT LEANS TOWARDS THE BIODYNAMIC REGIME, ALONGSIDE EFFORTS TO ENCOURAGE SANGIOVESE TO RESPOND ON ITS OWN TO CLIMATE CONDITIONS AND MOULDS.

Sangiovese per il Brunello Casato Prime Donne Montalcino

Violante Gardini Cinelli Colombini shows Sangiovese for Brunello Casato Prime Donne

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination

Cultivation at both Casato Prime Donne and Fattoria del Colle is entirely organic and has been certified since 2018. Paradoxically, in fact, to display the “green leaf” symbol, one must pay an external company to conduct inspections. Organic farming is a cultivation system that uses fewer chemicals than conventional methods, but—naturally—that alone is not enough; consequently, we adopt many practices from biodynamics. In summer, for instance, we use clays—specifically kaolin—to shield leaves and grape clusters from the sun. At other times, we use products derived from oranges, seaweed, and even propolis.

To combat certain pests, like spider mites, we buy predators from bio-factories. The first time I received the box containing the little bags of predators, I was afraid—thinking, “Watch, these things are going to jump on me”—but then I saw that they have no interest in humans. In some cases, such as with the vine moth, there is a mating disruption system that prevents them from reproducing… It’s a dirty trick to play on these insects, but for them, it’s better than insecticide.

MUCH MORE THAN ORGANIC

Our fertilizers are natural, too; however, after years of using mature organic manure, we switched to pelleted organic fertilizer. Although it costs more, it doesn’t cause grass to overrun the vineyards, leaving us free to decide exactly what grows beneath the vines. In the vineyard, it is essential to avoid anything that competes with the vines for water or grows so vigorously that it creates a damp environment conducive to mold. In winter, we sow a plant mix—or legumes, specifically field beans. This cover crop is subsequently tilled into the soil to make it lively, fertile, and loose.

Weather stations provide significant help in reducing chemical use in the vineyard by monitoring rainfall, wind, and temperatures, as well as other seemingly minor factors—such as the temperature 30 cm underground.

18 June 2026

in Forum: News and lifestyle, Not only wine...

TOSCANA LOVERS OPENS IN FLORENCE

THERE ARE NOW 4 “TOSCANALOVERS” BOUTIQUES WITH THE BEST TUSCAN CRAFTSMANSHIP FOR THE HOME WITH THE NEW FLORENCE STORE IN PIAZZA DEL DUOMO

Toscana Lovers Firenze

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

The new Toscana Lovers store opens in Florence, in the Palazzo dei Canonici di Santa Maria del Fiore, on the left side of Piazza del Duomo.

TUSCANA LOVERS IN FLORENCE IN A HISTORIC AND BEAUTIFUL LOCATION

The monumental entrance features columns and 19th-century statues celebrating Arnolfo di Cambio, who designed the Duomo in 1296, and Filippo Brunelleschi, who designed the dome (1436), one of the most extraordinary works of the Renaissance. The Palazzo dei Canonici was built in the early 19th century by demolishing pre-existing buildings. Inside, the painted ceiling and walls were created for the visit of Pope Pius IX in 1857. After consecrating four Tuscan bishops, the Holy Father stopped here to receive the clergy and have his foot kissed. This visit also coincided with the laying of the cornerstone of the new façade of Santa Croce, one of the great religious projects of 19th-century Florence.

A space that for years housed the Duomo ticket office, so beautiful that it has required furnishings specifically designed by interior designer Lorella Salvi and handcrafted by the Siena-based firm OMIF. The walls, ceilings, and doors are protected as historical monuments. The result is extraordinarily elegant, as if it had always been there.

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.

8 January 2026

ERIC GUIDO REWARDS DONATELLA’S BRUNELLOS

STELLAR RATINGS FOR DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI’S BRUNELLOS: 96,94,94 AND 93/100 ARRIVE FROM VINOUS THANKS TO ERIC GUIDO’S TASTING...

29 December 2025

EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW: Brunello 2021 and Riserva 2020!

Would you like to receive a preview of three bottles of Brunello 2021 and three bottles of Riserva 2020 delivered directly to your home for €319.00?

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

Brunello di Montalcino 2021 e Brunello Riserva 2020 Donatella Cinelli Colombini, Casato Prime Donne, Montalcino Tuscany

This is a unique opportunity for true wine lovers. We’re delighted to present a preview of two extraordinary new vintages of Brunello di Montalcino from Casato Prime Donne by Donatella Cinelli Colombini.

These wines are released on January 1st, so those who participate in this offer will be among the first in the world to taste them and share them with friends.

🍇 Offer of the Month – For Members of Donatella’s Club

3 bottles of Brunello 2021

3 bottles of Brunello Riserva 2020

+ brochure with a map and information about the Montalcino area

Price: €319.00 instead of €370.00

For those who double up

€624.00 instead of €740.00

18 December 2025

ORGANIC BRUNELLO 2021 BY DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI

A YEAR THAT STARTED BADLY, WITH A LIGHT SPRING FROST, BUT ENDED WELL WITH AN EXTENDED RIPENING PERIOD THAT GIVES US A BRUNELLO FOR LONG AGEING .

Montalcino, Toscana, vendemmia 2021 Casato Prime Donne

Montalcino, Toscana, 2021 harvest Casato Prime Donne

Casato Prime Donne is usually the first to harvest Brunello grapes, but in 2021, it was among the last to harvest in Montalcino.

This is a very strange year, beginning with the disappointment of the frost that struck all of Europe’s vineyards. In our vineyards, it burned the tips of the first shoots and delayed the opening of those that were still covered when the cold wind arrived. This had two effects: a reduction in grape production and uneven ripening. Indeed, bud break marks the beginning of a vegetative cycle that lasts about six months. The 20-day gap between the first and last shoots resulted in uneven ripening. The result was a very labour-intensive harvest, requiring us to harvest each parcel separately and even go through the same vineyard multiple times, selecting bunch by bunch. This was a painstaking task, entirely done by hand by the pickers.

2021: THE LONG, CAREFUL, AND SPECTACULAR BRUNELLO HARVEST

Most of the harvest was therefore postponed to the end of September.

The bunches resembled those of Pinot Noir: small, open, and with miniature berries.

The heat and drought were also severe, with only two rains totalling 31 mm of rain from June to September, and peaks of over 40°C mid-August. However, paradoxically, the Sangiovese vines ripened in perfect health. The extraordinary resilience of Sangiovese stems from its millennia-old history in this area. Its DNA contains the effects of the Roman optimum, when temperatures were warmer than today, as well as the small glaciations of the Middle Ages and the 19th century.

The 2021 harvest was therefore poor in grapes but the 2021 Brunello will delight lovers of long-aging reds, as always happens when the ripening phase takes place in a period with cold nights, as happened this year

12 December 2025

in Vines and wines

DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI PRESENTS HER BRUNELLO RISERVA 2020

THE BRUNELLO RISERVA 2020 IS EXCELLENT AND WILL BECOME WONDERFUL. A WINE FOR COLLECTORS AND LOVERS OF RED WINE TO CELLAR THAT REQUIRES PATIENCE.

vendemmia del Brunello 2020 Toscana Montalcino Casato Prime Donne

Brunello 2020 harvest in Toscana Montalcino Casato Prime Donne

The highly elegant style that characterizes all Donatella Cinelli Colombini wines is enhanced in the Brunello Riserva. These are wines designed to last. In the 2020 vintage, this characteristic is extremely evident in the silky yet taut tannins and the acidity that lends vitality to the palate and is well balanced by the intensity of the flavour and the alcohol. Those who drink it now will find a great Brunello in their glass, but those who have the patience to wait two or three years will enjoy truly extraordinary powerful and velvety harmonies.

THE BRUNELLO RISERVA 2020 IN THE VINEYARD AND IN CELLAR OF CASATO PRIME DONNE

In 2020, the winter was mild and dry, so the vines budded early, and the frost of March 18-23 caused more damage than expected for that time of spring. The result was a reduction in the number of grapes in the vineyards. A very rainy June allowed the vines to withstand sixty days of scorching heat from mid-July to mid-September. The leaves were used for shade, leaving the rows with an unattractive but highly protective bushy appearance. For the same reason, pre-harvest leaf removal was avoided.

At harvest time, the grapes were perfectly ripe, healthy, with well-lignified seeds, and had the typical crispness of great vintages. Analytical data even better than 2019: smaller berries, higher extractable polyphenols, potential alcohol around 14%, and a good acidity. Very colourful and fragrant musts.

9 December 2025

EXPERIENCE WITH MYSTERIOUS WINES AT CASATO PRIME DONNE

THE CASATO PRIME DONNE WINERY IN MONTALCINO OFFERS 5 TOURIST EXPERIENCES FOR 2026. THE NEW ONE TESTS VISITORS WITH COVERED BOTTLES OF BRUNELLO AND NOT ONLY

Casato Prime Donne esperienze turistiche 2026

Casato Prime Donne 2026 experiences for visitors

All the wineries in Montalcino are beautiful, but Casato Prime Donne is unique because the vineyards are more than just vines and the cellars are more than just barrels. In the first Italian winery with an all-female staff, which also achieved gender certification in 2025, wine lovers will find many surprises and experiences that will enthral even the most experienced.

THE EXCEPTIONALITY OF A VISIT TO THE CASATO PRIME DONNE WINERY

Contemporary works of art enrich the marvellous landscape of the Val d’Orcia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004. Alongside, dedications by great women help you reflect and recharge, amplifying the benefits of walking amidst nature preserved by organic farming.

In the winery, painted images and videos tell the story of Montalcino and its people’s sense of belonging. A different way to understand Brunello and discover how only there could a unique and extraordinary wine be born, the fruit of a land and a people with a strong character.

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.

27 October 2025

CHRISTMAS IS CLOSE, HERE ARE 2 BRUNELLO AND 1 ORCIA FOR YOU!

cenerentola 2019 DOC Orcia, Brunello di Montalcino 2020, sottobottiglia in resina artigianale

Would you like to receive this offer of 3 Magnums for €264.00 directly at your home?

This offer is designed for your Christmas party planning. Three different magnums to enjoy during moments of conviviality with family or friends (last bottles available). These bottles will also be appreciated as gifts by collectors of fine wines.

🎁 Along with the bottles, you will find: a beautiful resin coaster directly from our Toscana Lovers stores and created by Riccardo Marzi.

What’s special about this offer?

The value of a magnum bottle of wine lies in its excellent ability to preserve and evolve the wine, thanks to less contact with oxygen and its ability to withstand temperature changes better than a standard bottle. In addition to the qualitative benefits, the magnum format offers a strong visual impact on special occasions and makes a surprising and memorable gift.

Cenerentola and Foglia Tonda

Two grapes are used to produce Cenerentola DOC Orcia: Sangiovese and Foglia Tonda, both native. Sangiovese is the main grape variety in Tuscany, and in the Orcia denomination, it must comprise at least 60% of the total. In Cenerentola, it accounts for approximately 65%. The Foglia Tonda grape variety is genetically a descendant of Sangiovese. It has been cultivated in Tuscany since time immemorial and is mentioned in 19th-century sources in the Chianti Classico region. Foglia Tonda vines have also been identified in Siena’s historic urban vineyards. It is a late-ripening vine that loves heat and tends to be overly fertile, so its cultivation is primarily aimed at limiting grape production. It takes its name from its almost circular, lobed leaves. The bunches are cylindrical and compact. They ripen later than the Sangiovese. In the wine, the Sangiovese Foglia Tonda blend combines the vertical elegance of the first with the greater power of the second, which adds colour and polyphenols.

Brunello Prime Donne

A flagship wine for female winemaking! This wine comes from Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s Casato Prime Donne winery and is selected by a panel of international tasters: two Masters of Wine, Rosemary George from England and Madeleine Stenwreth from Sweden, as well as Astrid Schwarz and Daniela Scrobogna. The tasters blindly taste the wines from the different vineyards and then

decide on the type of barrels to use, the length of maturation, and the blend between the different varieties. Today, Brunello Prime Donne is exported to 44 countries worldwide and is a symbol of courage, ethical values, and challenging clichés.

The 3 magnums included in the offer: Cenerentola 2019, Brunello di Montalcino 2020, Brunello Prime Donne 2018

Brunello di Montalcino

Brunello is produced in Montalcino, the world’s best area for the Sangiovese grape. This grape variety has been cultivated in Montalcino for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years. Thanks to the climate and soil, it has developed specific characteristics: it produces small grapes, with small clusters and small berries. This makes it possible to create a great, long-aging red wine in Montalcino, like Brunello, using just one grape variety: Sangiovese

🍇 Offer of the Month – For Donatella Club Members

– 1 bottle of Cenerentola 2019 Magnum Organic

– 1 bottle of Brunello Prime Donne 2018 Magnum Organic

– 1 bottle of Brunello di Montalcino 2020 Magnum Organic

– 1 resin coaster, an expression of Tuscan creativity

29 September 2025