Sangiovese Tag

A SMALL SERIES OF 3000 NUMBERED BOTTLES OF BRUNELLO

DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI PRESENTS A SMALL SERIES OF BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2018 FROM THE CASATO PRIME DONNE WINERY WITH GREAT QUALITY AND AGING POTENTIAL...

1 March 2024

ROSSO DI MONTALCINO ACCOLADES FROM CRITICS AND CONSUMERS

FIRST THE HIGHEST SCORE FROM THE AIS SOMMELIER GUIDE VITAE AND NOW THE 92/100 FROM MICHAEL GODEL CANADIAN SUPER TASTER, ROSSO DI MONTALCINO 2021 IS A STAR

Incredible! Donatella Cinelli Colombini‘s Rosso di Montalcino 2021 continues to obtain awards from the most qualified tasters and steals the show from Brunello.

The commercial success is confirmed by super experts who emphasize the drinkable and at the same time elegant character of a young wine but capable of showing the world-class virtues of Sangiovese from Montalcino.

For Donatella Cinelli Colombini it is a great satisfaction because Rosso di Montalcino is a wine made by her winemakers alone, without external consultants. Donatella’s wineries – Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino and Fattoria del Colle in Trequanda – are the first in Italy with an all-female staff and pride themselves on always seeking faithful interpretations of the terroir and vintage. A “light oenology” as Professor Luigi Moio defined it, which leaves nature a leading role and the cellar staff the task of preserving the gifts of the vineyard without changing anything.

Here a super harvest like 2021 reveals its merits in the Rosso di Montalcino which heralds a great Brunello from the same vintage.

So, let’s go and see the reviews

1 January 2024

BRUNELLO RISERVA 2018 BY DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI

2018, a twentieth century style harvest with the grapes for the Brunello Riserva harvested last to capture every ray of sunshine and to pick very small bunches and berries

Brunello riserva 2019 Donatella Cinelli Colombini

Brunello riserva 2018 Donatella Cinelli Colombini

The Brunello of this vintage is characterized by a particular richness of aromas thanks to the cold nights of the entire maturation period and by the evident vocation for long aging.

2018 follows a year of extreme heat and therefore everyone welcomed the insistent spring rains with joy. In fact, the storms continued, making the winemakers work a lot and worrying the cellar staff because the bunches, and especially the berries, were too big. Furthermore, a disturbance of Nordic origin at the end of August had stiffened the grape skins. In September the positive turning point: sunny days made the grapes return to their optimal size, progressively softening the skins. To favour the action of the sun, the vines were stripped. The Sangiovese grapes for the 2018 Brunello Riserva were harvested on October 1st.

HARVEST AT CASATO PRIME DONNE AND THE ROLE OF THE GRAPES PICKED FOR THE RISERVA

It is worth explaining how the harvest is planned at Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino. The vineyards surround the winery. They are on 4 different types of soil and with different exposure.

7 December 2023

CHIANTI SUPERIORE DOCG 2021

CHIANTI SUPERIORE 2021 FROM FATTORIA DEL COLLE A FAMILYWINE FULL OF TUSCAN ELEGANCE AND YOUTHFUL ENERGY THAT PUTS FLAVOUR IN EVERY SIP

Chianti Superiore 2021 DOCG Donatella Cinelli Colombini

Fattoria del Colle was very lucky in 2021: it was saved from the frost and hailstorms that hit many parts of the Italian and Tuscan vineyard.

A great fortune that the winemakers of Donatella Cinelli Colombini wineries wanted to live to the full by making a harvest with attention to every detail. The year was called the “puzzle harvest” because the vineyards were divided into small areas based on the ripeness of the grapes. The harvest calendar was built according to the maturation of each portion, ensuring that the small fermentation vats in the cellar were full every evening. A method that entailed greater costs, more staff and more time due to the constant movement from one vineyard to another. The result is greater respect for the fruit, which is always picked at the moment of its maximum potential and an increase in the quality of the wines.

10 November 2022

Brunello Prime Donne 2018 BIO

Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s first BIO Brunello. Eight years of waiting: the first three in conversion and then the harvest and the long journey of the wine in the cellar, up to the bottle

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A great Brunello born in an “old-style” harvest.

The BIO rules do not allow the use of systemic chemicals and in 2018, a very rainy year, the winemakers of Casato Prime Donne had to work hard and very promptly to defend the vines from powdery mildew and downy mildew, but they succeeded.

THE 2018 VINTAGE IN THE BRUNELLO VINEYARDS

An “old-fashioned” vintage with a cold and rainy summer, very slow ripening and harvest on the normal dates of late September.

Very rainy winter and spring (16 rainy days in January, 16 in February, 20 in March, 11 in April and 18 in May). Summer alternated with peaks of heat and thunderstorms. In September, the sunny days and cold nights allowed a slow and gradual ripening of the grapes with a progressive decrease in the size of the berries and an excellent synthesis of aromas.

20 October 2022

Brunello di Montalcino 2018 BIO

2018 crowns the talent of Tuscan winemakers. A vintage that is very reminiscent of those of our grandparents and has given us a modern, elegant and richly scented Brunello

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After a very dry 2017, the first half of 2018 was very rainy and replenished the soil’s water reserves. A positive element for nature but also a challenge for those who cultivate the vineyards. 16 rainy days in January, 16 in February, 20 in March, 11 in April and 18 in May. In June the Sangiovese vines for Brunello had few bunches and a lot of grass also because we grow organically and therefore without herbicides.

THE 2018 VINTAGE IN MONTALCINO

An English summer, with an umbrella always at hand and, at the end of August an Arctic disturbance that whitened the Alps and stiffened the skin of the grapes in our vineyards. September had sunny days and almost winter nights. An anomalous climatic situation that has greatly helped the vineyards. The grapes became smaller and as they matured they softened and an amazing synthesis of aromas took place.

The aromatic richness is the characterizing element of the 2018 vintage.

13 October 2022

Rosso di Montalcino 2021 from Casato Prime Donne

Donatella Cinelli Colombini presents Rosso di Montalcino 2021 born in an amazing vintage. Never before 4 super vintages one after another in Montalcino

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Montalcino’s series of extraordinary harvests does not seem to want to stop: 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022. Never before has the land of Brunello lined up such a dazzling sequence.

Each vintage with different characteristics to create the desire and curiosity to taste them all. Rosso di Montalcino offers this opportunity rather quickly and here is the 2021, vigorous and velvety after six months spent in cask.

The young appellation of Montalcino is experiencing a period of particular success. A growing market demand that has literally emptied the cellars, monographic tastings by Sommeliers and journalists, an event that highlights “RED Montalcino” and a number of articles never seen before. In short, it is a trendy wine that young wine lovers like for its drinkability and pleasant and understandable style.

26 May 2022

OFFER: A CELEBRATION OF THE 2016 VINTAGE

An opportunity not to be missed especially for the friends of Donatella’s Club. Purchase two of Casato Prime Donne’s premium wines at once, from the same vintage, and rated at 5 stars

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The 2016 vintage is << the best vintage of an entire generation >>. This is said by Bruce Sanderson, senior editor of Wine Spectator, , a prestigious American magazine in the wine sector. According to Bruce, the Brunellos from 2016 are the most interesting wines since the 1990s.

This vintage of Brunello has also been called the year of wonders, of real masterpieces destined to make the history of the appellation, one more reason to grab and keep as many bottles of this vintage as possible, to enjoy it today as in 20 years.

3 bottles Brunello Prime Donne 2016

3 bottles Brunello Riserva 2016

2 vacuum pumps to be able to enjoy the bottle even a few days later

11 May 2022

Il Drago e le 8 Colombe IGT Toscana Rosso 2019

Donatella Cinelli Colombini presents her Supertuscan Il Drago e le 8 Colombe, for the first time in organic version

2019 the harvest of the super Sangiovese, the year in which the bunches and berries of the king of Tuscany grape variety looked like Cabernet, the king of the Bordeaux vineyard.A dream of a harvest, with abundant, perfect grapes that were harvested by hand and then vinified in small vats where the must quickly took on a very intense colour.

Sangiovese 2019 grape harvest after 4 days

The bunches of Sagrantino and Merlot, which also make up the blend of Il Drago e le 8 Colombe were also of the highest quality. Each grape variety was vinified separately but, to make the most of the richness of the 2019 grapes, all made a very long post fermentation maceration. For this reason the racking was postponed for a week – ten days for all types: Sangiovese, Merlot and Sagrantino.

There was also a small variation in the aging in cask compared to usual. When the wine was ready to be moved from the vats to the barrels, the Covid epidemic caused the first lockdown, forcing the cellar work to be slowed down. Too bad because precisely because of the superior quality of the vintage, the quantity of barrels purchased was greater than usual.

IL DRAGO E LE 8 COLOMBE: A WINE DEDICATED TO MEN FROM THE ALL-FEMALE WINERY

The cellars belonging to Donatella Cinelli Colombini, Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino and Fattoria del Colle, in Trequanda, where this wine is born, are the first in Italy with an entirely female staff. Il Drago e le 8 Colombe is dedicated to the only male present: Carlo Gardini, husband to Donatella and creator of small, highly awarded series of Passito and Vin Santo. He is the dragon mentioned in the name of the wine and surrounded by 8 doves: the consultant Valérie Lavigne, the oenologists Barbara, Sabrina, Giada and the cellar staff, the incoming and sales staff. An oenological gynoecium that is constantly growing in number.

SUPERTUSCAN – IGT TOSCANA IL DRAGO E LE 8 COLOMBE

Il Drago e le 8 Colombe is an “author’s wine” and does not belong to any denomination. This category arises from the need to express the creativity of wine makers without subjecting them to the rules of the Doc-Docg regulations. The name Supertuscan highlights the qualitative ambitions of the wines of this type which enjoy a great international prestige. Il Drago e le 8 Colombe contains three different grape varieties: Sangiovese, which gives the wine its elegance, Merlot (20%) which adds pleasantness and Sagrantino (20%) which increases the structure. All the grapes are grown, vinified, aged in cask, bottled and refined at Fattoria del Colle in compliance with the BIO (organic) rules.

22 April 2022

OFFER: LEONE ROSSO 2019 DOC ORCIA – 5 STARS

A unique opportunity for the friends of Donatella’s Club. Personalize three of the twelve bottles of Leone Rosso DOC Orcia purchased to be able to donate them to friends with a special label

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We present the 2019 vintage, classified 5 stars, of this Doc Orcia that comes from a small and exclusive production born in the vineyards, vinified and aged in cask at Fattoria del Colle, in Tuscany. Born on the hills 400 meters above sea level near Montalcino, Montepulciano and Cortona.

The Leone Rosso Doc Orcia wine is a very versatile wine that can accompany the entire meal. It is also particularly suitable to match with cold cuts and young cheeses. It adapts well to intense and even spicy foods.

Exclusively for you, 3 bottles with 3 labels to customize to celebrate a dear friend or an anniversary. For example, if Francesco invites you to his birthday, you can take a bottle with a bespoke label.

12 bottles of Leone Rosso Orcia DOC 2019

3 customizable labels

3 shopping bags with logo

SANGIOVESE WITH MERLOT FOR A BLEND OF ELEGANCE AND SOFTNESS

This wine contains Sangiovese and Merlot grapes resulting in a typically Tuscan elegance and silky softness.

Much appreciated for its drinkability by wine lovers and by the wine critics of Wine Spectator, James Suckling and Wine Enthusiast who, in recent years, have given excellent ratings of 90/100 and even higher.

14 April 2022

Cenerentola Orcia Doc 2018

First certified BIO organic vintage of Doc Orcia Cenerentola for a year of giant stature. An intense, complex, velvety and impressive wine like a thick silk velvet, which reveals a superior consistency to the touch

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A surprising result in a surprising year that asked the winemakers for all their commitment. In spring they also worked on Sundays to keep the grapes healthy from the attacks of downy mildew triggered by the alternation between rain and very hot days. Even the flowering was disturbed by the perturbations causing the reduction in the size and number of the clusters.

THE CRAZY CLIMATE OF 2018 A YEAR OF INCESSIVE RAIN

The number of rainy days in 2018 is impressive: 16 in January, 16 in February, 20 in March, 11 in April and 18 in May. The amount of rain was also impressive. At the end of May, the Fattoria del Colle was also hit by a “water bomb” which flooded the historic cellar where the barrels are located. After mid-August, an icy perturbation arrived that whitened the mountains and stiffened the cells of the grape skins.

2018 VINTAGE BLESSED BY THE SUN OF SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER

Meteorologists had predicted a sunny September but after a summer with an umbrella no one believed them.

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Instead the sun came, giving a helping hand to the harvest. The vines were de-leafed in the “old way” and the calibre of the berries returned to normal and the accumulation of sugar gradually increased.
In Donatella Cinelli Colombini‘s vineyards we bet on the sun and decided to do a harvest like our “grandparents, as was the custom 50 years ago. We picked the least promising grapes first, leaving the best in the sun as long as possible. A heart-pounding situation because of the adverse weather forecasts which, fortunately, turned out to be wrong. The harvest proceeded in the sun. The rain came the day after the harvest ended. The quality of Cinderella 2018 is in our winemaker courage.

22 February 2022

Donatella Cinelli Colombini, puts into practice new wine tourism

Donatella Cinelli Colombini, once again innovator, offers “tailor-made” wine experiences to satisfy the different types of wine tourists post-covid

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WINE TOURISTS ARE NOT ALL THE SAME AND DO NOT ALL HAVE THE SAME DESIRES

Donatella Cinelli Colombini, who invented the Cantine Aperte event and teaches wine hospitality in master courses, also knows that wine tourists are a small army made up of people with different profiles and expectations: there are those who are just intrigued, true enthusiasts and Brunello lovers , there are the insatiable eager for extraordinary exclusivity, but there is also those who want to spend their free time learning in a playful way. Wine tourists have changed compared to 2019, when no one knew about Covid, and above all they now want different things. Today, those who arrive in the wine territories are hunting foe emotions and want to immerse themselves in a pesticide-free countryside, cultivated by those who are passionate, traditionalists but also willing to share.

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<< To this diversified multitude the vast majority of Italian wineries offer only one type of experience: visit between vats and barrels with an explanation of the production processes and tasting >> says Donatella << This is wrong>>.

FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE: 4 EXPERIENCES FOR TOURISTS IN BRUNELLO

Here Cinelli Colombini moves from theory to practice and instead of just writing manuals on wine tourism, has decided to lead by example by designing 8 experiences for visitors in her wineries Casato Prime Donne in Brunello and Fattoria del Colle, in Chianti and in the Doc Orcia. Many of the tastings are accompanied by small samples of pecorino, extra virgin olive oil from the farm and unsalted Tuscan bread, therefore without salt.
4 proposals for those who arrive in Montalcino driven by different curiosities: some know little or nothing about wine and know Brunello almost only by hearsay. In this case, there is a simpler experience at a lower price. Then there are two proposals for wine lovers always looking for new emotions and new knowledge about Brunello: the first more focused on tasting – from the barrel to the great vintages – the second more unusual was studied by the Sommelier musician Igor Vazzaz, an itinerant tasting associated with music. Finally, there is something truly unique where Donatella has decided to personally participate. It includes the tasting of her most exclusive limited-edition Brunello, accompanied by cheeses that have won international awards.

18 February 2022

OFFER: BRUNELLO PRIME DONNE 2017 TO TASTE, TO GIFT AND TO PAIR

Brunello di Montalcino Prime Donne is produced only in the best vintages. It is a small selection of about 3,000 bottles destined for high-level restaurants and wine bars around the world

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BRUNELLO PRIME DONNE: THE FIRST BRUNELLO PRODUCED AND DESIGNED FOR WOMEN

In fact, the winery that produces it, Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino, is the first in Italy with an all-female staff, including winemakers, and is the first long cellaring red wine that is followed, from birth to bottling, by a panel of 4 very expert international tasters: a winemaker Astrid Schwarz, a sommelier Daniela Scrobogna, and two Masters of Wine Rosemary George and Madeleine Stenwreth. It is they who choose the wine from the different Sangiovese Brunello vineyards, decide the type of oak barrels and finally the blend of the wine from several wooden casks.

Obviously, Brunello Prime Donne is also very popular with men and has excellent ratings in the main international press. This is a gastronomic wine that should be accompanied with important dishes such as large pieces of roast meat, aged cheeses, and game.

The 2017 vintage was characterized by two climatic events: a frost at the end of April that hit almost the entire European vineyard, leaving Montalcino miraculously unharmed, and a very hot summer with 10 consecutive days in August with a temperature of 43 ° C. The latter event also touched the Brunello vineyard.

6 BOTTLES OF BRUNELLO PRIME DONNE 2017, DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI’S RECIPE BOOKLET AND APRON DELIVERD TO YOUR HOME

Furthermore, on this occasion, the Fattoria del Colle wants to become part of your kitchen. Especially for you, an apron made of Tuscan fabric. Wearing this you will prepare dishes that remind you of the delicious typical Tuscan cuisine. Speaking of which, we also include a booklet with 16 recipes that will allow you to cook traditional and modern Tuscan dishes, such as baccalà alla fratina, pinci, panforte and latte in piedi.

25 January 2022