95 Wine Spectator
94 Wine Advocate – Robert Parker
94 Vinous – Antonio Galloni
93 James Suckling
92 Wine Enthusiast
QUATTRO VITI –Guida ai Vini d’Italia VITAE, edita dall’Associazione Italiana Sommelier
Brunello does not become Riserva; it is born to be Riserva right from the beginning, right from the moment the grapes are chosen to make it.
It is the Montalcino terroir that is an authentic masterpiece.
Brunello di Montalcino Riserva by Donatella Cinelli Colombini is produced from Sangiovese grapes from Casato Prime Donne, a property of about 40 hectares with 17 of vineyard, situates on the northern slope of Montalcino. This is the cooler area of the Brunello territory where the ripening are slower and more regular thanks also to the soils that are not very fertile and that give wines characterized by high sensorial intensity and floral and fruit notes.
Brunello is produced only in great vintages when the climate creates small and lose clusters with small berries that are perfectly ripe.
Donatella Cinelli Colombini dreams of going back to the original style of Brunello, that that she discovered as a child in the wines made by her Grandfather Giovanni, one of the pioneers in the Montalcino denomination. Elegant wines, that are vertical, fresh and with a strong territorial imprint as well as the ability to be cellared for a long time. The project “original style” began in 2011 through a return to manual labour and old traditions, like the use of concrete tanks for fermentation.
Donatella is very connected to traditions and does not forget that Casato Prime Donne already belonged to her ancestors more than 400 years ago.
Bottles produced: from 5.000 to 10.000 depending on the vintage. Riserva is produced only in the best vintages
Awards: Each year it is produced the Brunello Riserva by Donatella Cinelli Colombini gets high ratings from the most important specialized international press. Among these are: Wine Enthusiast put it in 14th position of their TOP 100 in 2005; TEXSOM 2020 assigned it the golden medal for Brunello Riserva 2013
GRAPE VARIETY
100% Sangiovese.
In the 17 hectares of vineyard at Casato Prime Donne, each year ,the wine maker Valérie Lavigne chooses one or two hectares with the best grapes to destine to Brunello Riserva. The selection takes place through tasting the grapes, like a century ago, chemical analysis confirms the decision.
Through the same tasting the date of the harvest sis decided, the grapes are picked by hand choosing cluster by cluster. A slow and careful procedure that allows us to send in only perfect grapes that are at the same level of ripening.
Generally the best grapes come from a vineyard called Ardita planted in 2001 with 5.500 vines and breeded with the spurred cordon system. Since 2015 we have followed the organic regime and since 2018 the wines are certified organic. It is at 225 m above sea level, south east facing and has sol of plio-quaternary origin with clayey scarcely fertile soils.