90 James Suckling
This is Brunello’s younger and smiley brother, obtained from the same Sangiovese grapes and the same Montalcino area but destined to be consumed sooner.
Montalcino, the land where Sangiovese expresses itself best in the whole world and where wines that can last centuries are born, can also produce a great young red wine. This seems a contradiction but it is not. It demonstrates the expertise of the grape growers in this territory. In fact the characteristics of the future wines comes from the clusters; grapes destined to become Brunello or Rosso di Montalcino are cultivated for this destiny right from birth. Poorer soils for the first and more fertile ones for the second. Less clusters for the first, slightly more for the latter. Most of all during harvest the specific characters of both must be made evident, choosing with care the harvest date and vinifying in the most delicate way
Location:
Casato Prime Donne is a 40 hectare property on the northern slope of Montalcino. It has belonged to Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s family at least since the end of the 16th century when her ancestors were already paying taxes for the farm products grown here. During the last three generations the farm has been passed from mother to daughter: it belonged to the grandmother Giuliana Tamanti, and then to the mother Francesca Colombini and Donatella will give it to her daughter Violante.
Donatella Cinelli Colombini owns this estate since 1998 and has give it back its old splendour, like when her ancestors used to spend their honeymoon here. She has also given this location a special meaning, as it is the first winery in Italy to be all female staffed, a flagship for women who work in wine. Every year Casato Prime Donne finances an award that bears the same name and that emphasized women who are of example and an encouragement to other women. Every winner gives us a quotation that remains forever positioned along a meditative trail path through the vineyards and the cellar. Next to the quotation there is always a work of contemporary art by a Tuscan artist that embellished even more the splendid territory of the Valdorcia where the winery is found
Bottles Produced: From 30.000 to 50.000 every year based on the production of Brunello di Montalcino.
Ratings: 90 – 91/100 from some of the most prestigious international wine magazines
GRAPE VARIETY AND VINEYARDS
100% Sangiovese. The vineyards at Casato Prime Donne are cultivated following the organic regime and in all cover 16 hectares, of which 3 always destined to the production of Rosso di Montalcino. They are on the northern area of Montalcino, the coolest, on a hill at about 225 m above sea level with a splendid exposition towards midday. The soil is of early quaternary origin made up of clays and sea sands. The vineyards are divided into 6 small parcels and contain 5000 vines per hectare. These are cultivated with the spurred cordon method. The average production is of 6 tons of grapes per hectare.
