Donatella Cinelli Colombini : Casato Prime Donne Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2020

Characteristics and tasting advice for the Casato Prime Donne Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2020 by Donatella Cinelli Colombini

Tasting

Color

The color reveals a vibrant ruby-red hue.

Nose

Fine and complex, the nose unveils a rich bouquet combining red fruit aromas with spicy notes and subtle woody touches.

Palate

On the palate, this wine charms with its excellent structure and velvety tannins. A lovely acidity brings freshness, while the finish lingers with elegance and persistence.

Food and wine pairings

This Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2020 pairs ideally with rich, generous meat dishes, aged cheeses, or even leaner preparations with intense flavors.

Serving and cellaring

The Casato Prime Donne Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2020 is best enjoyed at room temperature, between 16 and 18°C. It is recommended to uncork the bottle a few hours before serving and to decant it. This wine has cellaring potential through around 2050 and beyond.

A Brunello di Montalcino Riserva of remarkable elegance

The estate

Donatella Cinelli Colombini has been running, since 1998, two historic Tuscan estates whose lands have belonged to her family since the 16th century: Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino and Fattoria del Colle in Trequanda. The first Italian woman to lead a wine estate, she founded Casato Prime Donne in 2002, Italy’s first 100% female-run estate. The Casato vineyard spans 17 hectares of Sangiovese in Tuscany, producing Brunello di Montalcino DOCG wines of great elegance.

The vineyard

The Brunello di Montalcino Riserva comes from the Casato Prime Donne vineyard, located on the northeastern slope of Montalcino. The vines thrive on cool, clay-rich soils, offering ideal conditions for slow, harmonious ripening of Sangiovese. The estate is managed under certified organic farming.

The vintage

The 2020 vintage began with a mild, dry winter, followed by a late frost episode in March. June proved rainy before giving way to a hot, dry summer. September enjoyed generous sunshine along with cool nights, allowing the grapes to reach optimal ripeness. Harvest took place on September 23.

Winemaking and aging

The grapes for the Casato Prime Donne Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2020 are harvested by hand, then carefully sorted in the vineyard and at the winery. Vinification takes place in open-top, truncated-cone concrete vats, allowing spontaneous fermentation at low temperature. Extended maceration is carried out, with racking delayed by ten days. Aging takes place in 15- to 20-hectoliter French oak casks and in 5- to 7-hectoliter barrels, with the wood seasoned for two years.

Grape variety

Sangiovese (100%)