Donatella
Donatella Cinelli Colombini owns two wineries, one in Montalcino and one in the Chianti region. Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino is a property of 40 hectares of which 16 hectares include Sangiovese vineyards and the winery and cellar. At Donatella Cinelli Colombini all the vintners are women, as is the head winemaker, which is a unique situation in Italy and a beacon of progress for women in the wine business in general. Donatella herself was approached by the EU to research the use of native yeast strains in Montalcino. As a result of her work, these local yeasts are now used in the winemaking process at Donatella and are available to use throughout Montalcino. In the vineyard, Donatella has been cultivating her grapes with organic methods since 2014 and will soon be receiving organic certification. Instead of barriques in the cellar, Donatella Cinelli Colombini chooses to age her Brunelli for at least two years in 500-litre tonneaux and then decants the wine into 15hl casks for further aging. The distinctive element of Donatella’s wines is their elegance. Donatella’s wines have been widely praised by the press, especially in recent vintages. In 2016, she was one of four Brunello producers chosen to present at Wine Spectator’s New York Wine Experience.