Winemaker, Winery Owner

Donatella Cinelli Colombini

Donatella Cinelli Colombini owns two wineries, one in Montalcino and one in Trequanda near Montepulciano. The Colle in Trequanda is in the Chianti and DOC Orcia regions. The 23-hectare estate includes a country inn. The technologically advanced winery occupies the medieval sixteenth century villa where the Vin Santo is still made in the loft that rises high above the vineyards and groves to offer spectacular panoramic views. Located in Montalcino are the 19 hectares of vineyards of the Casato Prime Donne winery.

Donatella has been running the two estates since 1998 and today she leads a full-time enological team comprised solely of women, with the sole exception being the advice received from revered consulting enologist Carlo Ferrini.

The dove on the labels symbolically represents Donatella’s decision to “fly away” from her family’s winery and their traditions to make wines that fully expressed her own character. While employing modern technology Donatella has great respect for tradition, as demonstrated by her decision to salvage the ancient Sienese varietal “foglia tonda”.

Donatella creates a classic Brunello as well as a Riserva and a Rosso di Montalcino; she also runs the Azienda del Colle at Trequanda, where she produces Chianti Classico Superiore, Orcia, Vin Santo, and a Super Tuscan. Her most innovative creation, though, is Casato’s Brunello ‘Prime Donne,’ a wine designed by an all-female team of respected wine experts who based their decisions on instinct and organoleptic observations. Donatella, who is already grooming her daughter Violante as heir to the business, sees this project as a demonstration of women’s formidable capacity as winemakers and enologists.

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