Donatella Cinelli Colombini talks about her Orcia Doc winery

At the Fattoria del Colle they cultivate the ancient grape variety of Foglia Tonda, rediscovered and valorized by Donatella from which the wine Cenerentola Orcia Doc is made

On the sixth stop of my journey to discover the “faces” of Orcia doc I met Mrs Donatella Cinelli Colombini who produces wine at the Fattoria del Colle in Trequanda and who, since 2013,has been the President of the Orcia Wine Consortium.

Donatella has always been a tenacious lady of wine and 1998 she decided to unite two of the family properties under one single brand with a new approach: Casato Prime Donne a Montalcino where they produce Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino and the  Fattoria del Colle in Trequanda which produces Chianti Superiore, Orcia DOc, IGT Toscana wines, Vin Santo and Passito.

The Fattoria del Colle winery is situated on the border between the Val d’Orcia and the lunar scenery of the Crete Senesi and was made in the basement of the 16^th century villa where you can still see a medieval hermitage, nowadays used to hold the very old bottles of Brunello di Montalcino.

The Fattoria has a tormented history dating back to the Middle Ages. Donatella’s paternal ancestors, the Socini family of Siena,  had  the main building constructed in 1592 around a preexisting  tower. The Socinis were openly in favor of the Protestant reform and so were excommunicated and all their properties confiscated, including the Trequanda house and lands. Only in 1918 was Livio Socini able to buy back the Fattoria del Colle which was later inherited by Donatella. Today she manages the property with the help of her husband Carlo and their daughter Violante .

The estate is made up  of 336 hectares, of which 16 are vineyards. Cereals and extra virgin olive oil DOP Terre di Siena are also produced. They also have a white truffle reserve, a specialty of the area. The villa and surrounding buildings form a hamlet and have been transformed into rural accommodation (agriturismo). The hamlet buildings accommodate  one hundred and one guests in apartments, bedrooms and villas. There is also a restaurant, a cooking school, and a wellness center set among parks and three swimming pools.

The vineyards are cultivated organically and mainly worked manually with meticulous attention. At harvesting time the grapes are selected carefully and later the wine is put into French oak barrels to age.

By this traditional method the winery intends to produce quality wines. These include” il Drago e le Otto Colombe” Igt Toscana; Vinsanto Doc Chianti; Passito made from Traminer grapes;  “Leone Rosso” Orcia Doc, a blend  using 60% Sangiovese and 40% Merlot. The latter has the Socini coat of arms on the label. Last but not least there is “Cenerentola” Orcia Doc whose particularity is the use of Sangiovese (65%)and  Foglia Tonda, two local grape varieties which produce an ancient Senese wine with new characteristics.

Since 2001 this blend has been considered “the feather in the winery’s cap”. About one century ago the Foglia Tonda grape variety was abandoned by the local wine makers because it produced too much and the grapes couldn’t ripen properly. Recent methods of cultivation have changed and the plants that have few bunches ripen perfectly.  Donatella deserves the merit for believing in this variety and investing in its improvement. Today the Foglia Tonda  grapes united to Sangiovese give strength, complexity and long life to the wine.

“Concerning the name Cenerentola  (Cinderella) “ Donatella explained “ I was inspired by the famous fairy tale. Orcia doc  was born in a territory which has two better known and older sister denominations: Brunello and Nobile di Monterpulciano. So like the young lady in the fairy tale who defied destiny, went to the prince’s ball and ended up by marrying him, maybe one day Orcia doc will be present at princely banquets.”

One particular feature of the Fattoria del Colle Winery is that all the staff is feminine, and together with the other Cinelli Colombini winery in Montalcino they were the first in Italy to propose “all pink” oenology.

For Donatella, Orcia Doc is” the most beautiful wine in the world” as the consortium’s slogan says. A new wine that has an ancient history. One that reflects the wonderful harmony of its territory. She continued saying “If I should compare Orcia wine to a music genre I’d choose pop music, in particular songs by the great show woman Mina, whose warm charming voice is also strong and versatile. Her ability to surprise makes me think of the different varieties of expression offered by the wine of our denomination.”

“Being a woman is so fascinating! It is an adventure that requires such a lot of courage, it’s a never ending challenge .” (Oriana Fallaci)

WATCH THE VIDEO OF DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI ORCIA DOC WINERY

Visita alla cantina Orcia di Donatella Cinelli Colombini Trequanda

Visita la cantina Orcia di Donatella Cinelli Colombini a Trequanda. Qui alla Fattoria del Colle si coltiva l’antico vitigno Foglia tonda, riscoperto e valorizzato da Donatella e da questa uva nasce il vino Cenerentola Orcia Doc