About this wine
Casato Prime Donne's top traditional-style Riserva, produced only in the best vintages from hand-selected, absolutely perfect Sangiovese grapes — generally sourced from the estate's Ardita vineyard on Montalcino's northern slope. Following grape tastings and chemical analysis, only one or two of the estate's 17 hectares of Sangiovese are chosen each qualifying year to make this wine. It ages at least two years in 5-7 hectolitre French oak casks before being moved to larger 15-40 hectolitre barrels and then bottle, for a total aging period well beyond the DOCG Riserva minimum, resulting in a wine built for very long cellaring.
A serious, age-worthy Brunello best approached with patience — decant well ahead of time and expect it to keep improving for decades.
Sommelier's Note
"The 2010 vintage of this Riserva has been called one of the greatest Brunellos ever made — this is proof that an all-women cellar team can produce wines that rival any in Montalcino."
Food Pairings
Best with rich, structured dishes: roasted or braised red meats, wild game, truffle dishes, and long-aged cheeses. Its dense tannins also pair beautifully with soy-marinated grilled Wagyu or unagi kabayaki.
When to drink it
Milestone celebrations, formal collector dinners, and long-term cellar investment.
Specs
- Grape Varieties
- Sangiovese
- Style
- Red
- Alcohol
- 14%
- Price Range
- ¥20,000-26,000
Terroir & Winemaking
100% Sangiovese, hand-selected from perfect grapes in the best vintages only, primarily from the Ardita vineyard. Aged a minimum of two years in 5-7 hl French oak casks, then racked into 15-40 hl Slavonian/French oak botti, followed by extended bottle ageing before release — exceeding the DOCG Riserva minimum requirement.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How is the Riserva different from the estate's normale Brunello?
- The Riserva is made only in the best vintages from hand-selected perfect grapes off one or two hectares (mainly the Ardita vineyard), and ages longer in oak and bottle — the normale Brunello is produced every qualifying year from the full 17 hectares.
- What does it taste like?
- Dark, dense fruit with notes of black cherry, leather, tobacco, and balsamic spice, framed by firm, fine-grained tannins and a very long finish.
- How long can it be cellared?
- It is built for long-term cellaring — top vintages such as 2010 are expected to age gracefully for decades.
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Talk to the SommelierMore wines from this producer
ブルネッロ・ディ・モンタルチーノ
Brunello di Montalcino
RedSangiovese
The estate's normale Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, 100% Sangiovese grown on the northern slopes of Montalcino and vinified entirely by the all-female Casato Prime Donne team. Since the 1993 vintage, the finest barrels for this wine have been selected each year by an international, all-female tasting panel of Masters of Wine and sommeliers assembled by Donatella Cinelli Colombini — a project she started after noticing that Italy's wine critics were almost exclusively men. It is aged around two years in medium-to-large oak (tonneaux and botti) before further bottle ageing, per Brunello DOCG rules, and is often labelled or referred to in trade listings as 'Progetto Prime Donne' or 'Selezione Prime Donne' in reference to that selection panel.
ブルネッロ・ディ・モンタルチーノ イオ・ソーノ・ドナテッラ
Brunello di Montalcino IOsonoDonatella
RedSangiovese
IOsonoDonatella ('I am Donatella') is Casato Prime Donne's ultra-limited icon wine, made only in exceptional vintages (such as 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2018 and 2019) in a production of roughly 600 bottles or fewer. The grapes come from the small Ardita vineyard on Montalcino's northern slope — the same parcel that anchors the estate's Riserva. The wine is presented in a distinctive bottle covered in stars that, catching the light, form a ring around a gold coat of arms, a nod to Donatella Cinelli Colombini's early studies in medieval jewellery and seal design. It represents both her personal winemaking philosophy and her history at the helm of Italy's first all-female-run winery.
ロッソ・ディ・モンタルチーノ
Rosso di Montalcino
RedSangiovese
Casato Prime Donne's entry-level Montalcino red, 100% Sangiovese sourced from the estate's organically farmed vineyards. Fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel and aged roughly 10-12 months in medium-sized oak (tonneaux and botti), it is designed to be approachable within a few years of the vintage while still carrying the estate's structured, savory house style. It is the wine through which the all-female Casato Prime Donne team introduces drinkers to the character of Montalcino before the longer-aged Brunello wines.