Biography
Col d’Orcia is one of the few properties in Montalcino which can call itself “historic”. Decades ago, in 1933, the estate was able to present three lengthily-aged Brunello wines at the first Italian wine fair held at Siena. Since 1973 it has belonged to the Piedmontese family headed by Count Francesco Marone Cinzano, assisted by Edoardo Virano, administrator and director.
The property, with 250 acres of vineyard surface, is on the southern slopes of Montalcino, the sunniest part of the appellation which lies between the hamlet of Sant’Angelo in Colle and the Orcia river. The vineyards have been almost entirely replanted in recent years with the assistance of the University of Florence in the clonal selection. The fermentation practices are traditional which modern research has confirmed to be ideal for the production of Brunello di Montalcino: lengthy periods of skin contact with the must, at least 25 days in order to favour the complete extraction of the polyphenols, and a long period of aging in small oak casks, three years for the regular bottling, four years for the Riserva selections. The Rosso di Montalcino and the regular Brunello di Montalcino are very interesting wines.
The crown jewel is the Brunello Poggio al Vento Riserva, made from the vineyard of same name planted in 1973, released only in the finest vintages, and a true milestone: imposing, solid, complex, but of great finesse with elegant tannins and an impressive longevity. Among the other wines in the range Olmaia, a Cabernet, is worth mentioning, as it demonstrates that Montalcino has a real talent for the production of wines from international varieties and can present very high level wines from these grapes. Another very valid wine is Nearco, a blend of Merlot, Syrah, and Cabernet, intense and spicy. Last but not least is the pleasurable, seductive Moscadello di Montalcino, a sweet wine for the end of a meal.