Col d'Orcia

The Tenuta Col d'Orcia in the village of Sant'Angelo is not only one of the most cultivated wineries in Montalcino, but Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino also enjoy increasing demand with an 80 percent share of turnover. Chianti, olive oil, grappa and even a Moscadello di Montalcino are also produced. The estate, which covers around 530 hectares and whose origins date back to at least 1890, has 142 hectares of vineyards spread over several areas of origin. Of these, almost 110 hectares are planted with Brunello. Among them is Poggio Al Vento, one of the most excellent sites, from which the Riserva of the same name originates. The vineyards of the Tenuta Col d'Orcia are almost all located on the south-eastern slope of the Monte Amiata cultivation area. Powerful and long-lived plants thrive there, which fall through a pleasant acidity.

Part of the premises for winemaking, which are equipped with functional and state-of-the-art technology, is an extension hall in which barrels of various sizes are stored. Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled steel tanks. The noble plants of the Tenuta Col d'Orcia are aged in Slavonian oak and Allier oak barrels.

The winery, which has been owned by the Marone Cinzano family since 1973, has been managed for several decades by Edoardo Virano, a very competent manager. The change of ownership at that time brought about a great upswing in the production of wines that had until then been little known outside the region. Today about 80 percent of the production is exported to 70 countries. The annual turnover of Tenuta Col d'Orcia is around 5.5 million euros.

Count Francesco Marone Cinzano sees the future of the wines in the ecological orientation. The owners of the estate, who pay a lot of attention to the traditional wine culture, have switched to biodynamic cultivation in 2010 and, according to their own information, are the largest winery in Tuscany in this respect. In the future, the family will continue to devote itself to long-ripened wines and offer light and modern wines at the same time. SUPERIORE.DE

"Recently some production protocols have changed, which now aim at a particularly conscientious selection of raw materials. The Brunello of the year has profited greatly from this."Gambero Rosso