{"id":35558,"date":"2022-10-14T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-13T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mywinestore.it\/blog\/col-dorcia-historic-organic-brunello-estate\/"},"modified":"2026-09-25T19:36:36","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T17:36:36","slug":"col-dorcia-historic-organic-brunello-estate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mywinestore.it\/en\/blog\/col-dorcia-historic-organic-brunello-estate\/","title":{"rendered":"A journey to Col d\u2019Orcia, historic organic Brunello estate"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cThe future at Col d\u2019Orcia is about enhancing even further the specific qualities of each individual vineyard, of each individual plot, in creating the crus, the specific Brunello crus. We have Brunello Poggio al Vento, which was one of the first Brunello di Montalcino crus, with its first vintage in 1982; we have Nastagio, and recently we have been working on a Brunello cru to sit alongside Poggio al Vento and Brunello Vendemmia. The future is dedicated to creating more crus. The next will be Brunello Vigna Banditella.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Ambitious goals, constant commitment and a big heart: Gianmichele Grieco told us some truly interesting things about Col d\u2019Orcia.<\/p>\n

First of all, he told us about the big heart of the estate<\/strong>. Because this wonderful Tuscan estate is responsible for managing 500 hectares of land stretching from the hill of Sant\u2019Angelo in Colle down to the river Orcia<\/strong>. These 500 hectares<\/strong> are managed one third as arable land, one third as woodland \u2013 there is also a belt of woodland that wraps around the vines \u2013 and the remaining third as vineyards, mainly Sangiovese.<\/p>\n

It takes a big heart to look after it the Col d\u2019Orcia way, that is, with total respect for nature and the environment.<\/p>\n

In 2010, in fact, the estate began a very important conversion to organic farming, obtaining certification for all its production in 2013. Because Col d\u2019Orcia is not just about wine: in Montalcino there is also pasta, olive oil, even tobacco; working with a small manufacturer in the Valtiberina, Col d\u2019Orcia produces a handmade cigar called Orciolo, similar to the Toscano.<\/p>\n

On Moscadelletto di Montalcino<\/h2>\n

From Rosso di Montalcino to Poggio al Vento<\/strong>, Col d\u2019Orcia wines<\/a> have shown right from the start that they have a great deal to say.
There is one \u201cgem\u201d in particular that Gianmichele tells us about, and that is Moscadello, the ancient wine of Montalcino. Few people are aware of its history. Today, in fact, this land brings Sangiovese to mind, but Brunello di Montalcino is actually a relatively young wine, talked about only since the second half of the 19th century.<\/p>\n

Yet as early as the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, Montalcino was known above all for Moscadello di Montalcino<\/strong>. So much so that a great Italian scientist and writer, Francesco Redi, wrote a book in the mid-17th century, Bacco in Toscana (Bacchus in Tuscany), for the Grand Duke of Tuscany, which he concluded by declaring Montepulciano the king of every wine. He said this because Brunello did not yet exist.<\/p>\n

And, speaking of Montalcino, he also mentioned Moscadello di Montalcino: \u201cOf the graceful, the so divine Moscadelletto of Montalcino\u2026 such a wine I destine<\/em>
for the ladies of Paris, and for those so fair who make the Thames rejoice\u201d<\/em>.<\/p>\n

A great wine, then, known to great writers and members of the Italian nobility, and exported to France and England too.<\/p>\n

On running Col d\u2019Orcia and the pursuit of excellence<\/h2>\n

A keen eye immediately notices how every small detail at Col d\u2019Orcia, including the land itself, is looked after almost obsessively. The awareness that every day, in any context and field, it is always possible to do better drives the constant need for improvement that is part of the nature of this Tuscan estate.<\/p>\n

This approach is also expressed in the symbol of the Col d\u2019Orcia brand<\/strong>: six shields representing the hills of Montalcino and a hand pointing to the star, which stands for the pursuit of excellence<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Only in this way is it possible to achieve what the estate set out to do from the very beginning: to produce the best wines that can be obtained from the exceptional combination of soil and climate in this part of Montalcino.<\/p>\n

On perceiving wine through art<\/h2>\n

Stepping into the barrel cellar feels like entering a sanctuary, wrapped in an almost mystical atmosphere. The setting in which you taste also influences perception and helps make the experience exclusive.<\/p>\n

Music, for example, can amplify the perception of the outside world and give a different sensation, adding value to the tasting of the wine. Something very interesting, which makes sense with remarkable wines.<\/p>\n

Col d\u2019Orcia has several of them, and while we await future releases, we close with two great wines, available in our catalogue and award-winning over the years: Brunello di Montalcino and Poggio al Vento<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n

\n
\"Brunello<\/a><\/div>\n
\n

Brunello di Montalcino Col d\u2019Orcia<\/h2>\n

With excellent structure, full and persistent, Col d’Orcia Brunello di Montalcino DOCG<\/a><\/strong> expresses an elegant complexity. In keeping with the estate\u2019s tradition, it is aged for three full years in large oak casks before bottling and kept in the cellar for a further year before being released. It is ruby red with garnet reflections. The nose is elegant, with intense fruity notes such as blackberry, blending with the spice imparted by the oak. A wine of excellent structure, full and persistent, with supple, ripe tannins. It has a savoury, pleasantly fruity aftertaste.<\/p>\n

A great Tuscan red to pair with sliced beef steak and, more generally, grilled meats.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n
\"Poggio<\/a><\/div>\n
\n

Poggio al Vento Col d\u2019Orcia<\/h2>\n

From the heart of the estate and the vineyard of the same name, which literally means \u201cwindswept hill\u201d, comes this exceptional Brunello di Montalcino Riserva. A highly successful wine, Poggio al Vento<\/a><\/strong> is an intense ruby red. On the nose it offers a complex, assertive bouquet, in which notes of red fruit such as cherry, blackberry and blueberry are accompanied by tobacco, liquorice and toasty hints. On the palate it is a wine of great structure, elegant and balanced, with ripe, enveloping tannins. It closes with a pleasantly fruity, savoury and persistent finish.<\/p>\n

Col d’Orcia Poggio al Vento is excellent with red meat dishes such as stews and braises, and outstanding with furred game and aged cheeses, even spicy ones. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With Gianmichele Grieco we find out more about Col d\u2019Orcia, from its wines to its plans for the future. Insights you won\u2019t find anywhere else\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24297,"featured_media":35516,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2602],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35558","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-italian-wines"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mywinestore.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35558","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mywinestore.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mywinestore.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mywinestore.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24297"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mywinestore.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35558"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mywinestore.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35558\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35620,"href":"https:\/\/mywinestore.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35558\/revisions\/35620"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mywinestore.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35516"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mywinestore.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35558"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mywinestore.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35558"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mywinestore.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35558"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}