Donatella Cinelli Colombini had just then begun to create the estate that bears her name and that is characterized by the two wineries– Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino and Fattoria del Colle in Trequanda – with an entirely female staff. The attention to the role of women in wine led Donatella to observe that wine critics and curators of the Italian wine guides were, in 1998, all men. She decided to reaffirm the importance of women’s taste in the choice of wine by creating the first Brunello selected by a female and international panel. The tasters blind taste the wines from different vineyards and then decide the type of barrels to use, the duration of barrel ageing and the blend between the different types. In the beginning, Brunello Prime Donne was a bold challenge, a premium red wine traditionally designed for male consumers that bows to the taste of women. Over the years its success with the consumers and the critics has gone hand in hand with the affirmation of the female gender as a buyer of high-end red wines. Today Brunello Prime Donne is exported to 30 countries around the world and is a symbol of courage, ethical values and a challenge to clichés.