Taking a break from pizza tonight, as my youngest daughter was complaining about our typical Friday night theme. So sausage, peppers & onions on grilled baguette tonight.
With the caveat that I may not be totally unbiased as I love Stella’s wines, but trying these three back-to-back tonight, I was probably smiling from ear to ear. Three wines that truly wake up your palate and make to take notice. Unfortunately, she has gotten so popular that the physical act of tracking new vintages down has become a chore, but if these three bottles are any indication, she is on a serious roll.
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2010 Azienda Agricola San Giuseppe Brunello di Montalcino Stella di Campalto Riserva - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino (5/1/2020)
Wow, young and primary but oh so delicious. Gorgeous focused nose here with sweet/ripe cherry fruit and menthol. On the palate, kind of half way between clenched and expansive - you can sense this is still holding something back, but it’s definitely not a waste to drink at this point.
I would say that if you only have 1 or 2, continue to hold. But otherwise, if you haven’t tried this yet and you like to see a wine at different points in it’s evolution, this is pretty cool right now.
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2012 Azienda Agricola San Giuseppe Rosso di Montalcino Stella di Campalto - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino (5/1/2020)
Damn, this is good - my 3rd bottle in the last two months, and if I want any of my remaining stash to last, I’m going to have to hide it in a corner somewhere.
Rosso doesn’t get much better than this - lighter-bodied, pristinely focused nose of bright cherry fruit, and expansive on the palate - in a word, delicious, and a wine that goes down dangerously easy.
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2013 Azienda Agricola San Giuseppe Rosso di Montalcino Stella di Campalto - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino (5/1/2020)
So different here than the 2012 I just tried, but equally exciting. This strikes me as a Rosso that truly earns that “baby Brunello” title.
While the nose is not as effusive as the '12, it seems so much more serious and primary. Or to put it another way, the 2012 may not ever drink better than it does right now, whereas this wine just seems to be scratching the surface of its ultimate potential.
Posted from CellarTracker