Leap Day Lunch (Ciao Bella, Mpls): Very dark red color. This had a double decant and slow-O for 3.5hrs. Drank a glass over an hour. Hi toned and lifted on the nose and palate, exotic spices, dakr fruits, leather, red cherry, balsamic, anise and damp foret floor. The palate is full bodied, coiled, black cherry, blackberry liqueur, anise, coarse minerality and a touch of lacquer and bitters on the finish. Complex and compelling, likely has more to reveal. 93+(+)pts Thanks Craig!!
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Old Guys Lunch @ Ciao Bella today. My btl Double decant 3-1/2hrs b4 leaving for venue & slow-oxed in Burg glass & btl till departure for venue. Stunning btl w/ remarkable; fruit purity, intensity, complexity & lift! The structure was in check, but this always felt like a thoroughbred Stallion ready to buck me off. Nothing could be assumed but thankfully, the anticipated pleasure arrived w/ time in my glass over our long leisurely lunch. A '13 Canalicchio di Sopra CdP in the flight was also enjoyable but at the same time stuck at starting gate once this got going in my glass. High expectations on my part were met. Who knows what the ceiling on this wine will be? This certainly has the stuff to be a 20yr+ Brunello. One left to find out! 95+ once it warmed up a bit from cellar temp to low mid 60s. I had mistakenly left it in my chiller bag too long causing a delay in reaching its ideal temp at lunch. My wine of the lunch among several other very intriguing btls.
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Opened in Otto e Mezzo in HK. Double decanted, then slow-oxed, but then I decided to decant this as I felt like it needed more air.
This bottle didn't perform quite as well as my previous one from about 10 days ago, despite giving it a bit more air. The signature sweet, floral, cherry nose wasn't quite as intense as from before, which was surprising given the fact I breathed it more. However, what was noticeable was that the tannins and the alcohol seemed better integrated today. I guess it's bottle and air variation. Still, a wonderful bottle of Stella and a joy to have.
I'd probably still give this a bit more time, as I think subject to bottle variation it may be either be good or in a clunky phase, but definitely not at peak yet. Would revisit in 3+ years to see where it's at - hopefully all the elements would have come together by then!
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Opened at the Lobster Bar in HK. Slow-oxed for an hour, and then double-decanted to help speed things along. Enjoyed over dinner.
I was wary about how much air this would need, especially as Stella herself says that the 2010 needs some time to breathe before enjoying. Had a small glass after an hour of slow-ox, and it was still quite closed, so decided to double-decant. This was definitely the right decision.
With enough air, this really blossomed into a beautiful wine. As other notes below say, even though Stella's wines tend to be more on the red fruit side of the spectrum, there's a lot of darker fruit here too. However, the sweet seductiveness that the best Sangioveses can show was definitely here, always drawing you in for more on the nose.
On the palate, it's clear that the winemaking is a step up from the 2006s that I had recently. It's cleaner, more precise, and is very welcome given that this is also a very 'big' wine. Don't let the elegant fruit fool you - there's a lot of concentration to unpack here, with high acidity, slight tannic grip and a clear kick of alcohol. Everything works in harmony together though, resulting in one of the best BdMs I've had.
This is in a wonderful spot right now with enough air, but will definitely continue to age gracefully. Will be excited to revisit soon.
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Surprisingly big and powerful for a wine from Stella, which is to say still delicate compared to its peers. Reminded me quite a bit of Rayas '09 in its density of powerful spice notes on the palate with a sense of balance, despite showing a fair bit of alcohol.
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The Stella Riserva was the clear standout for me in a lineup of 2010 Brunello. This wine stood out for the sweetness of the fruit and the incredible finesse of the wine, with the wine being concentrated in fruit but showing almost no tannin at all.
The nose was beautiful with an intense perfume of mint, sweet, hard-candy like red berry fruit, and red floral tones. On the palate, the wine was concentrated but so finessed with almost no perception of tannin, both delicate and powerful at the same time. Super sweet dark red fruits, sweet red floral tones, violets, and smoke lingered. This is outstanding and so distinct from the other wines in the lineup.
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Heavier than any Stella wine with more fruit and alcohol that feels much higher than the listed ABV - a bit over the top and one I didn’t mind as a change up but the alcoholic hit from even a glass or two is considerable - lacks the soft, feminine quality one often finds in her wines - NR because it’s so atypical
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Sangiovese study, Volume II (Chicago, IL): Gorgeous red fruit on the nose with a purity that very few of the other wines managed to get. Next to the 2011, which I felt was drinking better, this was clearly the more tannic and brooding wine. On the palate, the tannins really clamp down hard on the finish, but given the sheer amount of stuffing here, there's no doubt that aging would be beneficial here. The only concern is losing that fresh, pure red fruit profile over time as it desiccates.
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Another glass of this about 48 hours after it was initially poured; from magnum.
I always find it interesting how varying Sangiovese can be in terms of displaying red and/or black fruits on the nose from one vintage to the next. And while I normally find that Stella's wines lean red, in this vintage the black fruit is front & center on the nose, although the red fruits do become more pronounced on the palate.
This is a beautiful wine. On Sunday, I think most of us preferred the 2006, which was poured from a 750, but this wine is right there with it, and I think this ultimately will surpass the 2006 in another 5-10 years.
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Wow . We were there 8 years ago to celebrate my wife's birthday. Stella gave us a tour and explained how she is trying to be fully organic; will only harvest when the moons align etc. As an aside she bought the vineyard from the papal portfolio. I guess popes many centuries ago figured this was a great location. What a wine she has delivered. So far the best Brunello we ever tasted. Smooth, sensual, long lasting taste. if you close your eyes you can smell and taste Montalcino. She def. deserves all the accolates. I am glad we bought a bunch and resisted opening till now. Drink over the next 10 years.
We will be back!
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This bottle is not as appealing as the previous sample. It is more backward and tight. Lots of underlying goodies that have yet to be unleashed. It needs a proper 2-3 hour decanting at least if you consume now.
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Stunning! Medium bodied and super elegant Brunello. This will be long lived and will only get better with time. Will wait at least 3 years to crack open the next bottle in the case.
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Decanted and followed over 4 hours. Delicious, silky and extremely light-handed for a Brunello. Lovely. Ideally needs a couple more years of bottle age, but no regrets drinking now.
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W O W...absolute brilliance! This is hands down the most elegant Brunello I have ever had. The nose is leather a morning walk with slightly damp earth forest floor. The body dark fruit violet refined and silky tannins. And the finish ethereal and long lasting. What a wine this will be for many years to come. Perfectly balanced, deep, concentrated, yet elegant. Stunning! Had with steak squash and Brussel sprouts and it was equally as good before during and after the food. Decanted for aboout 2.5 hours and seemed best around 3-4 hours.
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Brilliant, beautiful wine. Perfect balance. Ethereal. Understated. Burgundian. Speechless. While I have always loved her Rosso, I have previously found Stella’s Brunello too much of everything. This is so wonderfully in balance, complex, haunting, amazing length...everything you could want from a world class wine. Such a shame that it’s Millionaires only now with secondary market prices...
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Outstanding wine, medium garnet, pronounced nose even with just 30 mid air, red cherry, plum, tobacco, earth, nutmeg, long finish, high acidity high tannins but refined and well balanced. Lovely well made wine.
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Distancing on the Deck (Craig & Nita's Place): Very dark red color. This had gotten a good decant and some additional air. Drank a glass plus over 90 minutes. This strikes me as plenty youthful right now; full bodied, dark fruit, plum, black cherry, earth, wood spice and medium firm tannins. Will benefit from 2 to 3 plus years. 91+ to 92pts.
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Since this is from a young upstart, quality obsessed, female winemaker the vines are only 20yr old vines located between 780 -1100ft. Aged in a combination of cask (15L-25L) and tonneaux (900L) for 44 months. Bottled unfined & unfiltered, then aged an addl 33 mos in bottle. In other words, pretty old school. She mostly lets the vines do the talking.
I double decanted this for about 75 minutes. Then it sat in the blt for another hour before drinking. Color was a youthful semi translucent ruby varietally correct red color. The nose offers up smoky dark fruit and light spice. The palate is a slightly brawny satin textured, lifted mix of dark cherry, plum, underbrush, tobacco leaf, earthy minerality and spice. Still miles to go for this baby but intriguing now with big upside yet. 93pts+ I have 2 more and won't try my second btl for a minimum of 3yrs. If I opened another one right now, I'd decant an addl 2 hours.
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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The thing that strikes me most is the texture which is so silky and fine. It’s got perfectly ripe woodsy dark cherry fruit in a very medium-bodied package with notes of violets and underbrush. Then it builds to a juicy, grippy intensity on the finish which is perfectly taut and complex possessing wonderful notes of minerals and wild cherry spice. A subtle but beautiful Brunello that has superb floral lift and weightlessness somewhat like a Soldera. It’s hard not to be seduced by this kind of classy juice. 96+
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To be expected, the Brunello was at another level compared to the 2013 SdC Rosso. Whereas the Rosso plateaued early in the evening, the Brunello continued to evolve and open up as the night went on. The first thing that stuck me was how open for business it was; in my mind, I had this vision that a 2010 Brunello would be closed down and tight. Not at all. This was surprisingly open, and again the comparison to Burgundy was unavoidable. (A comparison to Soldera was also made at the table.) The Brunello showed more complex, savory notes than the Rosso--especially earth/forest notes and some saddle leather. A more contemplative wine than the Rosso, I think it is one of those unicorn wines that is going to drink spectacularly at every single point in its aging curve.
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Slow oxed for 3 hours before serving, but it probably would benefit from a 1.5hr to 2hr decant for current consumption. Kirsch, flower, perfume and dark fruit. While it stays truthful to the Brunello terroir, the feminine wine making style has added touches of elegance and class. A superstar in Brunello for the Burgundy lover or any wine lover.
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Clear. Pale. Bright ruby. A young but developing nose. High acidity. Not too much oak. Easy to drink. You could tell this was a slightly warmer climate wine and fruit forward. Still tannic. I felt this was young and needs time. But with a great future. Served by TL. Drink 2025-40+
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Sommelier's Atlas of Taste w Rajat Parr and Jordan Mackay (The Morris): Bright cherry and spicy florals frame a spacious but intense, dense, rich, and savory Brunello that is super approachable despite its youth. This is poignant, even a tad sharp at first but whatever aggressiveness is there is washed by waves of deep, plush, smokey inner sweetness. The finish is a movie reel of class. An exquisite way to to finish a thrilling wine-oriented dinner when paired the cheese course, which helped this young wine expand, burst open, and flow. My WotN. Entering drinking window but seriously why wait. Now-2028.
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Still restraint. Medium body and tannins. Acidity still young and firm. Takes another 3-5 years for things to come together and giving it’s class away.
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Sexy perfume, red currant, flowers and herbs. Lots of good texture and density on the palate with ripe red fruit. It showed the greatness of the vintage. Certainly young but already attractive.
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This is a magnificent wine. So different from her earlier, overly extracted and overdone vintages, this has a haunting, red fruit and herbal nose, gentle but concentrated palate, and perfect balance. Burgundian. World class. Drinks now but will last years.
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PNP into Luopai Wuguan Universal glass (“Root” day): Bright medium ruby to the eyes.
What an extravagant nose with ripe but classic notes - Savoury red cherries liquor, saline minerals and slightly smoky herbal notes. Some subtle tones of new oak. Quite deep and integrated already.
On palate, highly mineral and good acidity with good transparency to the flavours presented on nose. Tight and long finish.
I agree with what the others said - “Young Brunellos simply don’t get much better than this”. Every sips of this wine emit quality.
93-94 points at least but clearly with 1 point potential in say 5-10 years’ time.
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Visto la delusione del Biondi santi che sapeva di tappo, mi son trovato "costretto" ad aprire questo brunello per il quale avevo deciso un'apertura molto più in là nel tempo. A distanza di un anno dalla prima bottiglia aperta, tutto è cambiato. Mantiene ancora il tratto erbaceo, ma al contrario di quanto pensavo il vino non solo è pronto da bere, ma restituisce un'eleganza e una piacevolezza veramente fuori dal comune. Certo, ha ancora molta vita e i terziari hanno ancora molto tempo prima di potersi sviluppare. Ma se uno non cerca i terziari a tutti i costi può goderne ora con grandissima soddisfazione. Non è certo un brunello dai sapori classici e tipici. Tutt'altro. è qualcosa di decisamente diverso pur mantenendo un'identità che rispetta il territorio e la tipicità del luogo. Meraviglioso.
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Stella di Campalto mi ha ormai abituato al "brunello che non ti aspetti", nel senso che profumi e sapori non sono quelli consueti. I miei assaggi sono relativi alle annate 2007 (interessante) e 2009 (favoloso e pronto da bere). Con questo 2010 sono rimasto un po' spiazzato perché i toni minerali ed erbacei erano ancor più accentuati rispetto alle altre annate. Si percepiscono le note del sangiovese che caratterizzano i grandi brunelli, ma molto più in sordina. Due i motivi: la giovinezza in primis e il lato distintivo rispetto a tutti gli altri brunelli di Stella di Campalto. Buono, buonissimo, finita in 2 in un attimo, ma questa è un'annata da aspettare. Riaprire tra 3 anni e con molta probabilità arriverà al punteggio di 97 in scioltezza.
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Where do I start? What defines a Brunello? For the longest time, I would say a classic structure to age would be a point in the corner of a wine this young, yet here I found such a delicate nature and mesmerizing layers, that I’d find it difficult to leave in the cellar for longer than 5-10 years. Coming across more ethereal Burgundy than Brunello, the Stella di Campalto displayed a highly expressive nose, which seemed to continue opening with each tilt of the glass. There was earth, leather, crushed berries, dried flowers—which turned to deep and lively floral tones over time—as well as a savory toastiness, which wasn’t oak but something rich and warming. On the palate, it was soft, caressing, yet brilliantly focused in its ripe red fruits, sweet spice and herbal tones. The most elegant of tannin wrapped around the senses, yet were never drying. It clung to the palate throughout the finish, with saturating dark fruits and fine tannin.
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2/29/2024 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
Leap Day Lunch (Ciao Bella, Mpls): Very dark red color. This had a double decant and slow-O for 3.5hrs. Drank a glass over an hour. Hi toned and lifted on the nose and palate, exotic spices, dakr fruits, leather, red cherry, balsamic, anise and damp foret floor. The palate is full bodied, coiled, black cherry, blackberry liqueur, anise, coarse minerality and a touch of lacquer and bitters on the finish. Complex and compelling, likely has more to reveal. 93+(+)pts Thanks Craig!!
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2/29/2024 - chablis28 wrote: 95 Points
Old Guys Lunch @ Ciao Bella today. My btl Double decant 3-1/2hrs b4 leaving for venue & slow-oxed in Burg glass & btl till departure for venue. Stunning btl w/ remarkable; fruit purity, intensity, complexity & lift! The structure was in check, but this always felt like a thoroughbred Stallion ready to buck me off. Nothing could be assumed but thankfully, the anticipated pleasure arrived w/ time in my glass over our long leisurely lunch. A '13 Canalicchio di Sopra CdP in the flight was also enjoyable but at the same time stuck at starting gate once this got going in my glass. High expectations on my part were met. Who knows what the ceiling on this wine will be? This certainly has the stuff to be a 20yr+ Brunello. One left to find out! 95+ once it warmed up a bit from cellar temp to low mid 60s. I had mistakenly left it in my chiller bag too long causing a delay in reaching its ideal temp at lunch. My wine of the lunch among several other very intriguing btls.
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2/5/2024 - oxwombat Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened in Otto e Mezzo in HK. Double decanted, then slow-oxed, but then I decided to decant this as I felt like it needed more air.
This bottle didn't perform quite as well as my previous one from about 10 days ago, despite giving it a bit more air. The signature sweet, floral, cherry nose wasn't quite as intense as from before, which was surprising given the fact I breathed it more. However, what was noticeable was that the tannins and the alcohol seemed better integrated today. I guess it's bottle and air variation. Still, a wonderful bottle of Stella and a joy to have.
I'd probably still give this a bit more time, as I think subject to bottle variation it may be either be good or in a clunky phase, but definitely not at peak yet. Would revisit in 3+ years to see where it's at - hopefully all the elements would have come together by then!
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1/26/2024 - oxwombat Likes this wine: 95 Points
Opened at the Lobster Bar in HK. Slow-oxed for an hour, and then double-decanted to help speed things along. Enjoyed over dinner.
I was wary about how much air this would need, especially as Stella herself says that the 2010 needs some time to breathe before enjoying. Had a small glass after an hour of slow-ox, and it was still quite closed, so decided to double-decant. This was definitely the right decision.
With enough air, this really blossomed into a beautiful wine. As other notes below say, even though Stella's wines tend to be more on the red fruit side of the spectrum, there's a lot of darker fruit here too. However, the sweet seductiveness that the best Sangioveses can show was definitely here, always drawing you in for more on the nose.
On the palate, it's clear that the winemaking is a step up from the 2006s that I had recently. It's cleaner, more precise, and is very welcome given that this is also a very 'big' wine. Don't let the elegant fruit fool you - there's a lot of concentration to unpack here, with high acidity, slight tannic grip and a clear kick of alcohol. Everything works in harmony together though, resulting in one of the best BdMs I've had.
This is in a wonderful spot right now with enough air, but will definitely continue to age gracefully. Will be excited to revisit soon.
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1/24/2024 - ubercuvee wrote:
Surprisingly big and powerful for a wine from Stella, which is to say still delicate compared to its peers. Reminded me quite a bit of Rayas '09 in its density of powerful spice notes on the palate with a sense of balance, despite showing a fair bit of alcohol.
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10/20/2023 - Robmcl920 Likes this wine: 95 Points
The Stella Riserva was the clear standout for me in a lineup of 2010 Brunello. This wine stood out for the sweetness of the fruit and the incredible finesse of the wine, with the wine being concentrated in fruit but showing almost no tannin at all.
The nose was beautiful with an intense perfume of mint, sweet, hard-candy like red berry fruit, and red floral tones. On the palate, the wine was concentrated but so finessed with almost no perception of tannin, both delicate and powerful at the same time. Super sweet dark red fruits, sweet red floral tones, violets, and smoke lingered. This is outstanding and so distinct from the other wines in the lineup.
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8/1/2023 - Smooth Jazz wrote:
Heavier than any Stella wine with more fruit and alcohol that feels much higher than the listed ABV - a bit over the top and one I didn’t mind as a change up but the alcoholic hit from even a glass or two is considerable - lacks the soft, feminine quality one often finds in her wines - NR because it’s so atypical
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5/20/2023 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
Sangiovese study, Volume II (Chicago, IL): Gorgeous red fruit on the nose with a purity that very few of the other wines managed to get. Next to the 2011, which I felt was drinking better, this was clearly the more tannic and brooding wine. On the palate, the tannins really clamp down hard on the finish, but given the sheer amount of stuffing here, there's no doubt that aging would be beneficial here. The only concern is losing that fresh, pure red fruit profile over time as it desiccates.
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3/21/2023 - Bob H wrote:
Another glass of this about 48 hours after it was initially poured; from magnum.
I always find it interesting how varying Sangiovese can be in terms of displaying red and/or black fruits on the nose from one vintage to the next. And while I normally find that Stella's wines lean red, in this vintage the black fruit is front & center on the nose, although the red fruits do become more pronounced on the palate.
This is a beautiful wine. On Sunday, I think most of us preferred the 2006, which was poured from a 750, but this wine is right there with it, and I think this ultimately will surpass the 2006 in another 5-10 years.
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12/2/2022 - Bob H wrote:
Gorgeous! Hard to imagine this getting any better, although who’s to say what the next five years will bring in terms of the wine’s development.
Red and black fruit and herbs on the nose, expansive on the palate- life is good 👍
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9/18/2022 - Staufer Likes this wine: 100 Points
Wow . We were there 8 years ago to celebrate my wife's birthday. Stella gave us a tour and explained how she is trying to be fully organic; will only harvest when the moons align etc.
As an aside she bought the vineyard from the papal portfolio. I guess popes many centuries ago figured this was a great location. What a wine she has delivered. So far the best Brunello we ever tasted. Smooth, sensual, long lasting taste. if you close your eyes you can smell and taste Montalcino. She def. deserves all the accolates. I am glad we bought a bunch and resisted opening till now. Drink over the next 10 years.
We will be back!
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9/13/2022 - RJWallis Likes this wine: 95 Points
Definitely will want to decant this one for several hours. Elegant and big at the same time, paired well with leg of lamb over a bed of rosemary.
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4/10/2022 - Burgnick wrote:
This bottle is not as appealing as the previous sample. It is more backward and tight. Lots of underlying goodies that have yet to be unleashed. It needs a proper 2-3 hour decanting at least if you consume now.
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3/31/2022 - VINNICK Likes this wine: 97 Points
Stunning! Medium bodied and super elegant Brunello. This will be long lived and will only get better with time. Will wait at least 3 years to crack open the next bottle in the case.
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5/29/2021 - Robrubino wrote:
Light and silky. Dry fruity with a clean finish. A subtle and aromatic nose.
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12/11/2020 - B Paul wrote:
Decanted and followed over 4 hours. Delicious, silky and extremely light-handed for a Brunello. Lovely. Ideally needs a couple more years of bottle age, but no regrets drinking now.
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12/6/2020 - VINNICK Likes this wine: 99 Points
W O W...absolute brilliance! This is hands down the most elegant Brunello I have ever had. The nose is leather a morning walk with slightly damp earth forest floor. The body dark fruit violet refined and silky tannins. And the finish ethereal and long lasting. What a wine this will be for many years to come. Perfectly balanced, deep, concentrated, yet elegant. Stunning! Had with steak squash and Brussel sprouts and it was equally as good before during and after the food. Decanted for aboout 2.5 hours and seemed best around 3-4 hours.
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11/14/2020 - alion wrote: 96 Points
Brilliant, beautiful wine. Perfect balance. Ethereal. Understated. Burgundian. Speechless. While I have always loved her Rosso, I have previously found Stella’s Brunello too much of everything. This is so wonderfully in balance, complex, haunting, amazing length...everything you could want from a world class wine. Such a shame that it’s Millionaires only now with secondary market prices...
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6/6/2020 - despore Likes this wine: 94 Points
Outstanding wine, medium garnet, pronounced nose even with just 30 mid air, red cherry, plum, tobacco, earth, nutmeg, long finish, high acidity high tannins but refined and well balanced. Lovely well made wine.
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5/30/2020 - rocknroller wrote: 91 Points
Distancing on the Deck (Craig & Nita's Place): Very dark red color. This had gotten a good decant and some additional air. Drank a glass plus over 90 minutes. This strikes me as plenty youthful right now; full bodied, dark fruit, plum, black cherry, earth, wood spice and medium firm tannins. Will benefit from 2 to 3 plus years. 91+ to 92pts.
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5/30/2020 - chablis28 wrote: 93 Points
Since this is from a young upstart, quality obsessed, female winemaker the vines are only 20yr old vines located between 780 -1100ft. Aged in a combination of cask (15L-25L) and tonneaux (900L) for 44 months. Bottled unfined & unfiltered, then aged an addl 33 mos in bottle. In other words, pretty old school. She mostly lets the vines do the talking.
I double decanted this for about 75 minutes. Then it sat in the blt for another hour before drinking. Color was a youthful semi translucent ruby varietally correct red color. The nose offers up smoky dark fruit and light spice. The palate is a slightly brawny satin textured, lifted mix of dark cherry, plum, underbrush, tobacco leaf, earthy minerality and spice. Still miles to go for this baby but intriguing now with big upside yet. 93pts+ I have 2 more and won't try my second btl for a minimum of 3yrs. If I opened another one right now, I'd decant an addl 2 hours.
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5/1/2020 - Bob H wrote:
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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4/14/2020 - dream Likes this wine: 96 Points
The thing that strikes me most is the texture which is so silky and fine. It’s got perfectly ripe woodsy dark cherry fruit in a very medium-bodied package with notes of violets and underbrush. Then it builds to a juicy, grippy intensity on the finish which is perfectly taut and complex possessing wonderful notes of minerals and wild cherry spice. A subtle but beautiful Brunello that has superb floral lift and weightlessness somewhat like a Soldera. It’s hard not to be seduced by this kind of classy juice. 96+
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2/10/2020 - Michael T. Zoppo Likes this wine:
To be expected, the Brunello was at another level compared to the 2013 SdC Rosso. Whereas the Rosso plateaued early in the evening, the Brunello continued to evolve and open up as the night went on. The first thing that stuck me was how open for business it was; in my mind, I had this vision that a 2010 Brunello would be closed down and tight. Not at all. This was surprisingly open, and again the comparison to Burgundy was unavoidable. (A comparison to Soldera was also made at the table.) The Brunello showed more complex, savory notes than the Rosso--especially earth/forest notes and some saddle leather. A more contemplative wine than the Rosso, I think it is one of those unicorn wines that is going to drink spectacularly at every single point in its aging curve.
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6/28/2019 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 94 Points
Slow oxed for 3 hours before serving, but it probably would benefit from a 1.5hr to 2hr decant for current consumption. Kirsch, flower, perfume and dark fruit. While it stays truthful to the Brunello terroir, the feminine wine making style has added touches of elegance and class. A superstar in Brunello for the Burgundy lover or any wine lover.
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3/19/2019 - _water.into.wine_ Likes this wine: 94 Points
Clear. Pale. Bright ruby. A young but developing nose. High acidity. Not too much oak. Easy to drink. You could tell this was a slightly warmer climate wine and fruit forward. Still tannic. I felt this was young and needs time. But with a great future. Served by TL. Drink 2025-40+
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1/28/2019 - Bathtub58 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Quick note: bit of cherry, dark fruits, and very drinkable now. It did not strike me as complex, but it was towards the end of a large flight.
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1/28/2019 - Rollerball wrote: 95 Points
Sommelier's Atlas of Taste w Rajat Parr and Jordan Mackay (The Morris): Bright cherry and spicy florals frame a spacious but intense, dense, rich, and savory Brunello that is super approachable despite its youth. This is poignant, even a tad sharp at first but whatever aggressiveness is there is washed by waves of deep, plush, smokey inner sweetness. The finish is a movie reel of class. An exquisite way to to finish a thrilling wine-oriented dinner when paired the cheese course, which helped this young wine expand, burst open, and flow. My WotN. Entering drinking window but seriously why wait. Now-2028.
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1/22/2019 - Andybe wrote: 93 Points
Still restraint. Medium body and tannins. Acidity still young and firm. Takes another 3-5 years for things to come together and giving it’s class away.
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1/14/2019 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 94 Points
Sexy perfume, red currant, flowers and herbs. Lots of good texture and density on the palate with ripe red fruit. It showed the greatness of the vintage. Certainly young but already attractive.
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10/12/2018 - alion wrote: 96 Points
This is a magnificent wine. So different from her earlier, overly extracted and overdone vintages, this has a haunting, red fruit and herbal nose, gentle but concentrated palate, and perfect balance. Burgundian. World class. Drinks now but will last years.
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9/30/2018 - Tony Ling Likes this wine: 94 Points
PNP into Luopai Wuguan Universal glass (“Root” day): Bright medium ruby to the eyes.
What an extravagant nose with ripe but classic notes - Savoury red cherries liquor, saline minerals and slightly smoky herbal notes. Some subtle tones of new oak. Quite deep and integrated already.
On palate, highly mineral and good acidity with good transparency to the flavours presented on nose. Tight and long finish.
I agree with what the others said - “Young Brunellos simply don’t get much better than this”. Every sips of this wine emit quality.
93-94 points at least but clearly with 1 point potential in say 5-10 years’ time.
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9/16/2018 - phol wrote: 96 Points
This is a perfect Brunello in my opinion and the best I have ever tasted.
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4/1/2018 - Euge67 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Visto la delusione del Biondi santi che sapeva di tappo, mi son trovato "costretto" ad aprire questo brunello per il quale avevo deciso un'apertura molto più in là nel tempo.
A distanza di un anno dalla prima bottiglia aperta, tutto è cambiato. Mantiene ancora il tratto erbaceo, ma al contrario di quanto pensavo il vino non solo è pronto da bere, ma restituisce un'eleganza e una piacevolezza veramente fuori dal comune. Certo, ha ancora molta vita e i terziari hanno ancora molto tempo prima di potersi sviluppare. Ma se uno non cerca i terziari a tutti i costi può goderne ora con grandissima soddisfazione. Non è certo un brunello dai sapori classici e tipici. Tutt'altro. è qualcosa di decisamente diverso pur mantenendo un'identità che rispetta il territorio e la tipicità del luogo. Meraviglioso.
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5/21/2017 - micsauer Likes this wine: 95 Points
One of the best young Brunellos I have tasted so far!
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2/26/2017 - Euge67 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Stella di Campalto mi ha ormai abituato al "brunello che non ti aspetti", nel senso che profumi e sapori non sono quelli consueti.
I miei assaggi sono relativi alle annate 2007 (interessante) e 2009 (favoloso e pronto da bere). Con questo 2010 sono rimasto un po' spiazzato perché i toni minerali ed erbacei erano ancor più accentuati rispetto alle altre annate. Si percepiscono le note del sangiovese che caratterizzano i grandi brunelli, ma molto più in sordina. Due i motivi: la giovinezza in primis e il lato distintivo rispetto a tutti gli altri brunelli di Stella di Campalto. Buono, buonissimo, finita in 2 in un attimo, ma questa è un'annata da aspettare. Riaprire tra 3 anni e con molta probabilità arriverà al punteggio di 97 in scioltezza.
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9/2/2015 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 97 Points
Where do I start? What defines a Brunello? For the longest time, I would say a classic structure to age would be a point in the corner of a wine this young, yet here I found such a delicate nature and mesmerizing layers, that I’d find it difficult to leave in the cellar for longer than 5-10 years. Coming across more ethereal Burgundy than Brunello, the Stella di Campalto displayed a highly expressive nose, which seemed to continue opening with each tilt of the glass. There was earth, leather, crushed berries, dried flowers—which turned to deep and lively floral tones over time—as well as a savory toastiness, which wasn’t oak but something rich and warming. On the palate, it was soft, caressing, yet brilliantly focused in its ripe red fruits, sweet spice and herbal tones. The most elegant of tannin wrapped around the senses, yet were never drying. It clung to the palate throughout the finish, with saturating dark fruits and fine tannin.
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