2005 Le Tre Stelle Cosmo Toscana IGT

RJonWine.com

• By Richard Jennings
  3/18/2011, (See more on RJonWine.com...) 89 points

  (Le Tre Stelle Cosmo Toscana IGT) Very dark red violet color; tart red plum, dried plum, dried berry nose; soft entry, velvet textured, dried berry, tart black plum, raspberry, tart berry, tar palate with largely resolved tannins; medium finish

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  2/6/2008, (See more on Garagiste...)

  (COSMO Tre Stelle Rosso) Tre Stelle Dear Friends, There’s nothing like the perfect summer white and this may be it. Not to be outdone, the red may start a revolution as well. Le Tre Stelle is a new source that you are going to hear a lot about. If you could combine Montevetrano with something like Fontodi, it would be this winery - 100% woman owned and operated (a mother and her two daughters, thus the “three stars” or tre stelle). They are very proud to go at it alone with no male influence, as their road has been so difficult. This winery is one of the discoveries of the year so far and it is not often that you find a Tuscan white wine specialist that has this much potential for very reasonable prices. Their red wines are not bad either... Not since Querciabella has a Tuscan winery made this much impact with white and red varietals and their buzz is straight from the underground. The mother daughter team was originally form the Marche, grape sharecroppers that were taken advantage of until they said “no more”. They saved and borrowed anything and everything they could to purchase their dream plot of land in a picture-perfect spot near the towers of San Gimignano. When you save so hard and so long to finally make your mark count, you have little time to relax - you must come out of the gate with the best you’ve got and it shows. Their intimate knowledge of Verdicchio dei Castello di Jesi has been instrumental in the quality of their Vernaccia and it immediately gave this Tuscan white a much needed kick in the rear. San Gimignano has rested on its laurels for too long and this winery is just the influence to (hopefully) jump-start a resurrection of the region in general. The terroir is there, it just takes effort and the right motivation... On to the wines: 2006 Le Tre Stelle “Vernaccia di San Gimignano” DOCG EXTREMELY LIMITED Simply delightful, piquant and vibrant - an outstanding value that borders on outstanding and I rarely say that at the $13 price point. From 35-50 year old Vernaccia vines planted in the late 1950’s, this is as real as it gets in San Gimignano, almost a junior Corton blanc without malolactic and vinified completely in tank - no wood influence of any kind. A mix of citrus accents and jasmine flowers float over the olfactory senses with a green/yellow body that spills its mineral-flecked presence with determination. This is shimmering and youthful with a terrific acid structure that is perfectly buried in the frame of the wine. With only 12.0-12.5% alcohol, it’s tough not to drink this whole bottle - definitely a wine to watch over the next few years and one of the finest Vernaccia produced at this price level. A wine everyone should try as it proves some of the best wines in Italy and beyond can still be found for under $15 (I’m obviously not alone in this view as the wine is on severe allocation). 2005 Le Tre Stelle “Cosmo” Ciliegiolo IGT EXTREMELY LIMITED Now we are talking about something quasi-revolutionary and this wine is why this winery has received so much underground buzz. Made from 100% Ciliegiolo, this is the red Tuscan varietal the Romans came to central Italy to acquire but like the Roman Empire, the grape all but vanished into oblivion until a few old (very old) vines were discovered and the fields were brought back to life one vine at a time, all grafted from the ancient stock. The vines are now 20-40 years old and with the notoriety of the 2004 Cosmo, the 2005 has been much anticipated. Completely hand-picked from 2-3 different passes, this wine is vinified in a combination of cement and barrel and the finished wine is nearly black. This is a powerful wine full of deep-toned tobacco, cinnamon and the sweet taste of the best espresso crema. It has flesh and substance but still rich and explosive - it is with packed with extractives and retains a mysterious Asian aromatic spice element that is tough to describe. Form the winery: “Ciliegiolo stands as a kind of intellectual curiosity, quite removed from the reference books and definitely obscure - until you try it.” This is more than a curiosity - it stands alone among Tuscany’s elite wines. Will this start a rush to plant or graft Ciliegiolo? Time will tell. Only a few dozen cases for the entire US. This parcel is directly from the winery cellar with perfect provenance - we cannot get a second shipment Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Italy7380 Italy7390