TN Stella di Campalto Podere San Giuseppe Brunello di Montalcino 2004

I just finished the last of my case of Stella’s 2006 Ross di Montalcinos which was a magnificent drink- a very delicate and pure expression of sangiovese; fine structured, a Burgundy lover’s Tuscan and a Rosso that puts many Brunellos to shame.

After such a positive experience with the Rosso, I thought it would be a good time to return to a case of 2004 Brunello. It is a very fine drink. In an international style that could be criticised for not defining a sense of place ( unlike the Rosso ). Very smooth throughout, excellent balance and with a long and crafted finish. Plenty happening on the nose with a good evolution. The fruit flavors are dark, liquored and sweet - and I am hoping for a little more from this wine in 5 years as it showed a lot better a few years back.

92pts+

Totally agree. Though I’ve only had the 2006. Stella is an amazing woman and a great young winemaker. I didn’t think the 2006 was overtly international. I loved it & thought it was one of the best 2006s I had. I’ve got a 6 pack left. Such intense perfume in that wine.

I’m sure the Brunelli just need time. Some new oak is indeed more noticeable than on her wonderful Rossi, but her wines have the stuffing to absorb it.
Fwiw, I consider her Rossi the best I’ve tasted, but then again they are more expensive than many a Brunello.

I found this unusually dark-fruited and way too young, dominated by the structure.

And I would absolutely agree with the “internationally styled” comment - clearly in the modernist camp here. Well-made wines, no doubt, but dark-fruited and a wine I believe you could place in a line-up blind in any number of contexts and have very few people guess “Brunello”.

I’m reading Kerin O’Keefe’s book on Brunello and she mentions a change of style in Stella di Campalto’s Brunellos, which has happened after (it doesn’t say exactly when) 2004. There is quote of Stella who told Kerin:
“At the time (read: around 2004) I thought I wanted to make the big and bold style that everyone assumed the market wanted, but I realized after talking with you that those wines were difficult to drink. Since then, my goal has been to make Brunellos with elegance and balance.”

Thanks. Great snippets of info’.

I managed to get a case of the Brunello to my cellar in Australia for long term storage. Anybody willing to punt on a drinking window for the 04? Sure, the wine has a solid framework but any clues from the regular Brunello drinkers on how this style may pan out over the long term?

10 years easy. The style is nit dramatically different from anything else, to Affect aging. I’d treat like normal.

Slightly OT - had the '08 Rosso Saturday. Incredible. Best Rosso I’ve ever had hands down.

I just visited Stella about a month ago. She actually said that despite all of the positive press that 2004 is her least favorite Brunello that she has made. She thinks that technically it is very good but doesn’t have that heart of her later vintages when she made the wines 100% on her own (she had a well known enologist the first few years) and know does it more by feel than a book. They are all some amazing wines though!