Resting in the southeast corner of Castelnuovo D’Abate in the far eastern reach of the Montalcino zone, Podere Guiseppe is perched high above the Ombrone river gazing at Mt Amiata to the south.
Stella di Campalto who purchased the once abandoned thirteen-hectare farm in 1992 has created in a short span a wine and accompanying reputation that is respected worldwide and equaled by few.
Displaying a fiercely independent spirit, Stella is merited as one of the pioneering Montalcino producers to embrace the practices of biodynamic farming. Each of Stella’s five vineyards that combine for six hectares rest at a range of altitudes between 800 and 1000 feet and exhibit a total of twelve different soil types.
Caring for each cru or vineyard as a child, Stella chooses to vinify each parcel separately in wooden vats. Choosing the barrels that will become Rosso and those to be designated Brunello and even reserve is not made by vineyard designation, but rather a decision made in the cellar after fermentation and initial time in barrel. In fact, the entire Brunello production could be labeled as “Riserva” as Stella far exceeds minimum aging standards and generally releases her bottlings almost two years later than her neighbors.
Stylistically, the wines display an elegance and a thread of aromatic delicacy unique to the zone. Total production is limited to twenty to thirty-five thousand bottles.
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