Stella di Campalto "Choltempo Fiorello" Toscana Rosso, Tuscany, Italy NV

FROM POLANER SELECTIONS:

THE WINE: A blend of Sangiovese and Merlot; other red grapes. Hand-harvested. Grapes fermented on indigenous yeasts in 14HL cement tanks. Aged in French barrique and tonneaux (900L) for approx. three years. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. ‘Choltempo’ is a declassified blend from primarily 2016; also added 2012, 2013 and 2014.

‘Choltempo’ is a word in dialect that describes the deeper understanding of events one achieves with the passing of time. ‘Fiorello’ is the name of Stella’s beloved dog, since passed away. The exact blend for ‘Choltempo’ Stella prefers not to identify.

THE PRODUCER: Stella di Campalto’s estate, originally known as Podere San Giuseppe, was founded in 1910. It fell into abandonment during WWII and remained in a state of near ruin for many years. Then, in 1992, her family purchased the dilapidated estate and began revitalizing the property. The estate comprises approximately thirteen and a half hectares, with five and a half currently committed under vine. The head of the family winery is the lovely Stella di Campalto, who has overseen the winemaking and viticulture since 1992. She has practiced certified organic farming here since 1996 and in 2002 began practicing biodynamic farming – becoming certified in 2005. The estate lies at the southeast corner of the Montalcino zone, outside of Castelnuovo dell’Abate.

The heart and soul of the estate is its lovely clutch of top Brunello vineyards, which include the vineyards that are exposed to the south of Leccio, Curva, Sasso, and Bosco, as well as vineyards with varying exposures: San Giuseppe (south-southwest), Tondino (west), Quercia (southeast), and Ulivo (south-southwest). All of Stella’s vineyards (except the small slice of Vigna All’ulivo) are classified for Brunello production, making the beautiful Stella di Campalto Rosso di Montalcino one of the finest values in all of Tuscany. Her Brunello, in its own right, has quickly risen to become a benchmark for the region.

NOTE: This bottle is allocated and therefore stock is limited. Discounts do not apply to this product.