Riserva Brunello di Montalcino Sangiovese

Along with the majestic 2010 one of my favorite Stella vintages. So giving right off the bat, never any heat even in this warm vintage, just so fresh and clean wafting stunning perfumed aromatics with an elegant, detailed and voluminous palate. Always an amazing expression of Sangiovese.

One of my absolute favorite Stella vintages. So giving right off the bat, never shows any heat even in warm vintages, just so fresh and clean with bright pure and voluminous fruit, spices and licorice with balanced acids and a cool minerality. Always such an amazing expression of Sangiovese and without question my favorite.

Along with the majestic 2010 one of my favorite Stella vintages. So giving right off the bat, never any heat, just so fresh and clean. Amazing expression of Sangiovese.

My absolute favorite Sangiovese. Stella always nails the warm vintages and 2011 Riserva is gorgeous tonight, with captivating aromatics and really stunning elegance and purity in its fruit expression. It’s fresh, floral and red fruited, layered with violets, earth and exotic spice. The palate is silky, juicy and vibrant without any sense of heat and with a long, lifted, mineral inflicted finale. Love these wines—Brunello for the Burgundy lover. ✨

My favorite expression of Sangiovese. It’s amazing what Stella can do in warm vintages. 2011 Riserva is fabulous tonight, with soaring aromatics, stunning elegance and purity and fantastic intensity without any sense of weight. It’s fresh, floral and red fruited with complex layers of violets, forest leaves and exotic spice. The palate is juicy and vibrant with a silky texture, fine grained tannins and a long mineral inflicted finale that leaves behind hardly any warmth. Love these wines. Brunello for the Burgundy lover.

Consider it an intoxicated decision that I brought this bottle for a boys night out… Intoxicated on the high of Stella’s stellar Rosso a couple of nights ago that is. And given how displeased my wife was when informed that it was the only bottle we had, you could say this was a misjudged decision. It was great though - clearly cut from the same cloth as the Rosso but with extra depth, the Brunello soared with a bouquet of fresh flowers, strawberries, cherries, exotic spices, and hints of vanilla, followed by an incredible robust-yet-airy palate, with a mineral undertow and an elegant silky texture only found in the finest of Burgundy. But the question remains - was it great enough to warrant the wrath of a woman? Thankfully, I was never granted the “privilege” to find out. Call it husbandly smarts, but I was sensible enough to spare a couple of glasses for the wife that evening, and was quick to secure more bottles from the importer.

This is now my new favorite vintage for Stella. It has a stunning bouquet and explodes from the glass flaunting ripe red cherry fruit, violets, rose petals, licorice and gravel. There is an incredible purity to its fruit expression and it’s seamlessly balanced with fresh acidity and shows absolutely zero heat from the warm vintage. It’s elegant, sensual and seductive and just couldn’t be more giving after just a short decant. An exceptional vintage for Stella.

Rose petals, candied red fruit, beautiful nose. Medium weight and so, so good.

Pretty, candied cherry, tart fruit hard to resist.

A remarkably elegant wine that only resembles itself. The balance is outstanding!!
Fresh, slightly tannic still smooth and never-ending.
It completely cleanse your mouth with both freshness and tannin..what a tannin..
An experience
Second to very few others in its category...if second