2004 Stella di Campalto Brunello di Montalcino

100% Sangiovese

Production: 5.700 bottles

Biodynamic since 2002

More information: http://www.stelladicampalto.com/history.html

I was in Berlin the other weekend, tasting a lot of 2009 GG Rieslings (much more on that later). The day before the official tasting, we warmed up with some nice wines (will include them in a small summary later) and one of them I decided to buy, when I returned.

This is the sort of wine, which could make me have a go with Italy again. It doesn't really matter if its style is a little modern, because it's so sensual and best of all so Italian. The notes are filled with crushed cherries - bleeding their sweet red Sangiovese appeal into a fruit pot which generates herbs and pure mineral attached fruit. The taste is clean, vivid and unbelievable delicious. There is small bitter partials of tar on the finish line, which tells you the wine is a still young. The 14.5% alcohol is felt, when you drink the wine (a whole bottle that is) and it's taking the drinking pleasure a notch down for me. However my overall impression is still a beautiful wine with tons of personality. Bravo.

Glasses: Several: Zalto Bordeaux, Zalto Universal, Zalto Burgundy. Bordeaux brings out the best balance between fruit and oak - Universal brings out herbs and minerality best. Burgundy glass broadens the flavours too much and you loose the herbal character.