La Stella 2022 Fortissimo 750ml

Fortissimo is an ode to the pioneers of Tuscany who challenged the traditions of classic winemaking in the 1950s and 60s to elevate the reputation of Italian wines when they were suffering internationally. Grower winemaker Severine Pinte uses large format puncheons and Hungarian/Slavonian oak with any barely new wood to keep the oak in check, and let terroir speak. In 2022 the savoury side of this wine was evident, with only marginal plum and black cherry poking through the midpalate, with a rush of desert scrub, tobacco, and more dried herbs that run through the finish. There is plenty of substance here, if a bit on the dry side, but nothing a steak or a mushroom burger wouldn’t tweak as it blossoms in the bottle. The blend is 45% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Cabernet Franc, and 8% Sangiovese, all grown on Black Sage Bench and in the Osoyoos Lake District.

-- Anthony Gismondi, Gismondi On Wine