Stella di Campalto / Azienda Agricola San Giuseppe

The land behind Stella di Campalto has a longer history than the modern estate suggests. Giuseppe Martelli established the original San Giuseppe farm in 1910 as a sharecropping operation, but it was abandoned sometime between the 1940s and 1990s, falling into disuse for decades. In 1992, Stella Viola di Campalto received the 15-hectare property as a wedding gift from her father-in-law and left her life in Milan to resurrect it. She gained organic certification in 1996 and began transitioning to biodynamic methods in 2002, achieving full biodynamic certification in 2005. The first harvest took place in 2001, and the debut Brunello vintage was released from the 2004 harvest.

• Original San Giuseppe estate founded 1910 by Giuseppe Martelli as a sharecropping farm; abandoned from the 1940s until 1992
• Stella Viola di Campalto received the property as a wedding gift in 1992 and relocated from Milan to revitalize it
• Organic certification achieved 1996; biodynamic practices introduced 2002; full biodynamic certification 2005
• First harvest 2001; first Brunello vintage released from the 2004 growing season

Stella Viola di Campalto remains the driving force of the estate as both owner and winemaker, but the operation is increasingly a family affair. Her daughter Beatrice Buontempo has taken on an active co-management role, participating directly in wine evaluation and release decisions. A second daughter, Benedetta, is honored in the name of one of the estate's two Riserva bottlings. Stella's decision to pursue biodynamic viticulture was reportedly deepened by a personal experience related to Beatrice's health, reinforcing a philosophy centered on ecological integrity and minimal intervention. In April 2026, Stella and Beatrice jointly hosted an international importer tasting at Podere San Giuseppe, welcoming guests from Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

• Stella Viola di Campalto serves as owner and winemaker; daughter Beatrice Buontempo is active co-manager
• Release decisions are made jointly by Stella and Beatrice, with wines held beyond the regional minimum when deemed necessary
• Daughters Beatrice and Benedetta are honored in the names of the two single-vineyard Riserva bottlings
• Biodynamic consultant Leonello Anello has guided vineyard work since 2001, the year of the estate's first harvest

The estate sits in Castelnuovo dell'Abate, the southeast corner of the Brunello di Montalcino DOCG zone, where the Ombrone River runs nearby and the terrain shifts from rocky alberese soils at higher elevations to lighter sandy soils lower down. Of the 13 total hectares, between 7.5 and 7.7 hectares are planted to vine, with the bulk classified for Brunello production. The primary parcels, all planted in 1998, include Vigna al Leccio at the highest altitude on rocky alberese soils, Vigna Bassa at the lowest elevation on sandy soils closest to the Ombrone, Vigna al Sasso, Vigna al Bosco (south-facing, lowest elevation), Vigna Curva, and Vigna all'Ulivo, the last of which is partially classified for Rosso di Montalcino. Additional smaller parcels include San Giuseppe, Tondino, Quercia, and Il Leccio. The estate is surrounded by woodland, olive groves over 100 years old, and preserved natural ecosystems.

• Located in Castelnuovo dell'Abate, southeast Montalcino; total 13 hectares with 7.5 to 7.7 hectares under vine (all plots planted 1998)
• Vigna al Leccio sits at the highest altitude on rocky alberese soils; Vigna Bassa is lowest, on sandy soils near the Ombrone River
• Nearly all vineyard area is classified for Brunello DOCG; Vigna all'Ulivo is partially classified for Rosso di Montalcino DOC
• Estate also holds Sant'Antimo DOC classification; surrounding land includes olive groves over 100 years old and protected woodland

The winemaking philosophy at Stella di Campalto is defined by what is absent as much as what is present. No cultured yeasts, extraction enzymes, or mechanical pumping are used at any stage. The cellar is a three-level gravity-flow structure, allowing fruit to move by gravity from receipt through fermentation without mechanical stress. Each vineyard parcel is harvested by hand and vinified separately in large wooden vats using only indigenous yeasts. Aging runs 43 to 44 months in a combination of barriques, tonneaux, and large botti, after which wines are bottled by hand, unfined and unfiltered. Beyond that, Stella and Beatrice routinely hold wines for an additional year or more past the regional minimum before release, a practice exemplified by the 2016 Rosa Amore Brunello, scheduled for release in 2026. The estate's parcel-by-parcel release strategy means a single vintage can appear in multiple separate bottlings over several consecutive years.

• Three-level gravity-flow cellar; no mechanical pumping, no cultured yeasts, no extraction enzymes at any stage
• Each parcel vinified separately in large wooden vats using indigenous yeasts; wines are unfined and unfiltered
• Aging: 43 to 44 months in a combination of barriques, tonneaux, and large botti, followed by extended bottle aging
• Parcel-by-parcel release strategy means one vintage can yield multiple distinct bottlings released across several years; the 2016 Rosa Amore was scheduled for 2026 release

In a denomination where industrial-scale production and controversial stylistic debates have long drawn attention, Stella di Campalto represents a different model: tiny scale, ecological commitment, and absolute patience. The estate was among the earliest producers in Montalcino to pursue certified biodynamic viticulture, doing so before biodynamics had any significant following in the region. With total Brunello production capped around 14,000 to 15,000 bottles per year and wines released only when Stella and Beatrice consider them genuinely ready, allocation is extremely limited and critical attention is consistently high. The estate also demonstrates that the southeast corner of Montalcino, sometimes overshadowed by more northerly and westerly sectors, can produce Brunello of rare depth and individuality. For students and enthusiasts alike, Stella di Campalto is a case study in how a single estate can define a philosophy rather than simply follow a regional convention.

• One of Montalcino's earliest certified biodynamic estates, achieving certification in 2005 after beginning the transition in 2002
• Annual Brunello production limited to approximately 14,000 to 15,000 bottles; wines routinely held beyond DOCG minimum release requirements
• Demonstrates the quality potential of Castelnuovo dell'Abate, the southeast subzone of Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
• Estate's parcel-specific approach and extended release timelines set a benchmark for artisan production philosophy within a major Italian DOCG