The hills of Collio sit high in Italy’s northeast. Collio is a sub-zone of Friuli, which runs to the border with Slovenia. In this landscape of rolling hills, Tenuta Stella sits on the highest point of the Collio, on a hill offering views to their amphitheatre of terraced vineyards.
The winery is owned by Sergio Stevanato, proprietor of Nuova Ompi, a substantial glass bottle manufacturing company. Despite his leading role in the Veneto business scene, he says he has “always been passionate about Collio wines,” and so in 2009 purchased his first plot of land.
The 40 hectare of wooded estate today includes 15 hectares of vines rising to 270 metres altitude. The focus is on native varieties, though purchases of neighboring properties in 2018 and 2022 also brought Merlot into the Tenuta Stella portfolio, and included some very old vines – up to 99 years old for one Friulano vineyard. All wines are certified organic.
The Winemaking
I met up with oenologst Erika Barbieri, who along with her husband Alberto Faggiani, an agro technologist, take care of both the vineyards and the winemaking. Farmed organically since 2013, Erika explained that yields are kept low, at 40 hectolitres per hectare for their Friulano for example, and that all wines are fermented spontaneously by native yeasts. She also describes the micro-biological population inside the winery as ensuring that malolactic fermentation occurs.
Ribolla Galla is their main variety, though for this tasting Erika chose to show Friulano and Merlot. The Ribolla is made in both fresh and skin contact styles, and as a sparkling wine, and there is also a Malvasia and Pinot Noir in the portfolio.
UK agent is Pandemonium wines. Note that wines available in the UK at time of this article are for older vintages.
The Wines
(2025) From a vintage where hail removed many leaves early in the season, and subsequently delayed ripening and harvest by a couple of weeks. It is also, at 12.5%, a half or one degree lower than is typical. Attractive pale yellow into gold colour. The nose suggests lemon and straw, a little herbal note, reminding me of caraway or fennel. In the mouth it is relatively light, but has substantial presence, quite a chewy extract character and persistent acidity, but there is silkiness to the texture and a lovely, fresh and long finish. Not released at time of review, and price and stockist quoted is for a previous vintage.
(2025) From a single, 99-year-old vineyard planted in 1926, this was the first production of this wine, and it will be made only in the best years. Maceration is on the skins for 15 days in oak, followed by two years of ageing in tonneaux. Bottled in summer 2023. The colour is burnished gold. The nose suggests aged Sauternes perhaps, nutty with sesame seeds and a hint of barley sugar and fig. In the mouth this is bone-dry and has great intensity. A great core of acidity, lip-tingling spices, acid and some tannin gives this real presence. It's a remarkable wine, another layer of sweet vanilla flavour almost reminding me of Jack Daniels, but it is dry with an earthy richness and grip. Very individual, intriguing and a true vin de méditation. Price and stockist quoted at time of review is for a previous vintage.
(2025) Some of Tenuta Stella's Merlot has been identified as very old vines, so was selected for a special Riserva bottling, fermented in barriques and aged three years in new French oak barriques. Dark crimson colour. Blood-streaked plummy nose, with that little bit of Italian plum tomato leafiness. Deep, fudge-like and vanilla characters underpin the fruit. Grippy and serious on the palate, there is a leathery concentration, mouth-coating fine tannins and plenty of spice. Chewy, the acidity tingling on the lips, but I think this will benefit from a few more years in bottle.
About to be released, so no price or UK stockist at time of review.
