Limited
2011 Maestoso “Solo” Merlot

2011 Maestoso “Solo” Merlot

 750ml Sold Out. 12 bottle limit on 375ml and 1 Bottle Limit on 1.5L Per Order

Maestoso is the highest peak in the crescendo, that moment of majesty. It is our flagship wine and the jewel in the crown of LaStella.

In our continuing efforts to ensure that this already breathtaking and astoundingly rich wine is as complete and hedonistic as possible but still carry with it some restraint, we blended in a small amount of Merlot from our Feuille d’Or vineyard in the Golden Mile to help lift the natural acidity and bring some grit and back of the palate tannins to the finished wine. Maestoso is always opaque in colour and 2011 is no different. There is a pronounced nose of blue, black and red berries, smoked meat and café mocha. Huge mouth coating, creamy, ripe tannins leads through to an astonishing finish lasting well over a minute. A monumental wine indeed.

Slideshow Items

  • 91 points

    This is pure Merlot, bursting with bright cherry-candy fruit. Stiff at first, it smoothes out beautifully with substantial breathing time, showing polish and purity. The overall balance and flavor intensity propels it to a high level. Drink now through 2025. Cellar Selection.

    Wine Enthusiast  |  Tasted: 2015
  • 17.5/20

    Gorgeous, succulent and chewy. Opulent fruit with superb purity and attractive earthy development. Impressive, clearly carefully selected fruit. (RH) 14.4% Drink 2015-2025 (note from winery: single highest score of the entire comprehensive tasting of Cross Canada wines.)

    Jancis Robinson & Richard Hemming Purple Pages
  • And then the beast – Maestoso. With such a masculine monicker, would you even expect any less? The Maestoso “Solo” Merlot 2011, is 100% Merlot primarily from the south Okanagan’s Lake Osoyoos District, an area just a stone’s throw from the US border that’s famous for being Canada’s only desert. It is an homage to the greatest of Super Tuscan wines, Ornellaia’s Masseto.

    Nearly opaque in the glass, just as it was when I tasted the 2009 vintage, Maestoso is a medley of blueberries and autumnal spices, vanilla bean, Espresso and rustic butcher shop fattiness. The tannins pack a tender punch that makes me smile, though of course, they’ll mellow out with age. The finish lingers.

    Maestoso is the pinnacle of Okanagan Merlot, a young Brando of a wine that shouts from the rooftops “I am what I am!” From a region known more for its Cab Francs and Rieslings, but where Merlot is the most widely grown grape variety, Maestoso is a flagbearer.

    WineShout wineshout.com  |  Tasted: Oct 2014
  • 91 points

    Maestoso is shaped after the Super Tuscan model that celebrates merlot and grapes on clay-based soils and high-density plantings. The colour is black and the attack is rich and warm. Long and cool was the seasonal recipe for ripe but not so alcoholic at 14.4 per cent. Black- and blue-fruit flavours with a smoky, savoury, spicy, mid-palate prepare you for the long warm persistent finish with a whack of tannin. It’s a no-holds-barred red that is stretching it legs. A leg of lamb is the current match for this ginormous Osoyoos Lake district merlot. Only 21-per-cent new oak was a wise choice. One of the better 2011 reds in B.C.

    Anthony Gismondi Vancouver Sun  |  Tasted: May 2014
  • 93 points

    Supremely elegant and nuanced, LaStella’s flagship wine, Maestoso, proves that 100% Merlot wines can be just as memorable and complete as equally priced Cabernet Sauvignon when handled with as much care and detailed attention that the Osoyoos Lake winery applies to this beautiful wine. Disciplined vineyard practices and a precise oak ageing program attained the desired complexity and quality; producing a sublime nose layered with dark berry, plum, chocolate-mocha, vanilla toffee and warm spice aromas with an invigorating vein of menthol lifting the developing bouquet. Similar flavours follow on the richly textured and rounded palate supported by fine, ripe tannins and balanced acidity. The finish lingers effortlessly and meaningfully.

    With several hours of decanting you can enjoy this wine today, though, 2-3 more years of bottle age would maximize your investment. Drink 2016-2021.

    Liam Carrier Iconwines.ca  |  Tasted: March 7th, 2014