2021 Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva Montestefano, Piedmont

The 2021 Barbaresco Riserva Montestefano is a dense, hulking wine. Powerful and dense to the core, the Montestefano is a big, broad-shouldered wine that is going to need a few years to be at its most expressive. Dark-toned fruit, new leather, spice, menthol are all amplified in this potent Barbaresco.

97 points Anthony Galloni for Vinous

The Produttori del Barbaresco 2021 Montestefano possesses heady aromas of iris, violet, red berry and spice. Firm and full-bodied, the palate boasts great energy and intensity that lifts ripe Morello cherry, orange peel, cranberry and licorice. It’s well balanced, with bright acidity. 

98 points Kerin O'Keefe

One of my favourite wines in the world.

Montestefano deserves to be treated with a little reverence. It's not just another Barbaresco. Along with Rabajà, Asili and Ovello, it's one of the great crus of the appellation. The style is typically darker, more powerful and more structured than many Barbarescos, yet it never loses that haunting Nebbiolo perfume.

Few wines represent the soul of Barbaresco more completely than the Riservas of Produttori del Barbaresco. Produced only in exceptional vintages from the cooperative's finest crus, these iconic wines have become benchmarks for traditional Nebbiolo, admired by collectors for their purity, longevity and remarkable value. Montestefano is one of the estate's most revered vineyards, renowned for producing Barbaresco of exceptional depth, structure and mineral intensity. The outstanding 2021 vintage promises a wine that will stand proudly among the great releases from this legendary site.

Montestefano occupies a steep, south facing amphitheatre just outside the village of Barbaresco, where limestone rich marl and ancient calcareous soils give rise to wines of concentration, power and extraordinary ageing potential. Low yielding old vines, meticulous vineyard management and long maturation in large oak casks preserve the character of the cru, allowing Nebbiolo to express its complexity with remarkable clarity and finesse.

The colour is a brilliant garnet with youthful ruby highlights. Intense aromas of dark cherry, wild strawberry and blood orange are layered with dried rose petals, liquorice, crushed herbs, anise, forest floor and distinctive notes of ironstone and truffle. The palate is commanding yet beautifully proportioned, combining concentrated red fruits with finely sculpted tannins and vibrant acidity. Layers of tea leaf, tar, graphite and savoury spice unfold across a powerful, endlessly persistent finish that captures both the grandeur of Montestefano and the timeless elegance of great Barbaresco.

Magnificent alongside braised beef in Barolo, slow roasted veal, porcini risotto, tajarin with white truffle or mature Parmigiano Reggiano. Although already breathtaking with extended decanting, this is a collector's Barbaresco destined to evolve for twenty five years or more, rewarding patience with extraordinary complexity and grace.

I have a feeling this wine is going to be one of the stars of the 2021 Riserva release. The 2021 vintage in Barbaresco has all the hallmarks of a modern classic, and Montestefano's combination of structure, perfume and longevity should make it one of the standout wines of the vintage.