# Montestefano Barbaresco Riserva (2021)

- **Producer:** Produttori del Barbaresco
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Nebbiolo
- **Region:** Piemonte, Italy
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 14.5%
- **Average price:** €150
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Later
- **Serving temperature:** 16–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** rose, violet, cherry, plum, raspberry, liquorice, herbaceous, cedar, smoke, cloves, leather, tobacco, forest floor, tar

## About this wine

Produttori del Barbaresco is widely regarded as one of the greatest cooperative wineries in the world, founded in 1958 by priest Don Fiorino Marengo to rescue local growers from economic hardship. The Montestefano vineyard holds a legendary place in Piedmontese history, as it was the first single-vineyard Barbaresco ever bottled individually (by Gaja in 1967). Known for its steep, south-facing exposure and calcium-rich soils, Montestefano produces the most powerful, structured, and 'Barolo-like' wines of the cooperative's nine single-vineyard Riservas.

## Interesting facts

- Montestefano was the very first single-vineyard Cru to be bottled separately in the Barbaresco region.
- Produttori del Barbaresco only releases their single-vineyard Riservas in outstanding vintages.
- The Montestefano Cru is famous for producing the most powerful, tannic, and Barolo-like wines in Barbaresco.

## Food pairing

The high acidity and powerful tannins of this young Nebbiolo require rich, fatty meats and earthy flavors to soften the wine's structure. Protein-rich dishes like braised beef or lamb bind with the tannins, making the wine feel smoother, while the natural acidity cuts through rich sauces and fats. Earthy components like truffles and mushrooms mirror the wine's complex tertiary potential.

## Wine making process

This Riserva is produced only in exceptional vintages from 100% Nebbiolo grapes harvested from the Montestefano Cru. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperatures, with an extended skin contact period of 30 days to extract deep tannins, color, and complex phenolics. The wine is aged for 36 months in large, neutral Slavonian oak casks (botti), followed by an additional 12 months of bottle aging before release, ensuring a traditional expression of the terroir.