Barbaresco Riserva Montestefano, Produttori del Barbaresco 2014

Forest floor, red-skinned berry, leather and tobacco aromas mingle with a balsamic note. The focused, structured palate delivers juicy Morello cherry, raspberry compote and licorice while a graphite note backs up the finish. A backbone of fine-grained tannins and bright acidity gives it an age-worthy structure. Drink 2021–2034.

Vineyard size: 4.5 ha (11 acres). Vineyard exposure: south. Soil: limestone. Vinification: fermentation at 30 °C (85 °F), 28 days’ skin contact, malolactic completed. Ageing: 36 months in large oak barrels and 12 months in bottle. Bottling date: April 2018. Total production: 14,203 bottles and 1,348 magnums. This is bottle number 819. Mid ruby and a shade brighter than the Montefico. Subtle peppery strawberry and raspberry but not really open yet. Compact and tightly built with lively succulent red fruit on a big foundation of formidable, majestic tannins. Long, precise and powerful yet contained. 14% Drink 2022-2034