2016 Castello di Neive Santo Stefano Riserva Barbaresco 750 ml

Bruno Giacosa once remarked “I would recognize wine from the Santo Stefano vineyard in the midst of tens of other Barbaresco wines.” 

For four decades, Giacosa acted as Santo Stefano’s guardian, alchemizing its grapes into $300+ vineyard-designate Barbarescos. But about a decade ago, the Stupino family—owners of Santo Stefano and the Castello di Neive winery—reclaimed the grapes for themselves.

In the spectacular 2016 vintage, they produced one of the top-rated Cellar Selection Riservas of the last decade, from Santo Stefano. Wine Enthusiast critic Kerin O’Keefe—the Italian-wine expert who literally wrote the defining book on Barolo and Barbaresco—awarded it 96 points and Cellar Selection honors. 

Now showing eight years of age, this is a meditative, majestic Barbaresco that encourages you to slow down and take your time. It’s super aromatic, with an open-knit palate, graceful tannins that are just starting to soften, and a remarkable finish with lingering notes of black truffle, espresso, and violets. 

When the Stupinos acquired their property in the Albesani subzone in 1964, less than a quarter of it was planted. The rest of the land was wild. Yet all the hallmarks of incredible Nebbiolo conditions were there: the south-southwest exposure, which enables ideal phenolic ripening; the water-retaining quality of the clay soils, which safeguards the vines against heat stress; and the moderating influence of the Tanaro River, which helps create a microclimate perfect for the delicate, Pinot Noir-like grape.

Celebrate this wine with a luxurious white-truffle linguine, a decadent grilled cheese and truffle sandwich, or braise some short ribs and start decanting the bottle when you slide your Le Creuset into the oven.