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

97+ The 2021 Barbaresco Riserva Montestefano pours a medium red color and remains somewhat shy at this early stage with notes of black raspberries and dusty earth. Medium-bodied, it has more structure to the tannins and a coiled feel, with refreshing notes of orange citrus and mandarin that suit its firmer frame. Historically, this site was sometimes described as the “Barolo of Barbaresco” for its structure. Roughly 13,333 bottles were produced. Drink 2027-2050.

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. - Antonio Galloni, October 2025

Youthful on the nose, showing bright, lively aromas of red and dark fruits, leafy lightness, wild strawberries and black cherries with a whiff of blood oranges and earthy, chocolaty depth. The gorgeous full-bodied palate, structured and extracted, has firm, velvety tannins and tense acidity, leading to a balanced, endless, licorice finish. March 2026 release. Drink or hold. Aldo Fiordelli Senior Editor

Black currant, blackberry, violet, tobacco and sweet spices highlight this suave, fruity red. Opulent for the vintage and solidly built, with a long, resonant finish that echoes the fruit and adds iron and mineral notes. Excellent length. Best from 2029 through 2047. 1,500 cases made, 700 cases imported.

Between four grower-members, the Produttori del Barbaresco controls 4.5ha – or almost half – of Montestefano’s hallowed vineyards. The warm, sunny slope confers a richness and ripeness that is well evidenced in the 2021. Heady scents of cinnamon, clove, macerated cherry and potting soil introduce a mouthfilling wine that's almost overwhelming at first. It seems to lighten up as concentrated acidity collides with the jam-packed, wild brambly berries, but don’t be fooled, the firm, irony tannins are securely fastened. Best to leave it alone for a few years. (Drink between 2028-2042)

One of the bottles in this lineup that falls on the darker and bolder side of the spectrum, the Produttori del Barbaresco 2021 Barbaresco Riserva Montestefano is layered and rich with dark fruit, dried cherry and blackberry framed by light spice and dark mineral notes. This is not the first time that I have found Montestefano to be the ripest wine in the series, and the 2021 vintage again reveals hints of dried plum and fig that underscore that trend. Sourced from four hectares of limestone-clay soils, the wine shows big concentration and fruit weight. Fermented in stainless steel and aged in large oak botti, the 2021 Montestefano was produced in 16,300 bottles and 1,800 magnums.