Teobaldo & Maria Rivella's estate is very much a 'garagiste' operation: 2 hectares of 60 year old Nebbiolo vines in the Montestefano cru area and vinification/ageing taking place under their house. Teobaldo's father Serafino first bottled the wines in 1967, with his son joining him in 1974. The traditional approach has been maintained: the wine being vinified in static stainless-steel and some slavonian oak for 15-20 days using wild yeast before being matured in 20 hl old slavonian botte for between 24 - 36 months (twice as long as the legal requirement from the Barbaresco DOCG).

The 2014 Barbaresco Montestefano is a dark, mysterious wine. Wild black cherry, lavender, cloves, menthol and leather add to the wine's somber personality. Readers should expect a potent, old-school Barbaresco built on structure. This is an especially raw, brooding wine for the year, and yet there is so much character. Date Tasted: Oct 2018; Drink: 2019-3034; Rating: 92 Points; Antonio Galloni