2021 Produttori del Barbaresco - Barbaresco Riserva Montefico (750ml)

The cooperative Produttori del Barbaresco was born out of necessity in 1958, when the parish priest of the village organized nineteen local growers who could not survive on their own as small landholders. What began with a handful of barrels aging in a church basement has grown into a cooperative of fifty-two members farming close to a sixth of the entire Barbaresco appellation, and in the strongest vintages it bottles nine distinct single-vineyard Riservas that stand among the most respected expressions of Nebbiolo anywhere.

Montefico sits on a full south-facing slope midway between the Montestefano and Ovello crus, sharing similar high-calcium soils with its more famous neighbor. Despite its warm exposure, cooling winds funneling through the narrow valley from the Tanaro River give the site notably brisk mornings, and the resulting wines are traditionally more austere and mineral-driven in their youth. As with all the estate's Riservas, this bottling is made only in top years and given an extra year of aging in large oak casks before release.

The 2021 is tense and vibrant, layered with camphor, new leather, blood orange, and hazelnut on the nose, giving way to raspberry, black cherry, star anise, and truffle on the palate. Brooding tannins and a chiseled, mineral finish suggest real cellaring potential. It calls for braised short rib, aged Parmigiano, or a hearty mushroom risotto.