The 1999 Barbaresco Santo Stefano Riserva comes across as more classic and structured than the rounder 2001. It is also the first wine made under the estate’s new team. This Barbaresco is big and ample, with notable thrust on the palate, and plenty of sweet, vibrant fruit. Deeply-layered and powerful, it looks to be a long-lived wine that will require patience. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2021.
Castello di Neive and proprietor Italo Stupino own the Santo Stefano vineyard in Neive, without question one of the most storied sites in all of Piedmont. It was Bruno Giacosa, with his legendary Barbarescos of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, who first brought the world’s attention to these vines. Even today, when he is more focused on making wines from estate-grown fruit, Giacosa speaks of Santo Stefano with reverence and awe, and lists it as the top vineyard in Barbaresco. Unfortunately until recently, Castello di Neive’s own wines have lagged considerably, but in recent years Stupino has brought on a new staff to work in the vineyards and in the cellar, and the results are striking. The word is still not out on Castello di Neive. In the US the distribution of these wines has been uneven, and they can be hard to find. Hopefully that will soon change. As an aside, the Castello makes for a fascinating visit. The aristocratic surroundings are somewhat of an anomaly in a winemaking culture defined by an abundance of small, artisanal growers.
Various American importers: Bacchanal Wine Imports, Inc., New York, NY; tel. (646) 207-0115; Grassroots Wine Wholesalers, LLC; Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 250-9060; Vintage Selections, Cape Canaveral, FL; tel. (321) 783-2700; West Park Imports, Sharon Hill PA; tel. (610) 532-3039; Castello di Neive MHW Ltd, Manhasset, NY; tel. (516) 869-9170
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