Rich, sporting black cherry, blackberry and leather flavors. This vibrant version firms up on the vivid finish. Drink now through 2018. 1,000 cases made, 500 cases imported.??–BS??Region: Italy / Piedmont / Barbera d'Alba Select to Add

Slightly rustic and raw, the 2012 Barbera d'Alba Santo Stefano is a wine of dark consistency and rugged edges. It shows dark fruit flavors of dried blackberry and cherry confit with savory touches of saddle leather and exotic spice.

Full of black cherry, chocolate and leather flavors, this red is rich, intense and vibrant, with the fleshy texture lending roundness. Drink now through 2016. 1,080 cases made.??–BS??Region: Italy / Piedmont / Barbera d'Alba Select to Add

The 2010 Barbera d’Alba Santo Stefano opens with an overdone note of Maraschino cherry and toasted almond. The fruit is there but it has a hard time breaking through the heavier layers of spice and toast. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2015. Importer: Winebow, Montvale, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620

The 2007 Barbera d'Alba Santo Stefano offers up smoke, tar, blackberries and plums in a dark, racy style. The wine reveals excellent persistence and an approachable personality. Ideally the Santo Stefano is best enjoyed while the fruit remains vibrant. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2012. Proprietor Italo Stupino continues to ratchet up quality at Castello di Neive. This year I tasted through the entire range and came away most impressed with the Barberas and Barbarescos. The other wines, while certainly correct, weren’t especially exciting. The only real disappointment was the 2004 Barbaresco Riserva Santo Stefano, which falls short of the level of recent vintages. 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