The 2009 Barbaresco Riserva Santo Stefano shows a classic interpretation of a vintage that delivered both power and elegance in abundance. This wine pushes ambitiously forward based on the sheer quality of its fruit. In the mouth, the wine is streamlined, firm and linear.

The estate’s 2007 Barbaresco Riserva Santo Stefano is big, plush and inviting, but also a bit on the heavy side. Aging in French oak has given the 2007 Riserva significant textural depth and volume, but also left the wine with a sense of heaviness that is inescapable. I don’t see the 2007 as built for the long-term, but at the same time, the wine’s open, generous personality will provide plenty of pleasure over the next decade, if not longer. Overall, this is a bit on the monolithic side. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2022. A Leonardo Lo Cascio Selection, Winebow, Montvale, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620

The 2006 Barbaresco Riserva Santo Stefano comes across as quite rich and powerful. It is a beautifully balanced wine endowed with considerable finesse and depth. Sweet red cherries, flowers, herbs and mint are just some of the aromas and flavors that take shape in the glass as the Riserva shows off its pedigree. The long, structured finish suggests a bright future. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2026. Castello di Neive makes a wide range of wines, but the Barbareschi are often the crown jewels, as they are again this year. Various American importers, including: Castello di Neive MHW Ltd, Manhasset, NY; tel. (516) 869-9170, 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, North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 366-9880

The 2004 Barbaresco Riserva Santo Stefano shows attractive inner perfume in a medium-bodied, accessible style. This is a surprisingly soft vintage for the Santo Stefano Riserva and the wine shows slight elements of dilution that suggest yields may have been a touch too high. Though still a delicious Barbaresco, the 2004 Riserva Santo Stefano could have been so much more than that. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2019. 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

I was very impressed with Castello di Neive's 2003 Barbaresco Riserva Santo Stefano, a wine that makes an eloquent case for being among the finest wines of the vintage. This big, fat Barbaresco is loaded with super-ripe dark fruit that caresses the palate with remarkable depth. Notes of leather, spices and toasted oak gradually emerge to complete this very pretty wine. I don't expect the 2003 Riserva Santo Stefano to be terribly long-lived, but it does offer terrific balance, especially in the tannins, which avoid the greenness that is so typical in this challenging vintage. It is a commendable effort. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2018. Castello di Neive continues to make gorgeous wines under the direction of proprietor Italo Stupino. 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