The 2004 Barbaresco Santo Stefano shows the pedigree of this great Piedmont vintage. An ample, complex wine, the 2004 fills out in all directions with myriad of aromatics and layers of flavor. Dark red stone fruit, exotic spice, leather and licorice all develop in the glass. The wine’s pure textural finesse and creaminess show what makes the finest 2004s so appealing.

Giacosa's 2004 Barbaresco Santo Stefano is a superb wine. Sweet, floral, mentholated aromatics meld into an expressive core of ripe fruit, with superb length and elegant tannins to round out the finish. Made in a more linear style than the Asili and Rabaja, it doesn't possess the expansiveness of those two wines, but it does reveal tremendous depth, harmony and balance. This pure, sweet, long Barbaresco is the best Santo Stefano in years. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2022. AG