The 2008 Barbaresco Riserva Montestefano is exquisite and harmonious from start to finish. Among the more structured 2008s, the Montestefano is the wine that most hides its tannin, as the fruit is intensely perfumed, rich and totally seductive. Today the Montestefano provides the illusion of being relatively accessible, but it is virtually certain to shut down in bottle. The 2008 boasts striking aromatics, seemingly endless layers of fruit and power to burn. Readers can think of the Montestefano as a synthesis of Montefico, Ovello and Rabajà. Not bad, to say the least.

Good medium red. Raspberry, redcurrant, herbs and spices on the nose, complicated by vanilla and hints of apple and citrus fruits. Utterly silky-smooth yet lively on entry, then juicy and pure in the middle, with lovely spicy lift to the red fruit flavors. Not at all outsized for this bottling but offers an explosion of flavor. The velvety, rising finish leaves the mouth feeling refreshed. This beauty is a bit less dominated by its tannins today than the Muncagota and should offer earlier enjoyment. But it also has the stuffing to support a long and graceful evolution in bottle.