Castello di Neive, Barbaresco Santo Stefano Riserva, 2015
Castello di Neive, Barbaresco Santo Stefano Riserva, 2015
- 75cl
- 14.5%
- Red Still
- Nebbiolo
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Optimal drinking window: 2026 - 2036
Est. delivery in June, 2026
Castello di Neive's Santo Stefano Riserva represents Barbaresco at its most aristocratic. From their prized vineyard in the heart of Neive, this 2015 captures everything we love about great Nebbiolo: that haunting perfume of rose petals and red cherry, the grip of fine-grained tannins, and the mineral backbone that keeps you coming back to the glass.
This is a Riserva with eleven years behind it, so the youthful fire has settled into something more contemplative. The fruit remains bright but there's complexity building beneath – leather, earth, and that distinctive tarry edge that marks serious Barbaresco. Ready now for those who appreciate nuance, but with easily another decade ahead of it.
The Santo Stefano vineyard sits on the steep, south-facing slopes above Neive at around 250 metres elevation. The soils are classic Barbaresco: calcareous marl with sandy deposits that provide excellent drainage whilst retaining enough moisture for the late-ripening Nebbiolo. This exposure captures maximum sunlight whilst the altitude preserves acidity, creating wines with both power and finesse. The maritime influence from the distant Mediterranean helps moderate the continental climate, extending the growing season crucial for Nebbiolo's full phenolic development.
Barbaresco DOCG represents the more elegant face of Piemonte's Nebbiolo, often described as the feminine counterpart to Barolo's masculine power. The regulations demand 100% Nebbiolo aged for a minimum of two years, with Riservas requiring four years total including at least nine months in bottle. What sets Barbaresco apart is its warmer mesoclimate and lower altitude vineyards, which ripen Nebbiolo more reliably than Barolo's higher sites. The result is wines that are approachable sooner but no less complex, with that distinctive perfumed character that makes great Barbaresco unmistakable.
The 2015 vintage in Piemonte arrived like a gift after the challenges of recent years. A warm, dry growing season delivered perfect ripening conditions, with September's cool nights preserving the freshness that makes these wines so compelling. The harvest came early but unhurried, allowing producers to pick at optimal ripeness without the usual autumn anxiety about weather turning.
What emerged were wines of immediate charm and underlying substance. The Nebbiolos show ripe fruit and approachable tannins whilst retaining that iron-and-roses character that defines great Barolo and Barbaresco. Barbera positively sings with vibrant acidity balanced by generous fruit, and even the Dolcettos have extra depth and staying power. Most 2015s are drinking beautifully now, offering pleasure whilst developing the secondary flavours that will carry the best bottles comfortably until 2030.
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Castello di Neive
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