Serafino Rivella makes wines of incredible breeding and finesse while seeming devoid of artifice.
They are the sort of wines that one rarely encounters today. Nothing seems showy and forced. There's a mystery and subtlety that's compelling. They are savory and understated wines with a whispering complexity.
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As Antonio Galloni writes, "Tasting Teobaldo and Maria Rivella's wines is like stepping back into Piedmont's past."
I selected the 2020 Serafino Rivella Barbaresco Montestefano as my wine of the year to celebrate these steadfastly old-school Nebbiolos and because the 2020 vintage offers a perfect vantage point to witness this style.
My introduction to the wines happened a decade ago when a sales rep called saying that I had to check the wines out. When I did, I was really impressed, and the wines have been fixtures. The 2013 is a Crush legend.
Teobaldo and Maria Rivella follow ultra-traditional methods. The family's vineyard was planted in 1963 by Teobaldo's father, and the first vintage at the estate was 1967.
The heart and soul of the estate is a top Barbaresco vineyard situated directly adjacent to the family’s home: the Montestefano Cru. Montestefano is famous above all else for how it marries elegance, detail, and intensity. It's a wine that soars with a tightly coiled class.
The 2020 Montestefano has a beautiful purity of fruit with a beguiling cast of aromatics. It has finesse to spare. There's an intricate profile of red fruits, floral notes, spices, and savory notes.
In a typical vintage, Serafino Rivella produces around 750 cases of Montestefano. These quantities keep the wines within a small group of insiders. However, with each passing year, word gets out little by little. The wines are simply too good to remain a secret.
To order, email offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Joe Salamone
Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits
Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media: "The 2020 Barbaresco Montestefano is gorgeous. Sweet scents of pipe tobacco, spice, dried herbs, mint, leather and crushed autumn leaves all grace this exquisite, super-classic Barbaresco. The 2020 offers a beguiling mix of the slightly oxidative character that is typical here with bright Nebbiolo acids that add a counterpoint. The 2020 can be enjoyed now with aeration. A bottle tasted that had been opened 24 hours in advance was nicely softened, while a freshly opened bottle showed a bit more nervous energy. The overall flavor profile was pretty similar."