Produttori del Barbaresco's Barbaresco Riserva 'Montefico' 2020 is highly regarded by critics as one of the standouts from the 2020 vintage, showing incredible aging potential.
It's a single-vineyard Nebbiolo from the tiny Montefico cru in Barbaresco, Piedmont, grown on high-calcium limestone soils that give real austerity and grip when young. Crushed stone, black cherry and rosemary sit over firm, structured tannin.
It was rated 97 POINTS by James Suckling, and it's a wine for someone happy to lay it down.
In the glass it shows a deep, brooding colour with a perfume of black cherry, crushed rosemary and dark stone fruit, and a mineral edge that marks out Montefico's high-calcium soil. It's tight and youthfully austere on the palate, with firm, grippy tannin and real length.
This is the most reserved of Produttori del Barbaresco's single-vineyard Riservas, less fleshy than its neighbour Montestefano and slower to open than most. It rewards long decanting, or better, several more years in the cellar, and it's the kind of Barbaresco we'd pour with a good venison or game dish once it's ready.
Just over 16,000 bottles of the Montefico Riserva are made each vintage, from one of Produttori del Barbaresco's smallest and least widely known crus: it was first bottled on its own in 1970.
What it tastes like
The nose is dense with black cherry, dried rosemary and crushed stone, with a savoury, almost smoky edge developing as it opens up. It's a more brooding, austere wine than Produttori del Barbaresco's other single-vineyard wines, true to Montefico's reputation as the most tightly wound of the crus.
The palate is full-bodied and firmly built, with taut, grainy tannin and bright acidity running underneath. There's real depth of dark fruit, backed by a mineral, savoury spine that keeps demanding attention through a long finish.
It's a serious, cellar-worthy Barbaresco that needs time to show its best.
Style at a glance
- Body: Full
- Sweetness: Dry
- Acidity: High
- Tannin: Firm, grainy
- Oak: Large oak casks (botti); adds structure without masking the fruit
- Style: Austere, mineral and built to age
Food to enjoy this with
- Fresh egg pasta, such as tajarin with a rich meat ragù
- Risotto, especially with mushroom or truffle
- Roast white meat, such as chicken or veal
- Grilled or roasted red meat
- Game birds
- Venison, the classic match for a structured Barbaresco once it's had time to soften
Who makes it
Produttori del Barbaresco is a growers' cooperative based in the village of Barbaresco, founded in 1958 by a parish priest who brought together 19 struggling local growers. It has grown to around 60 members, many of whom farm some of Barbaresco's best vineyard sites. Its everyday Barbaresco is regarded as one of Italy's great wine values, and in the best vintages it also bottles up to nine single-vineyard Riservas from its finest crus.
The Montefico cru is one of Barbaresco's smallest and least known sites, just 3.86 hectares on a south to south-east facing slope between the Ovello and Montestefano crus. Its soil carries plenty of calcium, similar to its neighbour Montestefano, and the vineyard catches cooling winds funnelling up from the Tanaro River, both of which help keep the wine tight and mineral.
Produttori del Barbaresco works with minimal intervention, aiming to let each cru speak for itself. Montefico was first bottled as a single vineyard in 1970, and it remains one of nine crus that becomes a Riserva only in strong vintages.
For the 2020 vintage, the Montefico grapes fermented at 30°C with 28 days on the skins, and malolactic fermentation finished before the wine went into large oak casks, where it aged for a minimum of 30 months before bottling in June.
About the vintage
The 2020 growing season in Barbaresco brought plenty of rain and warm, humid conditions through the year, with a real heat spike at the end of July and into August. The grapes still ripened evenly, and the tannins came in refined rather than harsh.
Decanter rated 2020 a very good vintage for Barbaresco, describing the best wines as round, generous and well balanced, after a run of trickier years: a dry 2017, a dilute 2018 and a hail-hit 2019. Production across the appellation rose too, from 4.9 million to 5.1 million bottles, as more growers came online.
Critic scores and ratings
- 97 POINTS – James Suckling – jamessuckling.com, May 2025
When to drink it
Monica Larner of Wine Advocate reckons this has real staying power, with a drinking window out to 2050. That's the sort of wine you buy a case of and open one bottle every few years to watch it evolve.
Technical details
| Producer: |
Produttori del Barbaresco |
| Wine: |
Barbaresco Riserva 'Montefico' |
| Vintage: |
2020 |
| Variety: |
100% Nebbiolo |
| Region: |
Barbaresco (Montefico cru), Piedmont |
| Country: |
Italy |
| Alcohol: |
14.5% |
| Oak: |
Large oak casks (botti), minimum 30 months |
| Fermentation: |
Stainless steel, 28 days on skins |
| Cellaring: |
To 2050 |
Where to buy
The Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva 'Montefico' 2020 is available online at thewineryonline.co.nz for delivery within New Zealand. You can also buy it at our Queenstown and Arrowtown wine stores, alongside a large range of New Zealand and international wine. Online and in both stores you can select a mixed case from a large range of wines. Just over 16,000 bottles are made each vintage, so it doesn't stick around for long.
Questions we are often asked
What grape is Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva 'Montefico' 2020 made from?
It's 100% Nebbiolo, grown in the Montefico cru within the Barbaresco DOCG in Piedmont, Italy.
What food pairs well with this wine?
It suits rich, savoury food such as venison, game or a good braise, as well as classic Piedmont dishes like fresh egg pasta and risotto.
How long will the Montefico Riserva 2020 keep?
Critic Monica Larner of Wine Advocate gives it a drinking window out to 2050, so there's plenty of time to let the tannin soften before opening it.
Why is Montefico considered one of the more austere Riservas?
Its small, high-calcium vineyard between Ovello and Montestefano gives the wine firmer tannin and a more mineral character than some of Produttori del Barbaresco's other crus.
Who makes Produttori del Barbaresco wines?
Produttori del Barbaresco is a growers' cooperative in the village of Barbaresco, founded in 1958 and now made up of around 60 member growers.
Where can I buy Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva 'Montefico' 2020?
The Winery sells Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva 'Montefico' 2020 online at thewineryonline.co.nz for delivery within New Zealand. You can also buy it in our Queenstown and Arrowtown wine stores.
