Produttori del Barbaresco, Barbaresco Riserva Montefico, 2016

Montefico sits on Barbaresco's northern chain of hills, and it's one of the more elegant, mineral crus in Produttori del Barbaresco's lineup: think graphite, roses and taut red berries over a powerful, tannic structural frame. These single-vineyard Riserva bottlings, reserved for the strongest years only, are among the great values in age-worthy wine anywhere — Nebbiolo from a top co-op that consistently delivers at 5, 10, 20, even 30 years. The 2016 was a stunning, benchmark vintage prized for its transparency and precise structure, which plays perfectly to Montefico's naturally lifted, pure style and gives a Riserva of real clarity and drive. Built to age, it rewards patience — a lovely study in how a limestone-rich, south-facing northern-commune site reads in a classic vintage. Decant if you open one young.