1970 Barbaresco Santo Stefano

Even so, it is glorious. There is so much to like about the 1970 Barbaresco Santo Stefano. Among other things, the 1970 has aged remarkably well. Next to some of the more finessed, sensual wines in this tasting, the 1970 shows a more virile, potent expression of Nebbiolo, as much as one can say that for a wine that has celebrated its 46th birthday! Hints of lavender, smoke, dried herbs and anise add nuance throughout, but it is the wine’s integrity and overall freshness that I find most notable on this night. Beams of tannin give the wine its distinctive shape and feel. At this point, it is probably safe to say the 1970 will always remain muscular and tannic. Nineteen seventy has long lived in the shades of 1971, and while the 1970 don’t quite have the profoundness of the 1971, the best examples come very, very close. In a word: superb.