April 27, 2018 - Great spot. Leathery for first 20 min but with some air in decanter more blood and iron started to show, then with another 30 min more red fruits, dried prune and other elements. Still touch of tannins on finish. Never all quite cohered but delicious all the same. Drink now with hour in decanter to wake up.
April 26, 2017 - This is probably close to peaking right now...still ample fruit but all the secondary and tertiary flavors are in full effect! Delicious.
December 9, 2016 - Annual Tasting Group Holiday Party (I Nonni, St. Paul, MN): I believe the words I used were: "This is holy crap corked." As in holy crap, this is REALLY corked. A shame.
September 3, 2016 - PnP. Kork kom ut hel, knapt gjennomtrukket nederst, antagelig stående lagring. Topp fyllnivå også. Murstein farge i kanten, granatrød i midten. Tjære, båthus, tobakk, bringebær og lakris i nesen. Pen fruktsødme som moden vin får, flott syre holder munnfølelsen i sjakk. Mot bringebær og nyper. Pent nedslipte tanniner. God ettersmak. En nytelse fra A til Å med sopprisotto. Ingen antydning til kollaps over 2 timer, strålende flaske!
June 19, 2016 - Served for pizza night in Tubingen. Lovely stuff, but we didn't give it enough air to do it justice. I love aged Produttori, and the 85 Montestefano is a treat. Next time, though, I will decant it in the morning for service in the evening.
November 5, 2014 - bottle, fill and cork all excellent. A little dull at the outset, this wine needs several hours to unwind and it only had 2 this time out. This bottle was not the freshest example of old Produttori I have had and it deserved more time in the decanter. It fills out with air and has citrus, goudron, licorice and autumn leaves. Overall good, but not among the best Produttori experiences I have had.
August 25, 2014 - Great bottle, surprisingly young when compare to other crus from this vintage. No tertiary notes, dark & beautiful and this one could have gone many more years an excellent showing and over achieving for the vintage.
May 8, 2008 - 1985 Barbaresco (Palo Alto): Nose: animale, hard to get past the barnyard here. Palate: savory-sweet, mushroom, leather, menthol, resolved tannins. Lovely to drink, but further along the downward slope than many here. My 6/8, group's 7/8. Tasted blind.