Cantina Serafino Rivella consists of a husband and wife, Toebaldo and Maria Rivella, and that’s it. When they step into the garden behind their house they find themselves in one of the greatest places on... Read More

Cantina Serafino Rivella consists of a husband and wife, Toebaldo and Maria Rivella, and that’s it. When they step into the garden behind their house they find themselves in one of the greatest places on earth for the Nebbiolo grape: Montestefano, in Barbaresco.

Teobaldo’s father planted this vineyard in this cru in 1963, and they have been making Barbaresco from it ever since. Aside from a little Dolcetto, it’s all they’ve ever made.

The winemaking is so unchanged that Galloni offers them as a link to Piedmont’s history. Others have described Rivella as the Bartolo Mascarello of Barbaresco. But with hardly any wine to offer, they’ve stayed under the radar.

Montestefano is known for its dark and brooding wines. It faces south and has more calcium in its soils thany any other Barbaresco cru. It is the cru that can most easily be mistaken for Barolo.