Rivella Serafino

In recent years, Teobaldo Rivella's wines—now only 2 bottlings—have attained cult-like status among international wine lovers. From their family estate atop the crest of Montestefano, where the husband-and-wife duo own two hectares, a mere 10-13,000 bottles are produced each year. Remarkably, everything—from harvest to winemaking—is still completed by Maria and Baldo—Maria even hand-labels every single bottle at her kitchen table.

The operation is ‘garagiste’, revolving solely around the duo's two hectares, which once included Dolcetto. The vineyard was planted in 1963 by Rivella’s father, and the first vintage produced at the estate was in 1967, while Baldo joined in 1974. The vines are grown unusually low to the ground, though the canopy remains 2 metres high (among the highest locally). Baldo swears by their low vigour 420A rootstock, and the clones are a 'masale' mix of compact Michet and leggier Lampia. In the winery, the wines are vinified in Slavonian oak for 15-20 days using wild yeast before being matured in 20-hl, old Slavonian botte for between 24 - 36 months (over twice as long as the legal requirement). Previously, the Dolcetto was vinified in stainless steel vats, which remain the corner of the winery. Interestingly, the Rivella family owned almost the entire Montestefano cru in Barbaresco throughout the nineteenth century. Today, former Gaja winemaker Guido Rivella also produces wine from this famed vineyard.

Whilst warm vintages can be volatile, in most cases, these are soulful, characterful and ethereal wines deserving of great praise and a reflection of truly artisanal winegrowing.