"An aromatic and flavorful red, with rose, cherry, licorice, tobacco and briar notes. Both supple and vibrant, this has an elegance that belies the extremely dense tannins. Shows excellent length, with an aftertaste of fruit, underbrush and mineral."

"Sottimano has decided to give the 2008 Barbaresco Curra another year in bottle before releasing the wine. I understand why. The Curra is a huge Barbaresco. An exotic bouquet of tobacco, smoke, tar and incense leads to an intense core of fruit. This is easily one of the most structured wines of the vintage. It shows tremendous depth, detail and thrust from start to finish. The fruit covers every inch of the palate in this dramatic Barbaresco. Sweet floral notes typical of Curra add a measure of lift on the finish, but this remains a big, big wine in need of considerable bottle age."

"The 2006 Barbaresco Riserva Santo Stefano comes across as quite rich and powerful. It is a beautifully balanced wine endowed with considerable finesse and depth. Sweet red cherries, flowers, herbs and mint are just some of the aromas and flavors that take shape in the glass as the Riserva shows off its pedigree. The long, structured finish suggests a bright future."