1982 Barbaresco Santo Stefano Riserva
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Tasting notes
At its best, the 1982 Barbaresco Riserva Santo Stefano is one of the greatest wines I have ever tasted from Bruno Giacosa. Sweet red cherry, raspberry, rose petal, mint and hard candy give the wine its sensual, inviting personality. Medium in body, persistent and beautifully focused, the 1982 is a Riserva that speaks to power over finesse. Readers fortunate enough to own the 1982 will want to check in on their bottles. Although the 1982 will hold for at least a few years, it won’t get any better than it is today. It would be a shame to miss the 1982 at its height of expression, as it is a truly magical bottle.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Two 1982s from Bruno Giacosa are an unexpected but very welcome surprise. I have always adored this vintage. Both wines more than live up to my expectations. I am also quite surprised by how translucently beautiful the wines are. The 1982 Barbaresco Santo Stefano Riserva simply has it all. Deep, pliant and explosive, the SSR is also quite bit fresher than the Rionda. Here too, the flavors pack considerable brightness, with plenty of blood orange, cranberry, dark cherry and tobacco notes. Quite simply, this is a great, great bottle of the 1982 SSR. What a way to end the night.
The 1982 Barbaresco Riserva Santo Stefano presented more of a floral expression in its aromatics, with the penetrating, linear personality that is its hallmark. My last sip with a bite of white truffle was…spectacular. The 1982 remains one my personal favorites.
We started with a flight of Bruno Giacosa’s mythical Barbaresco Santo Stefano Riserva that covered the great 1982, 1985, 1989 and 1990 vintages. Giacosa’s 1982 Barbaresco Santo Stefano Riserva is always a wine I look forward to as it is among my all-time favorites from this legendary producer. I was amazed at the color of the 1982 as it was poured from the decanter. A deeply colored red, it looked more like a wine from a recent vintage rather than a wine that is 25 years old. It boasted huge aromatics and a powerful personality, with enough fruit, length on the palate and underlying structure to drink well for at least another decade. 1982 remains a phenomenal vintage for this wine and a benchmark for first-class Barbaresco.
About the producer
Bruno Giacosa – now run by daughter Bruna – is a cult Nebbiolo producer, that has consistently made some of the best single-vineyard Barbaresco and Barolo from the 1960s onwards. The“red-label” Riservas are some of the finest and most collectable wines in Italy.