Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2019 Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà is complex and haunting right out of the gate, signatures of an exceptional vintage. The aromatics alone are beguiling. Orange peel, sage, mint, cedar and sweet pipe tobacco are some of the nuances that open first. On the palate, the 2019 is beautifully persistent, constantly changing in the glass. Deceptive at first in its mid-weight structure, the 2019 builds over time. Although a potent wine, the 2019 Riserva is also one of the most polished Barbarescos I have tasted from Cortese in some time. Readers will find a contemplative, layered, multi-dimensional Barbaresco full of detail. Styliscially, it is a bit more austere and old-school than the 2021. Truly stellar.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2019 Barbaresco Rabajà Riserva, aged for 40 months in Slavonian oak, displays a medium ruby hue and beautiful detail. Aromas of perfectly ripe raspberries, fresh flowers, delicate spice, and hints of peach unfold in the glass. Medium-bodied, it shows compact yet weightless structure, with focused tannins, vibrant acidity, and haunting length. This gorgeous wine is appealing now but built to age gracefully over the next 15-20 years. 6000 bottles were produced. Drink 2026-2046.
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James Suckling
An austere wine with stony minerality on the nose, showing wild strawberries, red currants, balsamic depth and a whiff of leaves, alongside violets and roses. Medium-bodied with super-elegant, refined tannins, it’s fresh and savory with a long, focused finish. Drink or hold.
Responsible for some of the most elegant and age-worthy wines in the world, Nebbiolo, named for the ubiquitous autumnal fog (called nebbia in Italian), is the star variety of northern Italy’s Piedmont region. Grown throughout the area, as well as in the neighboring Valle d’Aosta and Valtellina, it reaches its highest potential in the Piedmontese villages of Barolo, Barbaresco and Roero. Outside of Italy, growers are still very much in the experimentation stage but some success has been achieved in parts of California. Somm Secret—If you’re new to Nebbiolo, start with a charming, wallet-friendly, early-drinking Langhe Nebbiolo or Nebbiolo d'Alba.
A wine that most perfectly conveys the spirit and essence of its place, Barbaresco is true reflection of terroir. Its star grape, like that in the neighboring Barolo region, is Nebbiolo. Four townships within the Barbaresco zone can produce Barbaresco: the actual village of Barbaresco, as well as Neive, Treiso and San Rocco Seno d'Elvio.
Broadly speaking there are more similarities in the soils of Barbaresco and Barolo than there are differences. Barbaresco’s soils are approximately of the same two major soil types as Barolo: blue-grey marl of the Tortonion epoch, producing more fragile and aromatic characteristics, and Helvetian white yellow marl, which produces wines with more structure and tannins.
Nebbiolo ripens earlier in Barbaresco than in Barolo, primarily due to the vineyards’ proximity to the Tanaro River and lower elevations. While the wines here are still powerful, Barbaresco expresses a more feminine side of Nebbiolo, often with softer tannins, delicate fruit and an elegant perfume. Typical in a well-made Barbaresco are expressions of rose petal, cherry, strawberry, violets, smoke and spice. These wines need a few years before they reach their peak, the best of which need over a decade or longer. Bottle aging adds more savory characteristics, such as earth, iron and dried fruit.