Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
romas of underbrush, leather, crushed blue flower, incense and balsamic notes lead the nose on this gorgeous wine. The palate delivers succulent black cherry layered with white pepper and clove alongside bracing tannins. Drink 2019–2034.
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Wine & Spirits
Rabajà is a southwest-facing slope with calcareous soils mixed with sand. It grew a hugely powerful Barbaresco in 2009, forward in its layered flavors of anise, foresty mushroom and tart cherry, backwards in its heavy blanket of tannins. For a moment, the tannins seem to be everywhere in the wine, forcing the juice to press through them, lending richness to the texture while seeming to hold the brightness of the wine as well. In the end, freshness cuts through the purple anise depths so the wine lasts with a red glow and the woodland scent of porcini.
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Wine Spectator
An elegant style, with cherry, strawberry, white pepper and earth flavors. This is supported by a swath of dense tannins and leaves a drying impression. Best from 2016 through 2027.
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.