Barbaresco Riserva 'Rabajà' Giuseppe Cortese 2016

Giuseppe Cortese's Barbaresco Riserva "Rabajà" recounts, in liquid form, one of the appellation's finest crus. The fascinating land of Barbaresco, set in the Piedmont Langa as if it were part of a work of art, is punctuated by basins and hills populated by long, neat rows of vines. Cortese's Riserva "Rabajà" is a Barbaresco that conjugates finesse and decision, capable of delivering the emotion associated with the territorial expression of a precise place. The indissoluble bond between this delimited area of Langa and its symbolic grape variety, Nebbiolo, is exalted. The Giuseppe Cortese winery has been working in these vineyards since 1971 and, since then, has always placed itself at the service of this mysterious bond between the natural components that originate a wine. It has enhanced and bottled them.

"Rabajà" Barbaresco Riserva comes from the cru of the same name, just below the winery. This is an amphitheatre defined by limestone soils, excellent sunshine and very old vineyards. From about 1 hectare of area, the Nebbiolo grapes destined to make up this Riserva, produced only in the most favourable and representative vintages, are selected and harvested. It is aged for a period of 40 months inside Slavonian oak barrels that vary in size from 12 to 25 hl; some are first-pass while others have an age of up to 8/9 years. This is followed by bottle maturation of at least 3 years.

Giuseppe Cortese Barbaresco Riserva "Rabajà" has a garnet red color. Its olfactory profile is outlined on notes of cherry, black cherry, and dark fruit set against a complex and intriguing background of tar, incense and toasted notes. In the mouth, it shows its beautiful structure, bodied and elegant. Freshness binds with a very fine, velvety tannin of noble composure. It confirms the olfactory timbre and closes in an elegant memory. To be discovered sip after sip, year after year.