Guiseppe Cortese’s Barbaresco Rabajà 2016 + 2011 Riserva Release


“It’s impossible not to admire these genuine, sincere wines and their equally unpretentious prices”. Antonio Galloni

Today we offer Giuseppe’s 2016’s pre-arrival (delivery mid-September) + the 2015 Rabajà and 2011 Rabajà Riserva with magnums and jeroboams available!

You could almost call Giuseppe Cortese a one trick pony. Boy, it’s one hell of a pony. One of Barbaresco’s very best vineyards. If you could only have one this would be on the short list.

Any drinker in the know will easily put the Rabajà vineyard in their top 3 vineyards of Barbaresco if not right at the very top!

Even his Langhe Neb is young vine Rabajà!

 

“It’s impossible not to admire these genuine, sincere wines and their equally unpretentious prices”. Antonio Galloni

About Guiseppe Cortese

Giuseppe went solo in 1971, making his first wine under his own name.

About the 2015 & 2016 Barbaresco Vintages

Early signs from the Langhe wines and Barbaresco coming through show 2016 to be a vintage of elegance and sophistication with a solid core of fruit and ripe tannins. A classic in the making.

From Antonio Galloni

A First Look at the 2016s…

I came away from my late summer tastings of Barbarescos deeply impressed. The region, which has so often appeared sleepy and backward, especially compared to Barolo, seems to be going through a brilliant phase. Reference-point estates are upping their game, while a number of ambitious, young winemakers are making significant improvements in quality. The 2016s, wines from a potentially historic vintage, may very well put Barbaresco on the map big time. As I traveled from producer to producer, I experienced that sense of excitement and energy I always feel when in the presence of important vintages and wines.

The young 2016 Barbarescos are some of the most compelling young wines I have tasted in twenty years of visiting the region. Many of the 2016s are still in barrel, but the picture that is starting to emerge from wines I tasted in bottle and cask is of a very high quality vintage with the potential to be truly extraordinary.

In tasting, the 2016s are extraordinarily harmonious. The extended growing season yielded wines with healthy Nebbiolo fruit, soaring aromatics and perfectly ripe, super-polished tannins. A number of producers told me they had both healthy maturities and low pHs in 2016, a combination that is unusual. Stylistically, the 2016s remind me of the 2004s, but with more fruit and the added finesse that comes with another dozen years of experience in farming and winemaking. The best 2016s I tasted are positively dazzling. Most of the 2016s have only recently been bottled, and yet their quality is evident.

The 2015 Barbarescos in Bottle…There’s a Lot to Talk About

Two thousand fifteen was marked by mostly warm and dry conditions that were a welcome respite after the considerable stress of 2014. The growing season started with significant rain and snow in the winter of 2014/2015 that would prove to be critical later on. Warm weather at the beginning of the year caused the vines to awaken early. The critical periods of budbreak, flowering and fruit set all benefited from benign conditions. Sustained heat followed from late June and all through July, which accelerated the final phase of ripening and ultimately led to an early harvest. Water reserves accumulated throughout the winter became essential during the very dry summer months.

The first thing that is obvious about the 2015s is that most of the wines are pretty elegant. In other words, there is huge difference between how growers deal with a warm vintage today and how they responded to similar conditions in the 1990s and 2000s, when the preference was to make huge, potent wines. Broadly speaking, the 2015s are generous Barbarescos with soft curves and a good bit of fruit intensity, but they aren’t overdone. The finest 2015s are rich, ample and quite giving, with perhaps just a touch less site-specific detail than in cooler years. But there are also some disappointments. The hot weather appears to have blocked ripening in several spots. I tasted a number of wines that are unusually forward in both their color and overall freshness. These wines often show modest structure and a candied fruit profile.  As a whole, the 2015s are marked by tannins that are slightly coarse, especially in comparison with 2016, a year in which the long growing season allowed for far more consistent ripening. The best 2015s have enough fruit to provide a measure of balance, but in less successful wines the quality of the tannins is much more evident.

Where in the World is Giuseppe Cortese?

Cortese’s best vineyard is undoubtedly his Rabajà

Contrary to how it may appear when seen from a distance, the Rabajà hill is anything but homogeneous and can be broadly divided into at least two areas. The first bordering on Asili coincides with the picturesque amphitheatre overlooking the Martinenga cru, and mostly enjoys a south-westerly aspect. The second, on the other hand, is more linear and faces due south, though within it there are some evident variations due to marked undulations around the hillside. In both cases, the style of the wine is, however, richer and bolder than the Asili and Martinenga (although a more uncompromising, mineral character tends to emerge in the second area).

Cortese’s Rabajà is mainly facing south-west in the hollow above Martinenga, south for the remainder

Click to enlarge 🔎

Your tongue will thank you!


About the Wines


2016 Langhe Nebbiolo (declassified Rabajà)

Very typical aromas and flavours: redcurrant notes and good structure for a wine that fully expresses the terroir and the grape variety it is made from.

Made from grapes grown in the younger vineyards as those used to make our Barbaresco, this wine has all the character and elegance of the great Nebbiolo with its intense yet delicate perfume. Dry, fresh and pleasant flavour with characteristic tannic balance. Garnet red colour.

Grape variety: 100% nebbiolo

Surface area: Barbaresco; 1,5 hectare in the “Rabajà” and Trifolera zones, with south, south-westerly exposure

Altitude: 200 / 330 meters a.s.l.

Soil: Limestone and clay soil rich in minerals and stratified with layers of “tufo”

Age of vineyard: around 30 years. Density of planting system: guyot-4,000 vines per hectare

Vinification: around 30 days of fermentation in stainless steel tanks

Ageing: 12 months in Slavonian oak barrels ranging in size from 17 to 25 hectolitres and in age from new to 8/9 years. Minimum 6 months of maturing in the bottle before being released for sale.

90 Points

Quite reductive at first, but it opens up to show raspberries, cedar and cloves. Medium body, fresh acidity and a zesty finish. Drink now.

James Suckling

89 Points

The 2016 Langhe Nebbiolo is an attractive, light-bodied wine to drink now and over the next few years. This is an especially airy, weightless style. Most of the fruit is from young vines in Rabajà.

Antonio Galloni, Vinous

2016 Barbaresco Rabajà

Rabajà

Traditional version of the great Cru: a wine featuring structure, elegance and a personality of its own.

Barbaresco Rabajà is our most important wine and has an intense and ethereal perfume with fresh notes that evolve into scents of spices, tobacco and brushwood notes as it ages. A dry, full and robust flavour with a rich and harmonious structure; garnet red colour.

Grape variety: 100% nebbiolo

Surface area: in Barbaresco 4 hectares in the “Rabajà” zone, with south, south-westerly exposure

Altitude: 235 / 315 meters a.s.l.

Soil: Limestone and clay soil rich in minerals and stratified with layers of “tufo”

Age of vineyard around 50 years. Density of planting system guyot-4,000 vines per hectare

Vinification around 30 days of fermentation in stainless steel and old cement tanks

Ageing: 20/22 months in Slavonian oak barrels ranging in size of 17 to 25 hectolitres and in age of 5/6 years minimum. Minimum 10 months of maturing in the bottle before being released for sale.

96 Points

Aromas of underbrush, camphor, violet, dark culinary spices, new leather and dark-skinned fruit lead the way. The structured, full-bodied palate shows juicy red cherry, raspberry, orange zest, ground clove, star anise and truffle alongside fine-grained tannins and bright acidity. It boasts elegance and structure. Drink 2024–2036.

Kerin O'Keefe

93+ Points

Just bottled, the 2016 Barbaresco Rabajà is massively backward. Dark and imposing, the 2016 is an especially brooding wine. Black cherry , sage, lavender, menthol and dark spice fill out the wine's vertical frame effortlessly. Readers will have to be patient here, as the 2016 is not likely to be ready to drink anytime soon. Pier Carlo Cortese gave the 2016 22 months in cask, and has a Riserva in the cellar as well. This is a superb wine in the making.

Antonio Galloni, Vinous

2015 Barbaresco Rabajà

95 Points

This opens with aromas of ripe berry, crushed herb, scorched soil and dark culinary spice. Mirroring the nose, the firm full-bodied palate evokes juicy Marasca cherry, black raspberry, star anise and clove. Taut, tightly knit and noble tannins provide the framework. Give it time to unwind and fully develop. Drink 2023–2035.

Kerin O'Keefe

95 Points

Wow. What a nose of pure blueberries, rose petals, lavender, crushed minerals, elderflower and so much vivid orange and candied citrus peel. Full body, electric acidity, firm and wonderfully polished tannins and a long, mineral finish. Drink in 2021.

James Suckling

93 Points

Cortese's 2015 Barbaresco Rabajà is open-knit and attractive, qualities that can be enjoyed with minimal cellaring given the wine's mid-weight structure. Crushed raspberry, rose petal, mint, dried herbs, orange zest and anise add super-classic Nebbiolo signatures to this very pretty, inviting Barbaresco from Cortese. The 2015 is all class. In 2015 Cortese did not bottle their flagship Riserva. Instead, all of the wine went into this, the straight Barbaresco Rabajà. The 2015 spent 20 months in cask.

Antonio Galloni, Vinous

The Riservas

2011 Barbaresco Rabajà Riserva

The winery’s signature wine; produced exclusively in the most classic vintages, it reaches the highest expression of the Nebbiolo variety, in terms of complexity and longevity, in the Rabajà vineyard.

This wine is a selection from a small part of Rabajà and is only made in the best, classic years. It has considerable structure, elegance and great capacity for evolution.

Grape variety: 100% nebbiolo

Surface area: in Barbaresco ,1 hectare in the “Rabajà” zone, with south, south-westerly exposure

Altitude: 235 / 315 meters a.s.l.

Soil: Limestone and clay soil rich in minerals and stratified with layers of “tufo”

Age of vineyard: around 70 years. Density of planting system: guyot-4,000 vines per hectare

Vinification: around 35 days of fermentation in stainless steel and old cement tanks

Ageing:40 months in Slavonian oak barrels ranging in size of 17 to 25 hectolitres and in age of 30/32 years. Minimum 3 years of maturing in the bottle before being released for sale.

96 Points

What a nose of dried citrus, tangerines, blood oranges, incense, tobacco, cloves, lavender and cedar. Full body, uber-polished tannins and a long, spicy yet taut finish. The complexity and balance take you on a long journey here. Be prepared!

James Suckling

96 Points

Complex and perfumed, this red invites you in with aromas of rose, strawberry and sun-kissed hay, then keeps you riveted with flavors of tangy berry fruit, tobacco and iron. Harmonious even in its youth, expanding on the long aftertaste. Best from 2020 through 2043. 500 cases made.

Wine Spectator

95+ Points

The 2011 Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà is a fabulous choice for readers who want to experience a first-rate wine without waiting for years and years. A wine of volume, intensity and power, the 2011 hits the palate with notable resonance. Ripe, silky tannins add to the wine's immense appeal. There is no question the 2011 shows the exotic ripeness of the year, and yet there is more than enough freshness to balance the wine's more overt leanings. Don't miss it.

Antonio Galloni, Vinous


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