Barbaresco, Rabaja, 2016
Expressive yet subtle with some oregano and sage notes that complement typical Barbaresco seductive fruitiness - restraint but with energy and complex stony components; infused with a subtle saline feel, this offers a shimmering mouth-watering acidity and salty finish. A very different vineyard, and resulting wine, to Rabaja Bas. The soils are a similar limestone clay composition but this is an even steeper, well-drained vineyard that yields wonderfully complete wines of great ageing ability. Kept on the skins for 60 days after ferment and reared in large oak casks for 21 months.
critic reviews
Macerated black cherry, cloves, leather, graphite and menthol give the 2016 Barbaresco Rabajà-Bas a decidedly somber, rustic quality that also comes through in the wine's feel. I would give the 2016 a few years in bottle to settle down, but I expect it will always be a tannic, four-square powerhouse. This is an especially virile style that speaks more to power than finesse.