Barbaresco, Rabaja, 2019
The main difference between Rabaja and Rabaja Bas is that the former is steeper and more uniformly south facing than Bas. The Castello has a total of 1ha in Rabaja, 0.5ha of which is 40 years old and 0.5ha is 15 years old. Of the two wines, the Rabaja feels more concentrated and serious, but also more vital, sparkling in its fruit, and more complex. The most enticing, trembling acid line darts through the fruit and culminates in a world of finessed power, with so much detail and focus. Really fabulous. The Rabaja spends its whole life in oak as it is fermented in tine and kept on skins for 60 days in capello sommerso before two years of ageing in 25hl Slavonian oak casks.
critic reviews
The 2019 Barbaresco Rabajà-Bas is super-expressive right out of the gate. A beguiling mélange of dark cherry, herbs, menthol, licorice, earthiness and dried flowers gives the 2019 strong savory tones to play off the Nebbiolo fruit. Translucent elegance and power come together beautifully in this deep, structured Barbaresco. Give this a year or two to soften.