Had a fabulous lunch with Gabriele Ocheti from Giuseppe Cortese yesterday. We explored that wonderful plot of dirt in Barbaresco that is Rabajà. I threw a cheeky little ’71 in for good measure.
2018 Giuseppe Cortese Barbaresco: Really lovely and accessible. A highly perfumed nose of red fruits and flora. Nice fruit on the palate, some earthiness and moderate structure. Very well balanced.
2019 Giuseppe Cortese Barbaresco: A touch more fruit intensity than the ’18. Very red, plenty of spice. A hint of earth and really good energy. Moderate chew to the finish.
2018 Giuseppe Cortese Barbaresco Rabajà: A fine and detailed nose of cherry, mint, rose petal and earth. There’s generosity in the mouth and minerally structure below the flesh. Nice proportion and balance.
2019 Giuseppe Cortese Barbaresco Rabajà: The nose immediately draws you in, with highly perfumed red fruits and flora. It is pure and has fabulous detail in the mouth. There is ample structure but it is buried for now. Despite its youth and obvious aging potential, it is so delicious and drinkable right out of the gate.
2015 Giuseppe Cortese Barbaresco Rabajà: Starting to drink really well, showing a hint of earth and leather development on the nose. The fruit profile is a little darker here, with black cherry and blood plum notes. It is rich and powerful, with a creamy mid-palate. It is a ripe wine but still possesses detail and the freshness and structure of the vineyard.
2017 Giuseppe Cortese Barbaresco Rabajà: Another ripe wine with delicious dark berry and cherry fruits. There some sweet tobacco and mint too. It is flesh and voluminous and underpinned by chewy tannins. The finish is stony and fresh. Plenty of depth here upon which to age further.
2013 Giuseppe Cortese Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà: Still very youthful. Plenty of rose petal action along with cherry and plum fruits. There’s some sweet cedar, dried herbs and baked earth too. It has excellent intensity and detail, with each sip unlocking an interesting nuance. It builds through the palate and drives on, possessing excellent length of flavour.
2016 Giuseppe Cortese Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà: A wonderful nose of pomegranate, raspberry, cherries and rose petals. It is a wine of exquisite balance and proportion. It has perfect acidity and all flavours are pure and crystal clear. It has intensity and volume but carries no excess weight. The finish is precise and it fans out and drives on. Perfect in every way.
1971 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà: Gave it a long decant and it kept getting better and better once we got into it. The nose had plenty of Indian spice, some decaying rose, orange peel, truffle and mint. The palate was beautiful. There was something sweet and vinous at the core and all sorts of florals. It was rich and layered, had gentle lift from a touch of balsamic and wonderfully fresh acidity carrying the long finish. A really good bottle.
