Giuseppe Cortese Rabajà Barbaresco

Barbaresco Rabajà DOCG bottle image

Wine Description

This wine is made entirely from Nebbiolo grapes grown in Barbaresco's prestigious Rabajà vineyard, located in the Langhe hills just to the south of Cortese’s winery. To achieve the perfect structural balance, the wine is aged for twenty-two months in seasoned Slavonian oak casks, then bottled and cellared for an additional thirteen months.

Piercarlo and Giuseppe Cortese
Giuseppe Cortese Vineyard and Estate
Giuseppe Cortese Wine Cellar
Giuseppe Cortese Barbera Grapes
Cortese Family
Giueseppe Cortese Cantina
Giueseppe Cortese Bed and Breakfast
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Acclaim
“The Cortese brothers are among the finest producers of this great cru, and this 2016 is outstanding. The nose is rich and vibrant, with raspberry coulis aromas. High ripeness is immediately discernible but not overblown. Rich and velvety on the palate, it is sleek but concentrated, with finely judged density of fruit that never seems excessive. There’s depth, weight and considerable power here, with a long, complex finish.” 
— Decanter, Jan 2021
“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.” (Editors’ Choice)
— Wine Enthusiast, Sep 2019
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Vineyard & Production Info
Production area/appellation:
Barbaresco DOCG
Vineyard name
The Rabajà vineyard
Vineyard size
10 acres
Soil composition
Calcareous Clay-Loam
Training method
Guyot
Elevation:
900 feet
Vines/acre:
1,800
Yield/acre:
2.4 tons
Exposure:
Southern / Southwestern
Year vineyard planted:
1958-1978
Harvest time:
October
First vintage of this wine:
1971
Bottles produced of this wine:
5,200
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Winemaking & Aging
Maceration length:
20-25
Varietal composition:
100% Nebbiolo
Fermentation container:
Stainless steel tanks
Length of alcoholic fermentation:
10 days
Fermentation temperature:
84 °F
Maceration technique:
Pumpovers
Malolactic fermentation:
Yes
Type of aging container:
Barrels
Size of aging container:
17-26 hL
Type of oak:
Slavonian
Length of aging before bottling:
22 months
Age of Aging Container:
5-20 years
Length of bottle aging:
13 months
Total SO2
106
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Analytical Data
pH level:
3.4
Acidity:
6.1 g/L
Alcohol:
14.5 %
Total SO2
106
Residual sugar:
0.5 g/L