Giuseppe Cortese

Rabajà Barbaresco Riserva

Nebbiolo
Barbaresco Rabajà Riserva DOCG
Barbaresco Rabajà Riserva DOCG

POS Materials

Tech Sheet Download Bottle Shot Download Acclaim Linkout

Giuseppe Cortese

Rabajà Barbaresco Riserva

Nebbiolo

The winery’s signature wine, produced exclusively in the most classic vintages. This wine reaches the highest expression of the Nebbiolo variety and has considerable structure, elegance, and great capacity for evolution.

All Products →

Wine Production

Fermented for 35 days in both stainless steel and old cement tanks. Aged for 40 months in Slavonian oak barrels, then refined for an additional three years in bottle before release.

Tasting Notes

Barbaresco Rabajá Riserva offers an intense and ethereal bouquet of plums, prunes, cinnamon, cocoa, tobacco, leather and spice. Dry, and full-bodied, with robust flavors developing on the palate and unveiling this wine's very solid structure and elegance.

Food Pairing

Incredibly long-lived, it is recommended with pot roasts, truffles, polenta with ossobuco, and other rich fare.

The winery’s signature wine, produced exclusively in the most classic vintages. This wine reaches the highest expression of the Nebbiolo variety and has considerable structure, elegance, and great capacity for evolution.

All Products →

Wine Production

Fermented for 35 days in both stainless steel and old cement tanks. Aged for 40 months in Slavonian oak barrels, then refined for an additional three years in bottle before release.

Tasting Notes

Barbaresco Rabajá Riserva offers an intense and ethereal bouquet of plums, prunes, cinnamon, cocoa, tobacco, leather and spice. Dry, and full-bodied, with robust flavors developing on the palate and unveiling this wine's very solid structure and elegance.

Food Pairing

Incredibly long-lived, it is recommended with pot roasts, truffles, polenta with ossobuco, and other rich fare.

Brand Materials

Tech Sheet Download Bottle Shot Download Acclaim Linkout
97
POINTS
“The 2016 Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà is stellar. Just starting to open aromatically, the 2016 is superb in this tasting. Sweet macerated cherry, spice, new leather, tobacco and dried herbs all grace the 2016 with notable aromatic complexity. As always, the Riserva is an ethereal, engaging wine with less immediacy and mid-palate than the other Barbarescos here, but in exchange tons of nuance. This is the best showing yet for the 2016, a wine that satisfies both the hedonistic and intellectual senses.”
Vinous
96
POINTS
“Cortese’s 2016 Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà is a brooding, powerful wine. Even so, it retains a gorgeous sense of classicism in its transparent feel. Black cherry, plum, licorice, lavender and cloves lend striking nuance. Readers will find a dark, staruesque wine that shows the explosive power of the vintage. The Riserva emerges from the estate;s oldest vines, which are about 60 years old now.”
Vinous
95+
“The 2016 Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà is every bit as compelling as it was last year. If anything, it has shut down quite a bit, especially on the palate. Black cherry, incense, tobacco, licorice, spice and scorched earth bring out the darker side of Nebbiolo. Readers will have to be patient, though, as this brooding Barbaresco appears to be going through a closed phase. I wouldn't dream of touching a bottle anytime soon.”
Vinous
95
POINTS
“The Giuseppe Cortese 2016 Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà is a late release and one I am sure this winery is quite happy to see go to market given the hype surrounding this excellent vintage. There is a very pretty smoothness here, both in terms of the aromatic delivery and the mouthfeel, which shows how nicely Nebbiolo can reach balance. The bouquet is lithe and delicate with wild berry, crushed rose petal, white licorice and campfire ash.”
Wine Advocate
94+
“Cortese’s 2016 Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà is embryonic and closed in on itself. The wine’s inner sweetness that was so evident from cask finally emerges, but only with a good bit of time. This is another wine that is going to require patience, but that should not be an issue, as it won’t be released until 2023.”
Vinous
94
POINTS
“The aromas of rose stems and black cherries with some redcurrants are enticing. Also bark and earth. It’s full-to medium-bodied with very fine tannins and a fresh and bright finish. It’s just starting to open now and shows such finesse and beauty.”
James Suckling
94
POINTS
“Packed with sweet, ripe cherry, raspberry, rose, mineral and spice flavors, this red is also fluid and balanced, driven by lively acidity and firm, well-integrated tannins. Fresh, invigorating and long, this is approachable now, yet will be better in 2-3 years.”
Wine Spectator
94
POINTS
“Cortese’s 2016 Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà is powerful and translucent, a beguiling combination to say the least. Rose petal, sage, mint, licorice and anise are finely knit in this deceptively mid-weight Barbaresco. I would cellar the 2016 for at least a few years, as the grippy tannins are quite present at this stage.”
Vinous
“The 2016 Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà has all the potential to develop into a stunning wine. In 2016 the Riserva is dense and austere, and yet it has a level of inner sweetness and perfume that give it considerable allure. Tasted next to the straight Rabajà, the Riserva has more richness, depth and overall textural resonance.” (93-95 points)
Vinous

Vineyard & Production Info

Production area/appellation:
Barbaresco DOCG
Vineyard name:
Barbaresco/The Rabajà vineyard
Vineyard size:
10 acres
Soil composition:
Calcareous clay
Training method:
Guyot
Elevation:
900 feet
Vines/acre:
1,800
Yield/acre:
2.4 tons
Exposure:
Southern/Southwestern
Year vineyard planted:
1953
Harvest time:
October
First vintage of this wine:
1971
Bottles produced of this wine:
5,200

Winemaking & Aging

Maceration length:
20-25
Varietal composition:
100% Nebbiolo
Fermentation container:
Stainless steel tanks
Length of alcoholic fermentation:
10-12 days
Fermentation temperature:
84 °F
Malolactic fermentation:
Yes
Type of aging container:
Barrels
Size of aging container:
1,600-2,500 L
Type of oak:
French and Slavonian oak
Length of aging before bottling:
4 years
Age of Aging Container:
New-9 years old
Length of bottle aging:
3 years
Total SO2:
106

Analytical Data

pH level:
3.4
Acidity:
6.1 g/L
Alcohol:
14.5 %
Dry extract:
32.3 g/L
Total SO2:
106
Residual sugar:
0.5 g/L

About the Vineyard

Vines with an average age of 70 years from the prestigious Rabajà cru.

See Brand →
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
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