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Giuseppe Cortese Barbaresco Riserva Rabaja 2013 750ml

size
750ml
country
Italy
region
Piedmont
appellation
Barbaresco
JS
96
VM
95
WS
95
JD
94
WA
93
W&S
93
WE
93
Additional vintages
JS
96
Rated 96 by James Suckling
Lots of ripe fruit on the nose and palate with dried rose petals and cigar box adding complexity. Full-bodied and rich with depth of fruit and layers of ripe tannins. Smoky finish. Decadent and glorious now. ... More details
Image of bottle
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Giuseppe Cortese Barbaresco Riserva Rabaja 2013 750ml

SKU 878765
Case Only Purchase
Long-term Pre-Arrival
$657.48
/case
$109.58
/750ml bottle
Quantity
min order 6 bottles
* This is a Long-term Pre-arrival item and is available for online ordering only. This item will ship on a future date after a 4-8 months transfer time. For additional details about Pre-arrival Items please visit our FAQ page.
Professional Ratings
JS
96
VM
95
WS
95
JD
94
WA
93
W&S
93
WE
93
JS
96
Rated 96 by James Suckling
Lots of ripe fruit on the nose and palate with dried rose petals and cigar box adding complexity. Full-bodied and rich with depth of fruit and layers of ripe tannins. Smoky finish. Decadent and glorious now.
VM
95
Rated 95 by Vinous Media
The 2013 Barbaresco Rabajà Riserva is a dense, brooding wine endowed with serious depth and intensity, Graphite, smoke, cured meats, spice, leather and licorice give the Riserva its decidedly sombre, virile personality. Readers should be prepared to cellar the 2013 for at least a few years. Today, the 2013 is in an awkward stage where it is mot young, but it is also not mature, and in periods like this, patience is key, as there is not much pleasure to be had. The 2013 won't be released until at least Spring 2020, so there is plenty of time.
WS
95
Rated 95 by Wine Spectator
A sleek, elegant style, with plenty of intensity to its floral, strawberry, currant, mineral and eucalyptus flavors. Still a little reticent on the finish, yet balanced and pure. The fruit becomes more prominent with air, so decant gently now or age a few more years. Best from 2022 through 2038. 500 cases made, 50 cases imported.
JD
94
Rated 94 by Jeb Dunnuck
Sourced from a one-hectare parcel of Rabaja, the 2013 Barbaresco Riserva Rabaja' was aged for 40 months in large Slavonian oak. It reveals vinous aromatics of leather, dried cherry, black truffle, and menthol. The palate is savory with more gripping structure, noted by tart plum, tobacco, and tar. Though I personally find the fresher bottlings more pleasurable, the Riserva offers a more contemplative experience. Drink 2021-2036.
WA
93
Rated 93 by Wine Advocate
The Giuseppe Cortese 2013 Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà has a rich and sweet bouquet with plum and dark cherry. The bouquet reveals ripe black fruit notes that stand in contrast to background notes of sour cherry or cranberry. It's hard to pin down if the wine can be described as overripe or underripe, because it shows signs of both but ultimately remains somewhere in the middle of those two extremes. Give the wine more cellar time to come together. Fruit comes from a one-hectare parcel in this celebrated cru at 270 meters above sea level with calcareous clay soils. The wine sees extended aging with 40 months in large Slavonian oak casks and an additional three years in bottle. Some 6,000 bottles were released at the beginning of this year.
W&S
93
Rated 93 by Wine & Spirits
This wine’s deep cherry and plum flavors derive from the Cortese family’s oldest Rabajà vines, planted in 1953. It is muscular and fresh in this moderate vintage, just beginning to show some savory notes to complement the lingering warm spice.
WE
93
Rated 93 by Wine Enthusiast
Aromas of underbrush, dried mint, hazelnut and prune lead the nose. The full-bodied, classically crafted palate features juicy Marasca cherry, baking spice and tobacco framed in taut, polished tannins while fresh acidity keeps it well balanced. Drink through 2028.
Winery
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.
Product Details
size
750ml
country
Italy
region
Piedmont
appellation
Barbaresco
Additional vintages
Overview
Lots of ripe fruit on the nose and palate with dried rose petals and cigar box adding complexity. Full-bodied and rich with depth of fruit and layers of ripe tannins. Smoky finish. Decadent and glorious now.
green grapes

Varietal: Nebbiolo

Nebbiolo is not necessarily a particularly easy grape to cultivate. Indeed, its very late ripening time often means that yield is very low, and they are also quite susceptible to various diseases and forms of rot. However, in their native Italy and in many other countries around the world, wineries persevere with this varietal due to the fact that few other grapes can produce wines as wonderful, complex and flavorful as those made with the Nebbiolo grape. These grapes offer a beautifully pale red juice, packed full of intense flavors such as truffle, violet and prune, making them a real treat for serious wine drinkers looking for a sensory experience not to be forgotten. They are also renowned for their affinity for aging, which allows their strong tannins to mellow and compliment their stunning flavor.
barrel

Region: Piedmont

The beautiful region of Piedmont in the north west of Italy is responsible for producing many of Europe's finest red wines. Famous appellations such as Barolo and Barbaresco are the envy of wine-makers all over the world, and attract plenty of tourism as a result of their traditional techniques and the stunning setting they lie in. The region has a similar summer climate to nearby French regions such as Bordeaux, but the rest of their year is considerably colder, and far drier as a result of the rain shadow cast by the Alps. The wineries which cover much of Piedmont have, over many generations, mastered how to make the most of the Nebbiolo, Dolcetto and Barbera grapes which thrive here, and nowadays are beginning to experimenting with many imported varietals to increase the region's range and meet international demand.
fields

Country: Italy

For several decades in the mid to late twentieth century, Italy's reputation for quality wines took a fairly serious blow. This was brought about partly due to lack of regulation in certain regions, and too much regulation in others. This led to several wineries in the beautiful and highly fertile region of Tuscany making the bold move to work outside of the law, which they saw as responsible for the drop in quality in Tuscan wines. They believed that they had the expertise and the generations of experience necessary with which to make truly excellent, world class wines, and set about doing just that. These 'Super Tuscans', as they came to be known, quickly inspired the rest of Italy to improve their produce, and now, Italian wine producers in the twenty-first century are widely recognised to be amongst the best in the world. Regulation and law began to change, and wine drinkers across the globe woke up to the outstanding wines coming out of Italy, which are continuing to improve and impress to this day.
Customer Reviews
Customer Reviews

There have been no reviews for this product.

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More Details
green grapes

Varietal: Nebbiolo

Nebbiolo is not necessarily a particularly easy grape to cultivate. Indeed, its very late ripening time often means that yield is very low, and they are also quite susceptible to various diseases and forms of rot. However, in their native Italy and in many other countries around the world, wineries persevere with this varietal due to the fact that few other grapes can produce wines as wonderful, complex and flavorful as those made with the Nebbiolo grape. These grapes offer a beautifully pale red juice, packed full of intense flavors such as truffle, violet and prune, making them a real treat for serious wine drinkers looking for a sensory experience not to be forgotten. They are also renowned for their affinity for aging, which allows their strong tannins to mellow and compliment their stunning flavor.
barrel

Region: Piedmont

The beautiful region of Piedmont in the north west of Italy is responsible for producing many of Europe's finest red wines. Famous appellations such as Barolo and Barbaresco are the envy of wine-makers all over the world, and attract plenty of tourism as a result of their traditional techniques and the stunning setting they lie in. The region has a similar summer climate to nearby French regions such as Bordeaux, but the rest of their year is considerably colder, and far drier as a result of the rain shadow cast by the Alps. The wineries which cover much of Piedmont have, over many generations, mastered how to make the most of the Nebbiolo, Dolcetto and Barbera grapes which thrive here, and nowadays are beginning to experimenting with many imported varietals to increase the region's range and meet international demand.
fields

Country: Italy

For several decades in the mid to late twentieth century, Italy's reputation for quality wines took a fairly serious blow. This was brought about partly due to lack of regulation in certain regions, and too much regulation in others. This led to several wineries in the beautiful and highly fertile region of Tuscany making the bold move to work outside of the law, which they saw as responsible for the drop in quality in Tuscan wines. They believed that they had the expertise and the generations of experience necessary with which to make truly excellent, world class wines, and set about doing just that. These 'Super Tuscans', as they came to be known, quickly inspired the rest of Italy to improve their produce, and now, Italian wine producers in the twenty-first century are widely recognised to be amongst the best in the world. Regulation and law began to change, and wine drinkers across the globe woke up to the outstanding wines coming out of Italy, which are continuing to improve and impress to this day.