Giuseppe Cortese Barbaresco Dinner
Cortese live at the top of the vineyard. Yes, perched up there, kings of all they survey. What's more, for a long time the entire production of Barbaresco from the estate cames off this one site. They're the biggest owners with 9 hectares. That's big and I can't overstate this enough, any other producer would give their eye-teeth for a piece of this vineyard and here are the Cortese's with enough to make a Rabaja, a Riserva in great years and to portion off a little of the younger vine gear into a blend with chunk from their other - very fine - Barbaresco vineyard Trifolera.
The great Italian wine writer, Ian d'Agata, describes Rabaja and the Cortese's situation there best when he writes:
Actually, for most people, it’s the single greatest Barbaresco vineyard of all: to put this statement into better perspective for you, consider that if we were to list together all of Barbaresco’s and Barolo’s vineyards together, Rabajà would still make it in the top five. That’s how good it is. And the Giuseppe Cortese estate happens to be the biggest landowner of Rabajà.
Not bad, no wonder they always look happy in the photos!
In terms of winemaking philosophy they keep it pretty simple for all their wines. Rigorous selection followed by spontaneous fermentation in cement (some steel) and reasonable time on skins depending on the wine and the year. In actuality, this runs from 15 through 40 days from DOCg to Riserva. Elevage is all done in large Slavonian oak ala the traditionalist handbook.
The finished wines for me have that wonderful interplay of serious austerity and power couple-up with paradoxical ethereal aromatics and lightness of foot. They are wonderful expressions, holding the variety with such clarity but also allowing the intensity of the site to splice in seamlessly. They are age-worthy for sure as well and while they can be beautiful in their youth, I the main wine (Rabaja) does it's best work ten years into its evolution.
For the more impatient, the Barbaresco is one to grab and drink. The portion of Trifolera fruit gives the wine more pliant accessibility. If Rabaja is a Grand Cru then Trifolera is a premier Cru and don't forget about 30% of this wine is off 35 year-old Rabaja vines.
Suffice to say, this is a great, great producer making wines off arguably Barbaresco's greatest vineyard in one of the region's greatest vintages. I'm not sure what else I need to say.
Cheers
Michael
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Giuseppe Cortese Barbaresco Rabaja 2019"Enticing scents of blue flower, crushed mint, berry and vineyard dust form the nose along with a whiff of new leather. The firmly structured, focused palate shows cherry marinated in spirits, black raspberry and liquorice alongside a backbone of fine-grained tannins. It's well-balanced, with vibrant acidity." 96 Points, Wine Enthusiast
Red and black fruits, dried flowers and mint, a spicy earthiness too, kind of stony and dried leafy. It's medium to full-bodied, ripe and dark, some liquorice richness here, black tea and bergamot, again that stony feel to tannin, pushing towards baked plum, but fresh and spicy on a finish of succulent dark fruit and tea leaf tannin. Has a distinct 'mineral' feel to it, as an afterthought. Wait. 95 Points, GARY WALSH, The Wine Front
The 2019 Barbaresco Rabaja is a powerful, austere wine that is going to need a number of years to come around. I very much like the energy, but readers should not plan on opening a bottle any time soon, as the 2019 is seriously tannic and shut down at the moment. It's a gorgeous Barbaresco that shows the more elegant hand that defines the approach today. ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous
Rabaja is the highest vineyard in Barbaresco at up to 300m on limestone/clay soil. The altitude, coupled with the cooling breeze of the river produces wines which are linear and elegant and encapsulate the elegant nature of Barbaresco. The average age of the vines is 50 years and the wine spends 22 months in Slovanian oak ranging from 1,700 to 2,500L.2019NebbioloItaly457$180.00 As low as $162.00