Bruno Rocca Barbaresco Rabaja 2018

Bruno Rocca Barbaresco Rabaja has an intense and deep ruby red colour. Discerning notes of raspberries, red cherries, rose and violet florals. The dry and full-bodied palate has ripe tannins and a great structure. Luscious jammy wild blackberry, raspberry and dark cherry flavours with hints of tobacco and vanilla spice.

100% Nebbiolo. The fruit for this wine comes from a vineyard in the Rabajà Cru, in the village of Barbaresco. Solely Nebbiolo vines grow in the vineyard, which was planted in 1964 and completed in 1978. The vineyard has a south-westerly exposure and is a mixture of tufaceous clay, marl and limestone. The vineyard is steep and sits at an altitude of 260–315 metres above sea level. The vines are approximately 50–60 years old.

Hand harvesting and selection of the grapes in the vineyard. Second selection at the sorting table after harvest. The whole clusters go through a gentle pressing with a pneumatic press before undergoing fermentation in 50HL stainless steel tanks for 20–25 days. The wine ages in 225 litre French oak barriques for 12 months, and then ages for another 12 months in 16–20 hectolitre French oak barrels. Finally, the wine spends 12 months in bottle before release.

Ageing potential: Drink now or keep until 2030

AWARDS & ACCOLADES

 - 95 POINTS

 I always look forward to tasting the wines of Bruno Rocca and his family because they are always so expressive of vintage and territory. The 2018 Barbaresco gives us quite a few blanket descriptors that can be applied to the 2018 growing season. The wine is ethereal and delicate with cool-climate freshness, wild berry, fragolino di bosco and rose hip. There is a transparent and honest quality to the fruit that leaves plenty of room for those background tones of crushed limestone or white rock. To the palate, this Barbaresco is extremely fine and polished. About 14,000 bottles were released. — Monica Larner.

- 17.5+ /20

 Pale brick. Intense but lifted nose of leaf mould. Big impact on the nose and really muscular tannins on the palate. A baby! But with great potential.

 - 91 POINTS

 This light-bodied red is highlighted by cherry, strawberry, rose and mint aromas and flavours. Firm and linear, with a spicy, earth-tinged finish. — Bruce Sanderson.