Giuseppe Cortese Barbaresco Rabaja Riserva 2013 (750ML)

96 JS / 95+ VM / 95 WS / 94 JD / 93 WA / 93 DE / 93 WS / 17 JR

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. James Suckling

The 2013 Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà is shaping up to be a jewel of a wine. That is the good news. The less good news is that, unlike the 2011, the 2013 won't be ready to drink anytime soon. Readers should expect a muscular, full-throttle Barbaresco of breadth and pure power. A super-classic wine in the making, the 2013 is captivating, even in the early going. -- Antonio Galloni – Vinous Media

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. - Wine Spectator

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. Audry Frick -JebDunnuck.com

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. - Monica Larner, Wine Advocate

Gabriele Cortese bottles a Riserva only in years he deems ‘classic’– seven to date since 1996. It's assembled from 70-year-old vines within the Rabajà MGA, where the winery is located. After fermentation in cement, it matures in the estate’s oldest Slavonian oak casks, averaging 40 years. Released in 2020, this 2013 starts with the prettiest of aromas that are almost primary in expression: pure raspberry and blackberry notes are surprisingly fresh for such a long-aged wine. Much more backward, the palate is nonetheless equally youthful, particularly in its rigid and seemingly unmovable structure. It will need another couple of years to truly reveal its charms.--Michaela Morris, Decanter

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. - Kerin O’Keefe, Wine Enthusiast

Barbaresco. Just mid ruby with orange tinges. Quite closed and with a touch of sweet oak on the nose. Sweet and a little candied but with plenty of acidity too. Succulent cherry fruit on the finish. Competently made. (WS) Walter Speller – JancisRobinson.com