Giuseppe Cortese Barbaresco Rabaja 2019

WS95: Silky and expressive, delivering cherry, strawberry, rose, white pepper and aniseed aromas and flavors. Ripe and caressing midpalate, turning firmer and taut as this winds down on the lengthy, mineral-tinged finish. Shows fine balance and good potential for aging. Best from 2025 through 2045. 

VM94: The 2019 Barbaresco Rabajà 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. For now, though, the tannins are a bit searing.