Our Piedmont week rolls on! Today also focuses on wines from the comune of Barbaresco - another famed area of the region known for producing world-class Nebbiolo! Indeed, the difference between these and their Barolo counterparts is that the tannin structure is generally less intense in a Barbaresco, and subsequently opens itself up to relatively earlier drinking! Today includes five reds we completely love, like the Produttori del Barbaresco at a terrific price, and other favourite bottles from Giuseppe Cortese, Marchesi di Gresy and Fratelli Barale.
2019 Produttori del Barbaresco - $95 on offer ; $109 RRP
"There is a more pronounced mineral and delicately spiced character to the 2019 Barbaresco, with notes of wet asphalt and kirsch and vibrant purity. It has elegant concentration, with fine coiled tannins in its hints of tea leaves, bergamot, and ripe wild raspberry, and has a more pronounced structure, This is a fantastic expression." - 95 Points, Jeb Dunnuck
2019 Fratelli Barale Barbaresco 'Serraboella' - $105 on offer ; $120 RRP
"The 2019 Barbaresco Serraboella is gracious and nicely lifted. The understated side of Nebbiolo comes through in a mid-weight, ethereal wine that is all class. The 2019 is not a blockbuster, but rather a Barbaresco that is more finesse than power. Sweet tobacco, cedar, mint, dried flowers and herbs lend lovely savory presence." - 92 Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
2019 Giuseppe Cortese Barbaresco Rabaja - $122 on offer ; $140 RRP
"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." - 94 Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
2011 Giuseppe Cortese Barbaresco Rabaja Riserva - $183 on offer ; $210 RRP
"Complex and perfumed, this red invites you in with aromas of rose, strawberry and sun-kissed hay, then keeps you riveted with flavors of tangy berry fruit, tobacco and iron. Harmonious even in its youth, expanding on the long aftertaste. Best from 2020 through 2043." - 96 Points, Wine Spectator
"Red fruits, dried flowers, spice, tobacco, aniseed and camphor chest. Fresh and vibrant, fair chomp of open weave grainy tannin, aniseed laced raspberries and tobacco savouries. Finish brings it home: long and precise. Terrific wine. So good to drink." - 95 Points, Gary Walsh, The Wine Front
2016 Marchesi di Gresy Barbaresco Martinega - $210 on offer ; $240 RRP
"Compared to the 2015 vintage that I tasted at the same time, the 2016 Barbaresco Martinenga is slightly more saturated and concentrated in terms of appearance. This wine shows a dense inner core with dark fruit flavors, tannins and lively acidity that will continue to find integration as the wine moves forward in time. In fact, compared to the 2015 vintage, my bet is this wine will enjoy a much longer bottle evolution. Drink now to 2040." - 95 Points, Robert Parker Wine Advocate
"The 2016 Barbaresco Martinenga is absolutely gorgeous. Pliant and deep, with terrific energy driving the flavors, the Martinenga really shows how compelling the vintage is. Sweet red cherry, rose petal, mint and chalk all lift out of the glass effortlessly. The 2016 is gracious and light on its feet, as all these wines are, yet it has an extra level of dimension that is one of the signatures of the year. The Barbaresco Martinenga is a real overachiever, and in that sense, the wine in this range reader should not miss." - 93 Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
If you wish to purchase any of these wines, please use the links above. Alternatively, email us at sales@thewineemporium.com.au, or contact us on (07)32521117 if you have any questions // Prices valid until Thursday the 6th of July