Bruno Rocca 2013/ 2014 Barbaresco "Rabaja" Riserva DOCG 750ml

Here is another first for Bruno Rocca: a Riserva expression from the family's most celebrated vineyard site. The 2013 Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà is a phenomenal achievement that flaunts an impeccable degree of focus and precision. We tasted this wine from two bottles, and this review is based on the second sample, which was superior to the first. The results here are articulate and coherent. Aromas of dark fruit, spice, tar and crushed mineral are tied tightly together with strength and harmony. This cooler vintage shows some tightness in terms of the wine's tannic structure, and I'm sure we will feel that tightness for years to come. This is a bottle that needs more time in the cellar.

Score: 96 points -- Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate, 237