A full bodied big wine with a good balance of rich fruit and firm dryness on the finish. A touch of raspberries and even prunes on the palate. (6 x 75 cl)
The Barbaresco Rabaj has good colour, although in characteristic Nebbiolo style is light garnet, rather than the inky depths of Syrah or Cabernet. It is intense but restrained on the nose and its floral, black fruit perfumes are still restrained. Big and powerful on the palate, with classic Nebbiolo tannins supporting the ripe fruit, it has great balance and extremely long length. Since starting to bottle in 1978 Bruno Rocca has risen to the top of the quality tree in Barbaresco. He has 8 hectares of vineyard in Rabaja supplemented by smallholdings in Nieve and Treiso. Stylistically he is a consummate modernist yet the intensity of fruit is balanced by a typical Piemontese structure, and the character of the varietal is balanced by a judicious use of oak. (6 x 75 cl)