Giuseppe Cortese Barbaresco Rabaja 2018
SKU
GIRA201810 UCAU
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The Giuseppe Cortese Rabaja 2018 is a wine of exceptional quality, expressive flavors, age-worthiness, and food pairing versatility make it a worthwhile investment for wine enthusiasts and collectors.
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Captivating bouquet of red berries, dried flowers, spices, and hints of licorice.
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On the palate, it offers layers of flavors, including ripe cherries, blackberries, truffles, and tobacco, with well-integrated tannins and a long, elegant finish.
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1 or more bottles$125.00
Editors notes
Giuseppe Cortese Rabaja 2018 is an exceptional wine that deserves to be experienced by any wine enthusiast or connoisseur.
The 2018 vintage is known for its exceptional quality, and this wine showcases the best characteristics of the Rabaja vineyard. It is made from Nebbiolo grapes, which are known for their ability to produce highly aromatic and complex wines. You can expect a captivating bouquet of red berries, dried flowers, spices, and hints of licorice. On the palate, it offers layers of flavors, including ripe cherries, blackberries, truffles, and tobacco, with well-integrated tannins and a long, elegant finish. Each sip is a journey of discovery.
Its excellent structure and balance ensure that it will continue to evolve and improve with age. By investing in this wine, you are giving yourself the opportunity to witness its development over time, as it gains complexity and depth.
Details
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Wine Type
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Vintage
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Variety
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Brand
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Location
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Cellaring
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Closure
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Alcohol Percentage
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Oak Type
Tasting Profile
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Light (Light)Full (Full)
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Low Tannin (Low Tannin)Tannic (Tannic)
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Sweet (Sweet)Dry (Dry)
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Low Acidity (Low Acidity)High Acidity (High Acidity)
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Aroma
- Earthy
- Flowers
- Red Fruits
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Palate
- Cherry
- Plum
- Violet
Food Pairings
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Red Meat
Critic Scores & reviews
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Wine Enthusiast
96"Fragrant and loaded with finesse, this stunner opens with enticing scents of rose, violet, perfumed berry and camphor. Smooth and extremely elegant, the vibrant, savory palate features juicy red cherry, blood orange and crushed raspberry while star anise and mineral notes suggesting rusty nail—and that's a good thing—add depth. Bright acidity and lithe tannins lend balance and seamless support. It's all about elegance and energy."
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Raffaele Vecchione
94"Elegant and with an unmistakable terse and direct nature, it shows notes of hibiscus, calendula, lemon flowers, grapefruit juice, dehydrated cherries, lavender and rosemary. Medium-full body, soft and enveloping tannins that give an exciting sip and a graceful and noble finish that shows everyone what Rabajà is made of."
Other vintages
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Locations
Italy
Italy has some of the oldest wine production methods in the world and almost every part of the country is planted under vine. From the Alps in the north to the very southernmost parts of Sicily where Africa is almost in sight, wine is successfully cultivated. In addition to the latitude covered, Italy's many mountains and hills provide a plethora of altitudes for grape growing in various soils and micro-climates. The extensive coastlines along the peninsula that is Italy provide maritime climates for the coastal wine-growing areas. Over 350 grape varieties are 'authorised' in Italy, though up to 550 varieties are thought to be grown.
The classification system of Italian wines has four classes, with the intention of defining a wine's origin a quality. Two of these classes are table wines, whilst DOC and DOCG fall under the EU quality wine produced in a specific region category. Vino da Tavola (VDT) means that the wine comes from Italy. Most of these wines are generally basic table wines that are consumed domestically. Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) denotes a more specific region within Italy, and the resultant will be of higher quality than simple table wines, but won't conform to the rules required for higher certification. Both Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) and Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) are regionally more specific than IGT, and have stricter rules regarding the grape varieties grown, yields per hectare, minimum alcohol levels and so on. The major difference between DOC and DOCG is that the latter has to undergo a blind-tasting session to ensure the highest quality is achieved. Italy has 32 DOCG appelations, 311 DOC appelations and 120 IGT zones.
Key regions include Piedmont, Tuscany, Abruzzo, Veneto, Sicily and Sardinia. Common white varieties grown are Pinot Grigio, Arneis, Vermentino, Verdicchio, Fiano and Moscato. The red varieties grown the most are Sangiovese, Barbera, Dolcetto, Nebbiolo, Montepulciano, Primitivo, Nero d'Avola and Corvina.
Piedmont
Piedmont (Piemonte in Italian) is probably the finest wine region in all of Italy, and has laid claim to this since Roman times. It has a continental climate influenced by the surrounding Alps and Ligurian Apennines, and is located in the north-west of Italy, bordering both France and Switzerland.
Piedmont has only 1% of the total vineyards of Bordeaux and 15% that of Burgundy. So while a top Chateaux may produce upwards of 35,000 cases a year, leading Barolo producers will often make only 800 cases. More than half of its vineyards are registered with DOC designations and many are in the Apennine or Alpine foothills, from 300-600m above sea level. Most of the wines are produced by smaller family estates rather than larger holdings.
Piedmont has 46 different DOC and four DOCG regions, and produces the largest number of well known, world-recognized, prize-winning wines. The most famous would have to be Barolo or Barbaresco, whose power comes from the Nebbiolo grape variety. The most widely planted red variety is Barbera although Dolcetto, Muscat, Shiraz and Bonarda are also produced.
The white variety most well known is Moscato, which is often made into frizzante (bubbly) wines known as Asti. Cortese is made into the popular Gavi wines, and smaller amounts of Chardonnay and high quality Sparkling are also produced in the far north of Piedmont.
Barolo
Situated in the picturesque rolling hills of Piedmont, Italy, just south of the historic town of Alba, lies the renowned appellation of 'Barolo'. Steeped in tradition and history, this now DOCG status region is widely regarded as one of Italy's finest wine-producing areas, thanks to its production of exceptional red wines made from 100% Nebbiolo grapes.
Barolo wines are famed for their complex flavor profiles, firm tannins, and beguiling aromas, earning them the coveted title of ‘the King of Wines’ for centuries. While the DOCG defines winemaking practices, there are two distinct styles that winemakers tend to prefer - a traditional style and a modern style.
The region boasts two primary soil types - the sandy Tortonian marl, which tends to produce softer wines with a more delicate character, and the Helvetian sandstone clay, which typically gives rise to more robust, powerful wines. The continental climate of the area, characterized by a long summer and late autumn, provides an ideal environment for growing the fickle Nebbiolo grape to perfect ripeness, resulting in wines of unparalleled quality and character.
The winemaking history of Barolo can be traced back centuries, and the region's unique terroir, combined with the expertise of its winemakers, has resulted in the creation of some of Italy's most sought-after and collectible wines. Barolo wines are a perfect pairing with rich, hearty dishes, particularly those featuring truffles or wild game, and are a must-try for any serious wine lover.
In addition to producing world-class Barolo wines, the region is also renowned for its production of other fine wines, including Barbaresco, Dolcetto, and Barbera, all of which showcase the unique character and terroir of this remarkable wine-growing region. Whether you're a wine enthusiast or simply looking to explore one of Italy's most captivating regions, Barolo is an unforgettable destination that is sure to delight and inspire.
About the brand Giuseppe Cortese
A native of Barbaresco, Giuseppe Cortese began a lifelong passion for winemaking by working with his father Giacomo in the family business. Before running his own winery, Giuseppe Cortese served as cellar master and vineyard manager for some of Piedmont’s most prestigious wineries. During this time, he gained invaluable knowledge of the Nebbiolo grape and learned how to maximize its potential in and around the Barbaresco area.
After several years of experience, he realized the future of high-quality Barbaresco wines was in developing the potential of the terroir. With this in mind, Giuseppe began re-orienting the family’s wine business and remodeling the winery, improving winemaking techniques, and purchasing new land, in particular in the famous Rabajà site, one of the best vineyards in the Barbaresco area.
Today, Cortese is the typical small, family owned winery, which is run by Giuseppe’s children: Pier Carlo, in charge of winemaking, and Tiziana, who plays an active roles in the commercial aspects and public relations. Giuseppe’s son-in-law Gabriele has also joined them in the family business.
Attentive, rigorous care of the estate’s vineyards, strict selection of the best clusters, a traditional approach to winemaking and a gentle hand with modern techniques are the ingredients that define the unmistakable personality and unique identity of Cortese’s wines. All this attention to detail yields wines of incredible depth and balance, with a finesse that rewards the patient consumer.
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