This Week's Must-Try Wines from Vinous
Giuseppe Cortese
Rabajà Barbaresco Nebbiolo 2016
The 2016 Barbaresco Rabajà is fresh, vibrant and pulsing with energy, all signatures of this important Barbaresco vintage. Sweet red cherry, tobacco, smoke, dried herbs and menthol are all wonderfully alive in the glass. This is such an expressive and vivid wine. Layers of aromatic and flavor intensity really come alive with aeration. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, November 2019) — 5 years ago
Francesco Versio
Barbaresco Nebbiolo 2016
The 2016 Barbaresco is fabulous. Rich, ample and inviting, with terrific depth, the 2016 opens up beautifully in the glass. Sweet cherry, licorice, mint, rose petal, spice and new leather flesh out effortlessly. More than anything, though, I admire the wine's persistence and overall balance. The 2016 is the finest Barbaresco I have tasted yet from Francesco Versio. This is such a pretty wine. Compared with previous vintages, the 2016 offers more finesse and a more transparent expression of Nebbiolo than I have seen in the past. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, November 2019) — 5 years ago
Produttori del Barbaresco
Barbaresco Nebbiolo 2016
The 2016 Barbaresco is a stunning wine with tremendous richness for this bottling. Ample, deep and powerful, the 2016 exudes pedigree and class from start to finish. I can't remember a straight Barbaresco here with this much fruit density and unctuous richness, and yet there is more than enough tannin and overall structure to give the wine its classically leaning feel. A blast of sweet red cherry fruit, tobacco, menthol licorice and smoke hits the potent finish. What a wine! (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, November 2019) — 5 years ago
La Ca' Nova
Montestefano Barbaresco Nebbiolo 2016
The 2016 Barbaresco Montestefano is simply magnificent. Bright floral overtones and red/purplish berry fruit give the Montestefano a feeling of focus and explosive energy that is compelling. Hints of mocha, leather, smoke, lavender and a whole range of balsamic inflections open up in the glass, revealing a Barbaresco of power, structure and complexity. Ample in feel and yet wonderfully vibrant, the Montestefano is wonderfully complete. It is also one of the very best wines I have ever tasted from La Ca' Nova. The Montestefano is a bit more showy today than the Montefico, but both wines are remarkable. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, November 2019) — 5 years ago
Cascina delle Rose
Tre Stelle Barbaresco Nebbiolo 2016
The 2016 Barbaresco Tre Stelle is dark, dense and quite powerful, with real textural resonance and tons of nuance. A rich, potent wine, this is also the best Tre Stelle Barbaresco I have tasted from Cascina delle Rose since the debut of this wine, with the 2006 vintage. Deep, creamy and ample, the 2016 will drink well with just a few years in bottle. I expect it will always remain virile in feel. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, November 2019) — 5 years ago
Moccagatta
Basarin Barbaresco Nebbiolo 2016
Black cherry, spice, leather, cedar and menthol infuse the 2016 Barbaresco Basarin with striking aromatic complexity. Powerful and resonant, with terrific depth, the 2016 has so much to offer. Today, a hint of reduction lingers, but otherwise, the Basarin is very pretty and expressive. The 2016 finishes with real cut and an array of floral notes that add perfume and brightness. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, November 2019) — 5 years ago
La Ca' Nova
Vigne Bric Mentina Montefico Barbaresco Nebbiolo 2016
The 2016 Barbaresco Montefico Vigna Bric Mentina is dark, dense, powerful and super expressive. Black cherry, mocha, leather, licorice and menthol are some of the many notes that take shape in a Barbaresco that is bursting with energy. Chalk, orange peel, dried flowers and mint add layers of nuance as the wine opens up in the glass. This brooding, potent Barbaresco needs time to be at its best, but it is clearly a great wine in the making. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, November 2019) — 5 years ago
Gaja
Barbaresco Nebbiolo 2016
Gaja's 2016 Barbaresco is positively stellar. A wine of poise and grace, the 2016 has so much to offer. Expressive spice and floral notes open up first, but what really stands out is the wine's nuance and delineation. There is a sense of translucency to the 2016 that is impossible to miss. Sweet red cherry, mint, cinnamon and rose petal develop in the glass, adding further shades of nuance. Quite simply, the 2016 is one of the very finest Gaja Barbarescos in recent memory. This is such a gorgeous wine. Don't miss it. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, November 2019) — 5 years ago
Albino Rocca
Barbaresco Nebbiolo 2016
The 2016 Barbaresco is a gorgeous entry-level wine in this range. Dark and fleshy, the 2016 offers terrific depth as well as plenty of character, which is great to see in its peer group. Black cherry, plum, mocha, leather, spice and licorice all meld together. One of the more open wines in the range, the Barbaresco will also give readers an idea of what to expect. This is an absolutely delicious wine in its peer group and price range. The straight Barbaresco is a blend from Meruzzano and young vine fruit from Ronchi. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, November 2019) — 5 years ago
Delectable Wine
Follow to learn about our favorite wines & people.
The 2016 Barbaresco Fausoni is another superb wine in this lineup of 2016 Barbarescos from the Sottimano family. Bright floral and citrus overtones give the 2016 a vibrant, chiseled feel. Sweet red/purplish berry fruit, blood orange, spice, menthol rose petal and lavender are some of the many notes that flesh out in this super-expressive, mid-weight Barbaresco from Sottimano. Aromatically lifted, dense on the palate and also very structured, the 2016 is a very complete Fausoni. The 2016 finishes with tremendous persistence and a classic sense of austerity that is compelling. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, November 2019) — 5 years ago