Barbaresco

wines

(Barbaresco “Asili di Barbaresco” Riserva- Bruno Giacosa) I would never dream of opening one of my bottles of 1996 Asili Riserva from Bruno Giacosa right now, as the wine is still a good decade or two away from really blossoming, but when a friend generously served one, I was very, very happy to check in on the wine and see how it is progressing! The bouquet has started to stir nicely and now offers up a pure and complex blend of cherries, licorice, road tar, a gorgeous base of Asili’s inimitable terroir, red curry, a touch of fennel seed and a gentle topnote of fresh oregano. On the palate the wine is very deep, full-bodied and tangy, with unmistakable profundity in its future. The core here is bottomless, the tannins are ripe and seamlessly integrated, and the focus and grip on the very, very long, perfectly balanced finish are haunting. This has been a legend in the making since it was released, and though it is still at least a dozen years away from really starting to drink with a bit of generosity, its inherent beauty is already very easy to read. Just be patient, as it will probably be a perfect wine when it is truly ready to drink! (Drink between 2030-2100).John Gilman | 98 JGThe utterly perfect, dense ruby/purple-colored 1996 Barbaresco Asili (Red Label Riserva) is a heroic offering brilliantly displaying both power and elegance. The bouquet develops incrementally, offering up aromas of black raspberries, cherries, cigar box, licorice, and leather. The wine impresses with its nuances as well as its extraordinarily rich, dense mid-palate, and a finish that lasts nearly a minute. There is huge tannin, but equally massive concentration, extract, and overall harmony. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2025.Robert Parker | 98 RPGiacosa’s 1996 Barbaresco Riserva Asili is a total stunner. Fresh, perfumed and inviting, the 1996 is a real treat to taste and drink at this adolescent stage in its life. The tannins have now softened, releasing an extraordinary amount of Nebbiolo fireworks that captivate all the senses. The 1996 Asili is still as memorable as it was the first time I tasted it. My only regret is not owning more than a handful of bottles. What a wine!.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGLots of raspberry, mushroom and black cherry, with a hint of vanilla. Full-bodied, with fine tannins and a long, fruity finish. Still a little reserved, but shows lovely fruit. A gorgeous wine. Goes on and on.--1996 Piedmont retrospective. Best after 2008. 1,190 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

Aromas of rose, red berry and eucalyptus mingle with whiffs of exotic spice on the gorgeous, fragrant red. Loaded with finesse and tension, the elegant, structured palate delivers crushed raspberry, white pepper and star anise set against fresh acidity and taut, lithe tannins. It's already compelling, but hold for even more complexity. Drink 2022–2036.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEThis is all about finesse with power. Such great length here with ever so refined tannins and precise strawberry, cedar, dried-rose and mineral character. Medium body. Fresh and vivid finish. Hard not to drink now, but wait until at least 2021.James Suckling | 96 JSI tasted this wine over two sittings, one at the winery and one at my home office a few weeks later. Although I can't claim any extraordinary differences between the two sessions, I noticed a few minimal shifts that are essential to understanding the wine's future aging ability. The 2016 Barbaresco starts off slow at first, showing a small margin of aromatic evolution in the glass. But come back two hours later, and you can almost hear the soft sounds of the symphony playing just below the surface. The 2016 vintage is characterized by the solid intensity and firmness of its aromas, which transcend fruit and veer toward balsamic herb, licorice, tar and smoke instead. The tannins offer a moment of sweetness and softness, before you are aware of their undeniable firmness. In all, there is a certain glossiness or satiny quality to the mouthfeel that underlines the wine's carefully crafted integration. I would describe this as a classic and also a somewhat austere Barbaresco that fully deserves extra cellar time to stretch those tight muscles and grow in volume. This wine will award those who wait.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPGaja'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.Vinous Media | 96 VMThe Gaja family calls 2016 one of the best vintages they have ever experienced, with a long, slow ripening period without heat stress or disease pressure. That balance comes through in this suave, elegant Barbaresco. It smells of soft rose petals and tastes of juicy cherries and spiced raspberries, the flavors gliding along smooth, ripe tannins. With air, the wine picks up energy and depth, moving into a long, vibrant finish.Wine & Spirits | 96 W&SThis gorgeous red evokes rose, strawberry, raspberry and cherry fruit, shaded by tobacco, tar and wild thyme notes. Pure, sleek and intense, with a firm base of tannins and vibrant acidity for support. This should evolve beautifully. Be patient. Best from 2022 through 2043. 1,800 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe 2016 Barbaresco showed beautifully, with a classical yet seductive and sweetly fruited style that's going to evolve gracefully. Medium ruby-hued, with a core of sweet red fruits balanced by classic dried flowers, licorice, asphalt, and medicinal herbs, it hits the palate with medium-bodied richness that carries impress sweet fruit as well as building tannins. Barbaresco doesn't get more classic, and while it has a sunny, sweetly fruited style, it also has ample underlying tannins and structure, so give bottles 4-5 years. It should deliver the goods for two decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDThe nose is poised, displaying very ripe raspberry and black berry aromas. The attack has intensity, partly thanks to its pungent acidity, but there's no rawness and the tannins are ripe. This is taut and structured and needs time. While concentrated, it's not excessively so, and the wine retains its delicacy through the very long finish. Drinking Window 2020 - 2040.Decanter | 93 DEC

Fragrant and loaded with extraordinary finesse, this radiant red offers intense aromas of rose, violet, perfumed berry and camphor. The savory palate boasts flavor, energy and almost ethereal elegance, featuring red cherry, raspberry compote and baking spice alongside taut, polished tannins. It closes on a note of star anise while vibrant acidity keeps it impeccably balanced. It's already enjoyable but will also offer years of fine wining. Drink through 2033.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEAromas of ripe strawberries with hazelnuts, blood oranges and some coconut. Full-bodied with very refined and polished tannins that nicely form this young red wine. Fresh and delicious aftertaste of berry, cedar, bark and dark chocolate. Ever so subtle, yet powerful and driven at the finish. Very long and intense. Very classical style to it and cooler. This is a blend of seven vineyards including the Costa Russi and Sori Tilden. Approachable now, but better after 2025 and onwards.James Suckling | 97 JSThe hallmark of the Gaja estate, the Barbaresco is sourced from 14 vineyards within Barbaresco and Treiso. For the 2018 vintage, there will be no single cru bottlings for Barbaresco, and all of the fruit has gone into the estate bottling. The 2018 Barbaresco is pure and inviting, with perfumed notes of rose petal, ripe raspberry, and clove. Medium-bodied and approachable, with super fine-grained tannins, it offers fresh strawberry, orange pith, and dusty earth. The undeniable elegance of this 2018 is joyful now, though it will be great to revisit over the next 15 years. Drink 2022-2036.Jeb Dunnuck | 96+ JDIn 2018 Gaja did not produce any Sorì. All the grapes of San Lorenzo and Tildin have been used for this Barbaresco instead. 'It was a classic vintage, similar to 1991 or 1993,' said Rossana Gaja, 'however with 14% of alcohol.' It was cool and damp, so don't look for concentration, but the refinement and the freshness of this wine packs a punch. Scents of red berries, fresh violets, orange peel, wet slate and soft chocolate are followed by red fruit flavours. It's medium-bodied, loaded with polished tannins and lit up by racy acidity. More stylish than ageworthy, in my experience classic vintages such as this can give stunning results in the near term. Drinking Window 2021 - 2033.Decanter | 95 DECThe Gaja 2018 Barbaresco is a wine of grace and purpose, with an elegant bouquet and a more powerful palate presence. These recent releases from the venerated house of Gaja are some of the most transparent and honest expressions to be found anywhere in the Langa. Some of the flashiness we saw in the past is today replaced by subtle Nebbiolo nuances and finesse, with crushed flowers, coriander, wild berry, smoke, tar and candied orange peel. This shift in character runs parallel to the slow and careful management transition from an older generation to a younger one. This 2018 vintage comes alive in the mouth, thanks to its balanced acidity and the absolutely bright and pristine quality of fruit delivered with such care.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RPThis red is beautifully defined by the purity of its cherry fruit, accented by floral, strawberry and mint. Juicy and graceful, with a line of moderate tannins on the extended finish. Drink now through 2035. 3,750 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 2018 Barbaresco has really come together nicely since I last tasted it. A super-classic wine, the 2018 offers up soaring aromatics, mid-weight structure and fine balance. Pure, transparent and impeccable in its balance, the 2018 is just sublime today. Time has been so beneficial here. Crushed red berry, spice, mint and rose petal grave this effusive, refined Barbaresco from Gaja. This is the best showing of the 2018 yet, and I say that having tasted a few bottles already.Antonio Galloni | 93 AG

Combining power, intensity, class and great fruit, Produttori’s 2019 Montestefano Riserva is a phenomenal wine and a quintessential expression of this fantastic cru. It opens with heady aromas of new leather, Alpine herb, pressed rose, ripe dark-skinned berry and forest floor. It has the most Barolo-like structure of all the firm’s crus, delivering ripe Morello cherry, succulent raspberry, licorice and tobacco alongside a network of firm tannins that are more reminiscent of Serralunga than Barbaresco. A magnificent wine, with incredible aging potential. Drink 2031–2049. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 99 KOThe 2019 Barbaresco Riserva Montestefano is perhaps the most complete of the 2019 Riservas at this stage. It offers fine depth, plenty of tannin and nascent emerging inner sweetness to tie it all together. A wine of stature and textural depth, the Montestefano is my early favorite in this lineup.Vinous Media | 95 VM