Another excellent bottle of this. I had a little bit of bad luck with some oxidized 2001s Produttori, but the 2004 are really beautiful and in a great place now. This is deep, layered and pretty complex, it has the signature slight austerity to it, but also beautiful notes of red and darker fruit, menthol, anise seeds, crushed violets, tar, some graphite, also some notes of cedar and pine. It‘s medium-full bodied, with medium+ tannin that is present, but beautifully integrated, there is nice medium-high acidity and very good length. A total beauty. I can‘t believe these wines were available by the case for $34 until a few years ago. There are still excellent value for top-notch Nebbiolo, but the secret is out. Probably my best Rabaja 2004 yet.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The fruit is sourced from the Rabajà vineyard. Released only after a minimum of four years of aging. Bottle #6663 of total 8840 bottles. Lot number L8.150. 14% alcohol.
Luminous and somewhat translucent garnet color. The nose feels open and fragrant but also quite dry and savory with expressive aromas of brambly black raspberries and black cherries, some tobacco, a little bit of wild strawberry, light floral notes of violets, a hint of tar, a sweeter touch of dark plummy fruit and a whiff of dusty old wood. The wine feels juicy, silky and relatively light on its feet with a medium body and precise but a bit restrained flavors of sour cherries and crunchy cranberries, some wild strawberries, a little bit of ferrous blood, light tart notes of fresh red plums, a hint of tar and a touch of licorice root. The wine shows good sense of substance without any excess weight. The structure relies more on the high acidity, although the moderately grippy medium-plus tannins do add quite a bit to the wine's firmness. The finish is dry, long and somewhat grippy with a savory aftertaste of tart lingonberries and sour cherries, some gravelly mineral notes, a little bit of tobacco, light licorice root tones, a hint of fresh red plum and a touch of brambly black raspberry.
A tasty, attractive and harmonious PdB Riserva. Feels both a bit lighter and slightly more reticent than the 2004 Montestefano that was tasted alongside, but otherwise feeling very similar in style. Just as 2004 Montestefano, also this Rabajà feels still super youthful with very little sense of evolution - even if the wine is almost 20 years old! Structurally the wine doesn't seem to call for much aging, as the rather tannins come across as pretty supple and approachable, not too tough and gritty; however, aromatically, the wine could really benefit from additional cellar time. I would happily leave the wine to age for another 10 to 15 years, just to get the wine develop some additional tertiary complexity. All in all, a fine wine; expect the score to go up as the wine ages.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Healthy ruby color with just some bricking towards the rim. First a little reticent, but opening up nicely in the glass. Elegant, pure and pretty complex, this is showing notes of red berries, also some darker fruit, some graphite, tar, some flowery notes (rose petals and violets), some menthol, anise. It‘s medium-full bodied, with very good persistence, it‘s still showing medium-high tannin that is present but good quality. Medium-high acidity adding freshness and overall balance. Pretty long finish. Very classic Rabaja that is drinking beautifully but will have many more years ahead.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
These wines are extremely variable, but this is a real hit. Decanted about 90 minutes. A bit orange rim. The dominant theme on the nose is tobacco, with some wet forest ground and roses. Elegant and precise in the mouth, with none of the roughness Nebbiolo wines can show even into their third decade. Really an outstanding wine, and one of the few such from Produttori's Crus that I have owned.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasted double blind from a small bottle. This was part of a flight of 3 wines, numbered 1-3 where we knew that the vineyards were all within the same designation and within walking distance from one another and lined up with #3 the westernmost. Also knew that 2 of the wines were from the same producer. This was #2.
Dark, menthol, tar, a little rotting leaves, licorice. Bitter and dark on palate, licorice and tar. Bitter finish. For me it was hard to tell if this went with #3 or #1, but others did figure that out easily and in retrospect I should have as well. Some liked this better than the Asili - to me the Asili was vastly superior. This strikes me as bitter and a little cabbagey. Finish is now showing some oomph and promise. I tracked these later in the night and the wine didn't change that much or approach the Asili. This was a disappointing bottle for me and did not have much at all of the distinctive Rabaja sweet cherry-mint-balsamico perfume I love so much. Nose - 4.5-5/6, Palate - 4.5-5/6, Finish - 5-5.5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1-1.5/2 = 15-16.5/20.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted 2 hours in advance. It needed 3 or 4. The nose was quite muted. The wine was tasty. I bet the second half of this is better tomorrow. Tart, cherry, a bit of forest floor, but not much. Went well with a mushroom tagliatelle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted 3 hrs. While I wouldn’t quite call it a slump, but I have had a run of either good or slightly below good bottles of PdB Riservas over the last year or so. Streak broken, this was terrific. Incredibly generous presentation of dark plums and violets, an irresistible combo for my palate. Sweet tannins are lurking beneath the surface, but they are clearly present. Sound acidity doesn’t get in the way, but lends just the right amount of supporting structural chemistry. With the chatter of when to drink these (Aldo Vacca stating he thinks on the younger side) here is a perfect candidate to drink now or cellar for another 20 years. Excellent.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Ruby with watery rim. Aromatically reticent, but fairly smooth with some fruit in the mouth. Moderate length. Absolutely disappointing, but very much in line with the extremely variable showing of the Crus from this producer: From excellent to highly disappointing. Are the corks they are, or have been, using up to it?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Persistent fruit and length. High-toned, floral notes - violets and rose. Black and red fruits. Upon opening, there was very noticeable tannins and so I decided to drink this over 4 days. By the 4th, the tannins had receded somewhat but the structure seems to suggest that this can age for minimally a couple more decades. Drink 2030-2040.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Brick color. Nose restrained, perhaps slightly seaweedy. Right out of the bottle, mostly acidic on the tongue. Perhaps it needs to warm up? After about an hour in the decanter, it started to open up a bit. Elegant with a sense of balance, yet I found it somewhat hard to pin down, perhaps due to my inexperience with "teenage" Barbaresco. Nonetheless a nice pairing with pasta with parmesian and truffles.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The 2004 Produttori Riservas: Asili wins by a nose (Magnum Society, Wellington, New Zealand): Served single blind, I had this wine as likely the Rabajà, rather than the Asili. Fairly deep, primary ruby colour. Musky, spicy plums, raspberries and red cherries on the nose. Intensely red fruited. On palate, plenty of gorgeous, bright, ripe red and black berry fruit, more than for the Asili, beside it. Touches of savoury evolution. Notes of black truffles, balsamic vinegar and dry herbs. However, drinking younger and less evolved than the Asili. More concentration, structure and power than the Asili. Approachable now but it will, I expect, reward additional cellar time (say 3-5 years). My WoTN but the group preferred the Asili.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Better with some air. Clearly Barbaresco, rather than Barolo, which I prefer but...sooner or later the world is going to realize Brunello is the better play.Good typicity for the grape, buy lacks the complexity to be scored higher.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Open for 3 hours, then placed in a decanter for an hour before pouring. Maturing clear light ruby color. Oh, what a regal, gorgeous set of aromas-citrus, anise, red fruit, and tobacco. Beautifully poised middle weight as well with some real sappiness. Perfectly ripe fruit on the attack and lots of savory elements in the mid-palate, but then it becomes leaner and shows significant back end tannic structure which still needs to be resolved. Outstanding now without question, but another 5-10 years of improvement seems to be in the cards.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Fabulous bottle! Immediately open for business, aromatically complex and very precise. The palate is mid-weight with excellent freshness, delicious fruit, fine-caliber tannins, and mineral sensations. All components are in balance and integrated seamlessly into each other, leading to a sustained finish. Really elegant and loveable wine in the stage of early maturity.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Magisk. Svak lukt, litt kunstig først, så kommer det mild trøffel, roser og rognebær. Nydelig balansert smak med rognebær og flott spenstig syre Dagen derpå: deilig kaffe ,nype, knall syre og spenst. Klarer lamme rygg uten problem
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
First slightly closed, but opening up with some air. Very nice notes of sweet pure red berries, red cherries, some tobacco, mint, herbs... pretty complex. It‘s medium-full bodied, very classic in style, with medium-high tannin that is very good quality and medium-high acidity. Excellent length. Probably the best 2004 Rabaja I have had so far... I will try to keep my remaining bottles for a few years more...
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Paitin Vertikale - Vecchie Vigne (Zurich): Parallel zum 2004 Vecchie Vigne von Paitin. Auch sehr bombig und druckvoll. Grossartige Nase, noch besser am Gaumen. Sehr breitschultrig und sehr 2004.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Ruby. Gorgeous, slowly evolving Nebbiolo aromatics including tobacco, faded red fruit, sous bois, and green herbs. Medium to lighter weight with great palate presence for its modest body. Complex and detailed due to its well etched acidity. Only given an hour's decant, and it seemed to just be getting started at the 3 hour mark of being open. More and more soil as it went. While some were more taken with the opulence and power of a Rinaldi we drank next to this, I really valued the delicacy and subtlety of this wine. Should drink beautifully over the next 15 years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A fine Rabaja out of magnum from the Produttori. Early maturity, especially with a long decant. Dark fruited and long. The balsamic notes really stood out to me. Bit of infanticide considering what 5-10 years will do to this.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Truffle Dinner at the Papies (The Papies, Elizabeth St, London): Opened and left to rest for an hour or so. Wine felt open and did not need decanting and we feared doing so my risk oxidation. Well round, nice cherry feel, well round and silky. Definitely benefited from the 2004 vintage and has a juicy, supple feel but in no way overripe. Very very good and feels at peak now. 92
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened the day before. Opened up significantly on day 2. Beautiful aromatics of dark cherries, violets, menthol, tobacco, cedar wood, plum, licorice and tar. It's medium-full bodied with medium-high acidity and still medium-high tannin but it's starting to soften a little. Very good length. A powerful but also aromatic Rabaja. It's starting to drink well with some air.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Light effervescent ruby with hints of bricking, stingy nose with hints of black tea, brooding red fruit, earth, stewed cherries and mocha, grip and teethy on the attack with layered sweet red fruit, round tannins and tangy acidity, finishes long with bright red cherry, black cherry, black tea and more
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Light ruby-red with some amber at the rim. Expressive aromas of cherry with some hints still of rozees and some dark chocolate and sweet tobacco. Full bodied on the palate with silky smooth mouth coating tannins, sweet fruit and balanced fresh acidity. The finish is very long and keeps on lingering for minutes.
This wine is in great shape right now. It will probably last for quite some time but I don't think it will improve a lot. Drink now - 2024.
This is probably the best vintage and cru of the Produttori del Barbaresco I have ever had. Even better than the 2001 Montestefano as I rember it.
A remarkable quality level at this price point and defeating all preconceptions one might have about cooperatives and quality!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Checking in on the Produttori 2004 Riservas; 10/16/2016-11/7/2016: Relatively pale red, showing a bit of evolution, but bright. Really leaps from the glass. Bold and brooding, with a dark flavour profile, but at the same time decadently sensual. Ethereal but intense in the mouth. Really mouth-filling. Long. Layered. Quite elevated acidity. A bit disjointed after some time in the glass. All the components are here but I think it needs a bit more time to fully mesh together. 91 for now, but with up side.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Well hasn't this just come along in the last 2 years! The wine has relaxed and loosened out and opened out in both texture and appearance - you can now at least make out the components that were previously lurking under a hard-as-nails tannic structure. The colour? Clear as a bell but showing some evolution and then a whack of all that cherry goodness with some mint, chocolate and tannins so fine they could have been passed through a silk stocking. Just just just creeping into a drinkable state. Gotta get me some more!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Some Terrific Older Piemonte Reds to Finish the Year; 12/19/2015-12/31/2015 (San Francisco): Light ruby, tawny rim. Just beautiful, evolving aromatics over the 3 hours in the decanter-strawberry and cherry, a touch of herbs, rising tobacco and ground coffee. Medium bodied but powerful in Barbaresco terms. Completely fresh red fruit, crisp acidity, complementary minerality. This was a wonderful bottle that should effortlessly age for another 10 to 15 years-just exiting its primary phase of life.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Seems a lot of 04 Piedmont wines have been posted lately, so I thought I would get into the fun. Decanted 4 hrs. The nose initially carried a slight oxidative trait that while not displeasing, but seemed very much out of place. Fortunately this blew off to reveal some subtle rose and wood spice notes. Very dark and extracted and had the palate weight of a Barolo. The wine is accessible, sure, but it’s still very primary in its delivery of dark cherry fruits. The firm and masculine tannic structure actually eclipses the acidity, but this should resolve itself in due course. Very respectable finish. All in all a good / solid wine today, could be great with age, an interesting experience nonetheless at age 10.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Neither as closed, nor as tannic as previous notes say. Straight out of the bottle, without decanting beforehand, the nose is spicy and savoury - classic rather than fruity. The taste is perfectly dry, more elegant than powerful, with fine, moderate tannins and lovely freshness/grip on the finish, thanks to the obvious minerality and some mentholated notes. Drinks well now, should keep and develop for many years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I'm such a nobhead sometimes - I opened this by mistake instead of the standard Barbaresco. Tight tight tight to the point that the terroir is masked behind the tannins and firm fruit. This wine probably has a half life of 80billion years so probably worth leaving for a few more decades.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened 1.5 hours ago. Medium garnet color with some brick towards the rim. First slightly muted, opens up in the glass. Pretty nose of dark cherries, violets, menthol, some anise, cumin and tar. On the palate there are notes of flowers again, sweet spices, minerals (tar) and some dried fruit. It's medium-full bodied with medium-high tannin and medium+ acidity. Good length. It's still a little young at the moment but opens up with some air. The tannins are still firm, but very good quality. I will give my other bottles 2-3 more years before trying again. A very pretty Barbaresco and it also resembles a very good Barolo with its pretty massive frame.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This one needs a bit of time to unfurl and is primarily about latent potential right now, but the the ingredients are here for a brilliant wine. 4 hours in a decanter loosens up some sandalwood and cherry elements with some almost Bordeaux like oats and spices. Some sweetness coming through, the terroir is starting to express itself. Beguiling and shifting. I'd be inclined to leave them a few more years to let the structure back down a touch.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Initially completely closed, after 5 hours of slow-ox it showed a great Barbaresco that is still very young.
Medium ruby color, definetly not dark. Lovely aromas of cherry, roze petals and some earthy notes and a hint of boxwood. Following trough full bodied with chewy-smooth tannins and fresh acidity. The finish keeps on lingering and evolves with fruit and spices. This wine has a long life ahead with some upside potential. Drink now - 2024.
This wine was a great match with the poached egg on taliatelle with truffle. And its earthyness complimented the risotto al fungi porcini as well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nice aromas of tar, cherry, red fruit. Well structured with medium tannins and good acid backbone. Although it can be drunk now and enjoyed with food, this should develop nicely over the long haul.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Outstanding juice but nowhere near ready. Deep crimson red - very dark for nebbiolo. A nose that bursts from the glass from the first pour with very intense aromatics. Dark, brooding and masculine in style. The fruit is initially masked by tar and engine oil but after a while a raspberries peak out. Absolutely superb nose. Incredibly intense on the palate, massively tannic and very acidic with a very good concentration of fruit underneath, great texture and mouthfeel but it remains a chore to fully enjoy this unpolished gem due to the dominating structural elements. Atertaste that goes on forever. Budged a little on day 2 where it was easier to appreciate the qualities of the wine but I would definitely keep my hands off for 5 years+.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Young. (duh) It took several hours for this to open up and start showing some aromatics and even then things were pretty much wrapped tight with glimpses of violets, spice, cherries, and dark herbs. The star here is the superb texture, balance and length of the palate. The acidity in particular is refreshing but somehow caressing and long. The rest of my bottles will sleep for a long time.
1/26/2024 - popopdrops Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dekantert. Herlig nese og munn fra første glass. Også dag 2, dette er helt i balanse og en fryd for sansene.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/24/2023 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 95 Points
Another excellent bottle of this. I had a little bit of bad luck with some oxidized 2001s Produttori, but the 2004 are really beautiful and in a great place now. This is deep, layered and pretty complex, it has the signature slight austerity to it, but also beautiful notes of red and darker fruit, menthol, anise seeds, crushed violets, tar, some graphite, also some notes of cedar and pine. It‘s medium-full bodied, with medium+ tannin that is present, but beautifully integrated, there is nice medium-high acidity and very good length. A total beauty. I can‘t believe these wines were available by the case for $34 until a few years ago. There are still excellent value for top-notch Nebbiolo, but the secret is out. Probably my best Rabaja 2004 yet.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/25/2023 - forceberry wrote: 92 Points
The fruit is sourced from the Rabajà vineyard. Released only after a minimum of four years of aging. Bottle #6663 of total 8840 bottles. Lot number L8.150. 14% alcohol.
Luminous and somewhat translucent garnet color. The nose feels open and fragrant but also quite dry and savory with expressive aromas of brambly black raspberries and black cherries, some tobacco, a little bit of wild strawberry, light floral notes of violets, a hint of tar, a sweeter touch of dark plummy fruit and a whiff of dusty old wood. The wine feels juicy, silky and relatively light on its feet with a medium body and precise but a bit restrained flavors of sour cherries and crunchy cranberries, some wild strawberries, a little bit of ferrous blood, light tart notes of fresh red plums, a hint of tar and a touch of licorice root. The wine shows good sense of substance without any excess weight. The structure relies more on the high acidity, although the moderately grippy medium-plus tannins do add quite a bit to the wine's firmness. The finish is dry, long and somewhat grippy with a savory aftertaste of tart lingonberries and sour cherries, some gravelly mineral notes, a little bit of tobacco, light licorice root tones, a hint of fresh red plum and a touch of brambly black raspberry.
A tasty, attractive and harmonious PdB Riserva. Feels both a bit lighter and slightly more reticent than the 2004 Montestefano that was tasted alongside, but otherwise feeling very similar in style. Just as 2004 Montestefano, also this Rabajà feels still super youthful with very little sense of evolution - even if the wine is almost 20 years old! Structurally the wine doesn't seem to call for much aging, as the rather tannins come across as pretty supple and approachable, not too tough and gritty; however, aromatically, the wine could really benefit from additional cellar time. I would happily leave the wine to age for another 10 to 15 years, just to get the wine develop some additional tertiary complexity. All in all, a fine wine; expect the score to go up as the wine ages.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/11/2022 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 94 Points
Healthy ruby color with just some bricking towards the rim. First a little reticent, but opening up nicely in the glass. Elegant, pure and pretty complex, this is showing notes of red berries, also some darker fruit, some graphite, tar, some flowery notes (rose petals and violets), some menthol, anise. It‘s medium-full bodied, with very good persistence, it‘s still showing medium-high tannin that is present but good quality. Medium-high acidity adding freshness and overall balance. Pretty long finish. Very classic Rabaja that is drinking beautifully but will have many more years ahead.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/21/2022 - olemski wrote: 91 Points
These wines are extremely variable, but this is a real hit. Decanted about 90 minutes. A bit orange rim. The dominant theme on the nose is tobacco, with some wet forest ground and roses. Elegant and precise in the mouth, with none of the roughness Nebbiolo wines can show even into their third decade. Really an outstanding wine, and one of the few such from Produttori's Crus that I have owned.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/23/2021 - Seth Rosenberg wrote: 91 Points
Tasted double blind from a small bottle. This was part of a flight of 3 wines, numbered 1-3 where we knew that the vineyards were all within the same designation and within walking distance from one another and lined up with #3 the westernmost. Also knew that 2 of the wines were from the same producer. This was #2.
Dark, menthol, tar, a little rotting leaves, licorice. Bitter and dark on palate, licorice and tar. Bitter finish. For me it was hard to tell if this went with #3 or #1, but others did figure that out easily and in retrospect I should have as well. Some liked this better than the Asili - to me the Asili was vastly superior. This strikes me as bitter and a little cabbagey. Finish is now showing some oomph and promise. I tracked these later in the night and the wine didn't change that much or approach the Asili. This was a disappointing bottle for me and did not have much at all of the distinctive Rabaja sweet cherry-mint-balsamico perfume I love so much. Nose - 4.5-5/6, Palate - 4.5-5/6, Finish - 5-5.5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1-1.5/2 = 15-16.5/20.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/13/2021 - winemaker Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted 2 hours in advance. It needed 3 or 4. The nose was quite muted. The wine was tasty. I bet the second half of this is better tomorrow. Tart, cherry, a bit of forest floor, but not much. Went well with a mushroom tagliatelle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/30/2021 - Dale M wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 3 hrs. While I wouldn’t quite call it a slump, but I have had a run of either good or slightly below good bottles of PdB Riservas over the last year or so. Streak broken, this was terrific. Incredibly generous presentation of dark plums and violets, an irresistible combo for my palate. Sweet tannins are lurking beneath the surface, but they are clearly present. Sound acidity doesn’t get in the way, but lends just the right amount of supporting structural chemistry. With the chatter of when to drink these (Aldo Vacca stating he thinks on the younger side) here is a perfect candidate to drink now or cellar for another 20 years. Excellent.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2020 - olemski wrote: 87 Points
Ruby with watery rim. Aromatically reticent, but fairly smooth with some fruit in the mouth. Moderate length. Absolutely disappointing, but very much in line with the extremely variable showing of the Crus from this producer: From excellent to highly disappointing. Are the corks they are, or have been, using up to it?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/15/2020 - asparagus Likes this wine: 93 Points
Persistent fruit and length. High-toned, floral notes - violets and rose. Black and red fruits. Upon opening, there was very noticeable tannins and so I decided to drink this over 4 days. By the 4th, the tannins had receded somewhat but the structure seems to suggest that this can age for minimally a couple more decades. Drink 2030-2040.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/21/2020 - dhwesley wrote:
Brick color. Nose restrained, perhaps slightly seaweedy. Right out of the bottle, mostly acidic on the tongue. Perhaps it needs to warm up? After about an hour in the decanter, it started to open up a bit. Elegant with a sense of balance, yet I found it somewhat hard to pin down, perhaps due to my inexperience with "teenage" Barbaresco. Nonetheless a nice pairing with pasta with parmesian and truffles.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/28/2020 - HowardNZ Likes this wine:
The 2004 Produttori Riservas: Asili wins by a nose (Magnum Society, Wellington, New Zealand): Served single blind, I had this wine as likely the Rabajà, rather than the Asili. Fairly deep, primary ruby colour. Musky, spicy plums, raspberries and red cherries on the nose. Intensely red fruited. On palate, plenty of gorgeous, bright, ripe red and black berry fruit, more than for the Asili, beside it. Touches of savoury evolution. Notes of black truffles, balsamic vinegar and dry herbs. However, drinking younger and less evolved than the Asili. More concentration, structure and power than the Asili. Approachable now but it will, I expect, reward additional cellar time (say 3-5 years). My WoTN but the group preferred the Asili.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/24/2020 - popopdrops Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dekantert. Super fra første glass. Masse bunnfall!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/7/2019 - BrunelloBob wrote: 91 Points
Better with some air. Clearly Barbaresco, rather than Barolo, which I prefer but...sooner or later the world is going to realize Brunello is the better play.Good typicity for the grape, buy lacks the complexity to be scored higher.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/14/2019 - Doc2 Likes this wine:
Drwine wrote it better than I can. What a wonderful wine which has years to go. I'm looking for more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/6/2019 - drwine2001 wrote:
Open for 3 hours, then placed in a decanter for an hour before pouring. Maturing clear light ruby color. Oh, what a regal, gorgeous set of aromas-citrus, anise, red fruit, and tobacco. Beautifully poised middle weight as well with some real sappiness. Perfectly ripe fruit on the attack and lots of savory elements in the mid-palate, but then it becomes leaner and shows significant back end tannic structure which still needs to be resolved. Outstanding now without question, but another 5-10 years of improvement seems to be in the cards.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/29/2019 - FjordogFjell wrote: 92 Points
Flott vin, trenger litt luft. Best dagen derpå
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/12/2019 - pren wrote: 92 Points
分三次。第一天，一小时醒酒，担心时间太长。有点意外，酒整体很light，闻起来酸樱桃加淡酱油，没有floral气味。口中也很清淡，普通。
第二天，气味清晰了很多，还是酸樱桃加淡酱油，依然没有floral 气味。但是一个半小时里，酱油味渐淡，纤细的水果味变强。口中，从有水果的影子，到很清淡而明确的水果。酸度适中，涩度对于十几年的 Nebbiolo而言算很低的，但是很清晰。这是迄今最优雅的Nebbiolo。
第三天，开瓶，有很强烈的不太典型的气味，有点意外。很快消失。闻，volume比第二天小，很淡的spice，变成很淡的水果。如同醒酒太长的vallana。口中很淡，散了，但是始终有酒精的热度。比第二天差了一截。
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/7/2018 - Finare Vinare wrote: 94 Points
Fabulous bottle! Immediately open for business, aromatically complex and very precise. The palate is mid-weight with excellent freshness, delicious fruit, fine-caliber tannins, and mineral sensations. All components are in balance and integrated seamlessly into each other, leading to a sustained finish. Really elegant and loveable wine in the stage of early maturity.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/4/2018 - FjordogFjell wrote: 94 Points
Magisk. Svak lukt, litt kunstig først, så kommer det mild trøffel, roser og rognebær. Nydelig balansert smak med rognebær og flott spenstig syre Dagen derpå: deilig kaffe ,nype, knall syre og spenst. Klarer lamme rygg uten problem
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/8/2018 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 94 Points
First slightly closed, but opening up with some air. Very nice notes of sweet pure red berries, red cherries, some tobacco, mint, herbs... pretty complex. It‘s medium-full bodied, very classic in style, with medium-high tannin that is very good quality and medium-high acidity. Excellent length. Probably the best 2004 Rabaja I have had so far... I will try to keep my remaining bottles for a few years more...
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/8/2018 - EMAZurich Likes this wine: 95 Points
Paitin Vertikale - Vecchie Vigne (Zurich): Parallel zum 2004 Vecchie Vigne von Paitin. Auch sehr bombig und druckvoll. Grossartige Nase, noch besser am Gaumen. Sehr breitschultrig und sehr 2004.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/8/2018 - drwine2001 wrote:
Ruby. Gorgeous, slowly evolving Nebbiolo aromatics including tobacco, faded red fruit, sous bois, and green herbs. Medium to lighter weight with great palate presence for its modest body. Complex and detailed due to its well etched acidity. Only given an hour's decant, and it seemed to just be getting started at the 3 hour mark of being open. More and more soil as it went. While some were more taken with the opulence and power of a Rinaldi we drank next to this, I really valued the delicacy and subtlety of this wine. Should drink beautifully over the next 15 years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2017 - ducster72 Likes this wine: 93 Points
A fine Rabaja out of magnum from the Produttori. Early maturity, especially with a long decant. Dark fruited and long. The balsamic notes really stood out to me. Bit of infanticide considering what 5-10 years will do to this.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/21/2017 - Papies wrote: 92 Points
Truffle Dinner at the Papies (The Papies, Elizabeth St, London): Opened and left to rest for an hour or so. Wine felt open and did not need decanting and we feared doing so my risk oxidation.
Well round, nice cherry feel, well round and silky. Definitely benefited from the 2004 vintage and has a juicy, supple feel but in no way overripe. Very very good and feels at peak now. 92
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/20/2017 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened the day before. Opened up significantly on day 2. Beautiful aromatics of dark cherries, violets, menthol, tobacco, cedar wood, plum, licorice and tar. It's medium-full bodied with medium-high acidity and still medium-high tannin but it's starting to soften a little. Very good length. A powerful but also aromatic Rabaja. It's starting to drink well with some air.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/4/2017 - duchamp wrote: 93 Points
Light effervescent ruby with hints of bricking, stingy nose with hints of black tea, brooding red fruit, earth, stewed cherries and mocha, grip and teethy on the attack with layered sweet red fruit, round tannins and tangy acidity, finishes long with bright red cherry, black cherry, black tea and more
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/18/2016 - Jochems Likes this wine: 94 Points
Light ruby-red with some amber at the rim. Expressive aromas of cherry with some hints still of rozees and some dark chocolate and sweet tobacco. Full bodied on the palate with silky smooth mouth coating tannins, sweet fruit and balanced fresh acidity. The finish is very long and keeps on lingering for minutes.
This wine is in great shape right now. It will probably last for quite some time but I don't think it will improve a lot. Drink now - 2024.
This is probably the best vintage and cru of the Produttori del Barbaresco I have ever had. Even better than the 2001 Montestefano as I rember it.
A remarkable quality level at this price point and defeating all preconceptions one might have about cooperatives and quality!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/30/2016 - wineamateur wrote: 91 Points
Checking in on the Produttori 2004 Riservas; 10/16/2016-11/7/2016: Relatively pale red, showing a bit of evolution, but bright. Really leaps from the glass. Bold and brooding, with a dark flavour profile, but at the same time decadently sensual. Ethereal but intense in the mouth. Really mouth-filling. Long. Layered. Quite elevated acidity. A bit disjointed after some time in the glass. All the components are here but I think it needs a bit more time to fully mesh together. 91 for now, but with up side.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/7/2016 - pjaines Likes this wine:
Well hasn't this just come along in the last 2 years! The wine has relaxed and loosened out and opened out in both texture and appearance - you can now at least make out the components that were previously lurking under a hard-as-nails tannic structure. The colour? Clear as a bell but showing some evolution and then a whack of all that cherry goodness with some mint, chocolate and tannins so fine they could have been passed through a silk stocking. Just just just creeping into a drinkable state. Gotta get me some more!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/19/2015 - drwine2001 wrote:
Some Terrific Older Piemonte Reds to Finish the Year; 12/19/2015-12/31/2015 (San Francisco): Light ruby, tawny rim. Just beautiful, evolving aromatics over the 3 hours in the decanter-strawberry and cherry, a touch of herbs, rising tobacco and ground coffee. Medium bodied but powerful in Barbaresco terms. Completely fresh red fruit, crisp acidity, complementary minerality. This was a wonderful bottle that should effortlessly age for another 10 to 15 years-just exiting its primary phase of life.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/29/2014 - Jochems wrote: flawed
Seemed cooked
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/19/2014 - Dale M wrote: 91 Points
Seems a lot of 04 Piedmont wines have been posted lately, so I thought I would get into the fun. Decanted 4 hrs. The nose initially carried a slight oxidative trait that while not displeasing, but seemed very much out of place. Fortunately this blew off to reveal some subtle rose and wood spice notes. Very dark and extracted and had the palate weight of a Barolo. The wine is accessible, sure, but it’s still very primary in its delivery of dark cherry fruits. The firm and masculine tannic structure actually eclipses the acidity, but this should resolve itself in due course. Very respectable finish. All in all a good / solid wine today, could be great with age, an interesting experience nonetheless at age 10.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/12/2014 - Finare Vinare wrote: 92 Points
Neither as closed, nor as tannic as previous notes say. Straight out of the bottle, without decanting beforehand, the nose is spicy and savoury - classic rather than fruity. The taste is perfectly dry, more elegant than powerful, with fine, moderate tannins and lovely freshness/grip on the finish, thanks to the obvious minerality and some mentholated notes. Drinks well now, should keep and develop for many years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/18/2014 - pjaines wrote:
I'm such a nobhead sometimes - I opened this by mistake instead of the standard Barbaresco. Tight tight tight to the point that the terroir is masked behind the tannins and firm fruit. This wine probably has a half life of 80billion years so probably worth leaving for a few more decades.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/20/2014 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened 1.5 hours ago. Medium garnet color with some brick towards the rim. First slightly muted, opens up in the glass. Pretty nose of dark cherries, violets, menthol, some anise, cumin and tar. On the palate there are notes of flowers again, sweet spices, minerals (tar) and some dried fruit. It's medium-full bodied with medium-high tannin and medium+ acidity. Good length. It's still a little young at the moment but opens up with some air. The tannins are still firm, but very good quality. I will give my other bottles 2-3 more years before trying again. A very pretty Barbaresco and it also resembles a very good Barolo with its pretty massive frame.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/6/2014 - pjaines Likes this wine:
This one needs a bit of time to unfurl and is primarily about latent potential right now, but the the ingredients are here for a brilliant wine. 4 hours in a decanter loosens up some sandalwood and cherry elements with some almost Bordeaux like oats and spices. Some sweetness coming through, the terroir is starting to express itself. Beguiling and shifting. I'd be inclined to leave them a few more years to let the structure back down a touch.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/21/2014 - AtoZ wrote: 90 Points
Less large than I recall. More wood. Sandalwood? Good. Not great. With pork chops.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/20/2013 - Jochems Likes this wine: 92 Points
Initially completely closed, after 5 hours of slow-ox it showed a great Barbaresco that is still very young.
Medium ruby color, definetly not dark. Lovely aromas of cherry, roze petals and some earthy notes and a hint of boxwood. Following trough full bodied with chewy-smooth tannins and fresh acidity. The finish keeps on lingering and evolves with fruit and spices. This wine has a long life ahead with some upside potential. Drink now - 2024.
This wine was a great match with the poached egg on taliatelle with truffle. And its earthyness complimented the risotto al fungi porcini as well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/25/2013 - AtoZ wrote: 93 Points
WOTN grainy tannins. Seaweed. Give it 7-10 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/24/2013 - the godfather wrote:
Lovely sexy juice
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/26/2012 - rnellans wrote: 92 Points
Nice aromas of tar, cherry, red fruit. Well structured with medium tannins and good acid backbone. Although it can be drunk now and enjoyed with food, this should develop nicely over the long haul.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/9/2012 - kenv Likes this wine: 95 Points
Produttori Dinner with Aldo Vacca and Rare Wine Co. (Del Posto Restaurant, NYC): Wow! Great structure and harmony. It's all there in balance to be a great wine. Young but quite riveting right now. 94-96 points.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/11/2011 - kampster wrote: 94 Points
Outstanding juice but nowhere near ready.
Deep crimson red - very dark for nebbiolo.
A nose that bursts from the glass from the first pour with very intense aromatics. Dark, brooding and masculine in style. The fruit is initially masked by tar and engine oil but after a while a raspberries peak out. Absolutely superb nose.
Incredibly intense on the palate, massively tannic and very acidic with a very good concentration of fruit underneath, great texture and mouthfeel but it remains a chore to fully enjoy this unpolished gem due to the dominating structural elements. Atertaste that goes on forever. Budged a little on day 2 where it was easier to appreciate the qualities of the wine but I would definitely keep my hands off for 5 years+.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/10/2011 - Skyy wrote: 85 Points
Still quite closed. Will definitely need some more years in the cellar
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/23/2010 - pkatz wrote: 83 Points
This was a tepid wine. Disappointing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/12/2010 - greenblanket wrote:
Young. (duh) It took several hours for this to open up and start showing some aromatics and even then things were pretty much wrapped tight with glimpses of violets, spice, cherries, and dark herbs. The star here is the superb texture, balance and length of the palate. The acidity in particular is refreshing but somehow caressing and long. The rest of my bottles will sleep for a long time.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (5)