PRODUTTORI DEL BARBARESCO Riserva Rabaja Barbaresco 2020

THE WINERY – PRODUTTORI DEL BARBARESCO

The History.

Before 1894, Nebbiolo grapes where sold to make Barolo wine or simply labeled «Nebbiolo di Barbaresco». But in 1894, Domizio Cavazza, headmaster of the Royal Enological School of Alba and a Barbaresco resident, created the first cooperative, the «Cantine Sociali», by gathering together nine Barbaresco vineyard owners to make wine in the local castle that he owned. He understood well the differences between the same grape, the Nebbiolo, grown in the different areas of Barolo and Barbaresco and, for the first time, recognized it on the wine label.

The «Cantine Sociali» was closed in the 1930’s because of fascist economic rules. In 1958, the priest of the village of Barbaresco, recognizing that the only way the small properties could survive was by joining their efforts, gathered together nineteen small growers and founded the Produttori del Barbaresco.

United once again, the small growers continued the work started by Domizio Cavazza, producing only Barbaresco wine and enhancing both the reputation of the wine and the village.

The winery

The Produttori del Barbaresco, founded in 1958, now has 51 members and controls more than 100 hectares (250 acres) of premium Nebbiolo vineyards in Barbaresco. Each family is in full control of its land, growing Nebbiolo grapes with centuries old skill and dedication. The vinery produces a Barbaresco D.O.C.G., a blend of Nebbiolo grapes harvested from different vineyards, and a simpler Nebbiolo Langhe suited for earlier consumption.

BARBARESCO Rabaja

PRODUTTORI DEL BARBARESCO Riserva Rabaja Barbaresco 2020. The Produttori del Barbaresco, founded in 1958, now has 51 members and controls more than 100 hectares (250 acres) of premium Nebbiolo vineyards in Barbaresco. Each family is in full control of its land, growing Nebbiolo grapes with centuries old skill and dedication. The vinery produces a Barbaresco D.O.C.G., a blend of Nebbiolo grapes harvested from different vineyards, and a simpler Nebbiolo Langhe suited for earlier consumption.

Vineyard: Rabaja
Soil: limestone and clay, rich in calcium with sandy veins
Food matches: fresh egg-pasta dishes, risotto, white and red meat, game.

Tasting notes

• Colour: deep ruby red
• Scent: elegant fruity notes of berries, plum and cherry with hints of spicy pepper and vanilla
• Taste: intense and delicate, with good freshness and pleasant persistence

VINTAGE 2020

The 2020 growing season began with an uneventful winter, characterized by mild temperatures and little precipitation, especially snow.

Temperatures

The first part of spring was relatively dry and sunny, ensuring a uniform vegetative recovery and bud break in the first week of March.

March and April were marked by good weather and mild temperatures, with little precipitation, initially suggesting an early growing season. However, this prediction was contradicted in May, when unstable weather resulted in a significant number of rainy days, a situation that continued until late June.

This, on the one hand, slowed vegetative growth, thus eliminating the advantage gained in early spring. On the other, it allowed for good water accumulation in the soil, which, combined with the moderate summer temperatures, prevented water stress. Overall, the weather was good, with some difficulties in agronomic management emerging in late spring due to early fungal attacks caused by the rains of May and June.

The Nebbiolo grapes arrived in optimal conditions at the end of the summer: the moderate nighttime temperatures in September led to a rapid accumulation of polyphenols. Growth was not exponential, but steady, reaching technological maturity, or optimal sugar content, between the end of September and the beginning of October. In terms of acidity, the Nebbiolo grapes also did not suffer the decline typical of hot years with a relatively short cycle.

The Harvest

The harvest began in Barbaresco on September 30th and took place over a couple of weeks, with a couple of days’ interruption due to light rain on October 5th.

Contiene solfiti