2014 Barbaresco Riserva Rongalio
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Tasting notes
The 2014 Barbaresco Riserva Rongalio is one of the very finest wines I have tasted from Orlando Abrigo. Gently mellowed by the passage of time, the 2014 possesses striking inner perfume to match its voluptuous, unctuous fruit. The Rongalio is a wine of pure exotic beauty and allure. Black cherry, leather, spice and a range of balsamic inflections are laced into the super-inviting finish.
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James Suckling
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
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From a proprietary vineyard with 50-year-old vines, the Orlando Abrigo 2014 Barbaresco Riserva Rongalio is a late-release wine and the estate's banner bottle. This is a controversial vintage that was plagued by rain and below-average temperatures for most of the summer. However, the Barbaresco appellation is one of the few wine regions in Italy that emerged relatively unscathed. This Riserva is tight and tonic. The wine is guided by a point of tannic firmness, but it also shows evolved berry fruit and dark cherry aromas. I'd suggest a medium-term drinking window.
Plenty of boysenberry jam, orange marmalade, dried oregano and cumin, cedar and tar on the nose. No hint of any tertiary notes. The full-bodied palate is saturated in soft, unctuous dark fruit and broad, mouth-filling tannins. Impressive for 2014, but lacks a little elegance. Drink from 2023.