1971 Barbaresco Rabaja Riserva

The 1971 Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà from Produttori del Barbaresco is simply fabulous. Leather and cigar box on the nose, a sprig of wild mint mixed with Medjool dates, this delivers satisfying fruit given its age. The bouquet whisks you away to those Piedmont hills. The palate is well balanced with substance and grip, lightly spiced and unapologetically rustic. It offers orange rind and white pepper-laced black fruit towards the finish that, if you are going to quibble, just seems to be drying with age. But this deserves a round of applause.