2012 Bruno Rocca Barbaresco Rabaja
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This wine is released a year later than most. The 2012 Barbaresco Rabajà is Bruno Rocca's flagship bottle. The wine reveals a bold and elaborate style that is contingent upon a bright quality of fruit and careful barrel aging. Both those elements are proudly on display here. The Rabajà vineyard is known for power and structure, and that fact is also made evident here.
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Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
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The 2012 Barbaresco Rabajà is nicely balanced in the glass. Orange peel, mint, spice and dried cherry notes open up in the glass. This is a relatively light-bodied vintage for the Rabajà, with less structure and power than is typically the case. Today, I don't see a lot of vineyard signatures, although the 2012 is a pretty wine if taken on its own terms.
The 2012 Barbaresco Rabajà is incredibly tight today. Then again, it was just bottled. Firm, incisive tannins support a core of vibrant fruit in a powerful, pulsating wine built on the pure energy that is the signature of these poor white soils. Hints of leather, savory herbs, mint and smoke add nuance on the finish. Today, the 2012 is shaping up to be more of a delicate vintage for the Rabajà. Although it is early for both years, I have a slight preference for the 2012 over the 2011.