Vietti Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà 2019

Vietti’s Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà 2019 marks a triumphant return to one of Barbaresco’s most revered crus, after the estate first worked these vineyards back in the 1980s. This debut vintage of the new Riserva instantly asserts itself as a serious, ageworthy Nebbiolo from a classic Piedmont year. Full-bodied, finely sculpted and intensely expressive, it captures Rabajà’s hallmark combination of power, depth and aromatic complexity.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, the 2019 Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà shows a luminous garnet core with brick-tinged edges, typical of top Nebbiolo even in its youth. The nose is expansive and layered, opening with pure, ripe red and blue fruits—think wild mountain blueberries, pomegranate and grenadine—followed by more savoury, earthy tones of resin, tar, linseed oil and damp fern or forest undergrowth. On the palate, the wine is even more commanding than the bouquet suggests. It is full-throttle in structure, with very firm, tightly knit tannins and a vibrant, mouth-watering acidity that frames the generous fruit intensity. Flavours mirror the nose, adding hints of watermelon candies and subtle herbal notes that bring lift and complexity. The finish is long, resonant and structured, promising a long life ahead. This Riserva should evolve beautifully over 15–20 years or more, gaining further tertiary notes of dried roses, leather and truffle with time in bottle.

Production
Rabajà is one of Barbaresco’s most legendary crus, an amphitheatre of well-exposed slopes in the heart of the appellation, with calcareous marl soils that give Nebbiolo both power and precision. Vietti harvests Nebbiolo grapes here by hand, selecting only perfectly ripe clusters to capture the cru’s tension between richness and finesse. In the cellar, traditional Barbaresco methods meet meticulous modern precision: extended maceration to draw out colour, tannin and aromatic complexity, followed by long ageing in wood (typically large casks and/or carefully chosen barrels) to polish the tannins without overpowering the wine’s distinctive Rabajà character. The result is a structured, cellar-worthy Riserva that reflects both place and vintage with clarity.

Food & Serving
This is a Barbaresco for the table, especially with richly flavoured, savoury dishes. It excels alongside classic Piedmontese cuisine such as brasato al Barolo (wine-braised beef), tajarin with truffle, game birds, or veal shank and osso buco. It also pairs beautifully with mushroom risotto, aged hard cheeses and dishes featuring porcini or truffle. Serve at 16–18°C (60–64°F). Decanting is strongly recommended in its youth: give it 2–3 hours in a decanter to allow the tannins to relax and the aromatic profile to fully unfurl.

Producer
Vietti is one of Piedmont’s most respected and influential estates, rooted in the village of Castiglione Falletto in the Langhe. With a history dating back to the 19th century, the winery became a benchmark for Barolo and Barbaresco under the visionary leadership of the Currado family, who helped pioneer single-vineyard bottlings and elevate the region’s global reputation. Today, Vietti is known for its meticulous vineyard work, its deep roster of top crus and its unwavering commitment to expressing the nuance of each site. The return to Rabajà and the creation of this Barbaresco Riserva underline Vietti’s stature as a leading interpreter of Nebbiolo in Piedmont.

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