2020 Bruno Rocca Barbaresco Rabaja

97 POINTS

Aldo Fiordelli - Decanter

Opens up to intoxicating floral notes of pot pourri with dried cherry, savoury fruit and the freshness of redcurrant. Violet candy, liquorice and menthol in depth. The palate, despite a slightly warming finish, shows lifted, long acidity, very well integrated and allied to polished, elegant tannins. Restrained chocolate finish. Well known for its sternness, Bruno Rocca's Rabajà in 2020 is a great example of the rounder character of the vintage, without losing the ability to age of the greatest Barbaresco. The wine is fermented with its own yeasts and the malolactic fermentation occurred in big French oak vessels where the wine aged for 14-16 months.

96 POINTS

Michaela Morris - Decanter

With its 3.8 hectares in Rabajà surrounding the winery, the Bruno Rocca estate is synonymous with this esteemed MGA. The Riserva is produced from a single plot planted by Bruno’s father Francesco in 1974. It sees the same vinification as the Currà and the two side by side are a fascinating study of terroir. Darker in tone and denser in mouthfeel, this is equally – if not even more – sophisticated. Deep cherry is nuanced by fantastic details of sandalwood, juniper, liquorice and pressed violet, and the chalky tannins are expansive and assertive though never aggressive. An evocative suggestion of tar tinges the finish.

96 POINTS

Falstaff

Bright, medium-dense ruby with a fine garnet shimmer. Memorable nose with fine raspberry fruit, plus plum and some tobacco. Lots of ripe, sweet fruit on the palate, with fine, dense tannins, builds for a long time, good tension, firm drive on the finish.

95 POINTS

Monica Larner - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Bruno Rocca's 2020 Barbaresco Rabajà is a wine of clarity and definition. This special vineyard site is always distinguished by the clean sharpness of its fruit. Red and blue fruits cede to etched notes of crushed stone and toasted spice. These aromas engage in a delicate dance in a manner only the Nebbiolo grape can achieve. The tannins are polished and firm but also more approachable in this vintage. Production is 6,000 bottles.

95 POINTS

Jacobo Garcia-Andrade Llamas - JamesSuckling.com

This opens with floral notes of roses and hints of white flowers, red fruit and cedar. The palate is very complete, well constructed and multidimensional, with fine-grained tannins and neatly packed red fruit flavors that conclude with a compact finish. While it is drinkable now, it will benefit from cellaring for a couple of years. Better from 2026.

95 POINTS

Antonio Galloni MW - Vinous

The 2020 Barbaresco Rabajà offers a beguiling combination of richness from the warm year with the elegance and translucence that mark the wines here today. Dark tonalities of Nebbiolo fruit open first, followed by scents of leather, spice and blood orange. This heady, beguiling Barbaresco has a ton of potential, as evidenced by how beautifully it opens with aeration. I can't wait to see how this develops. Here, too the benefits of bottling earlier are evident. The 2020 is a striking wine.

94 POINTS

Antonio Galloni MW - Vinous

The 2020 Barbaresco Rabajà is translucent, potent and super-expressive. All the elements of this great site come through in a Barbaresco that is so alluring. Dark macerated cherry, tobacco, spice, mint and leather are some of the many notes that build into the potent finish.

92 POINTS

Jeff Porter - Wine Enthusiast

Loads of warm spice envelop the senses, like a cozy kitchen filled with the aromas of cherry pie baking in the oven. Think cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, all mingling with the sweetness of sandalwood. On the palate, this wine is a plush and juicy delight, with generous flavors of mixed berries that seem macerated and preserved. There's a hint of licorice root adding complexity, and the finish is both generous and giving, with savory herb notes that linger pleasantly.