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Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva Collectors Case 2016

Tasting Notes

***Montefico - 98 points***
The 2016 Barbaresco Montefico is a jewel of a wine. Freshly cut flowers, minerals, crushed rocks, rose petal and lavender are all finely cut. As always, the Montefico is tense and chiseled in style. Its sense of transparency is simply beguiling. Sage, mint and sweet pipe tobacco are some of the nuances that linger. The Montefico is a Barbaresco that will thrill readers who enjoy taut reds. It blends the fruit richness of the Montestefano with the verve of Ovello.

***Montestefano - 98 points***
The 2016 Barbaresco Riserva Montestefano is another profound wine in this lineup. There is virtually no perception of tannin, as the fruit is so rich and so voluptuous. Dark cherry/plum fruit, spice, menthol, licorice and a whole range of balsamic inflections grow as the Montestefano shows off its class. This profound Barbaresco will thrill readers for years to come.

***Rabaja - 98 points***
The 2016 Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà is brooding in its intensity. Swaths of tannin, acid and mineral notes infuse the 2016 with striking gravitas. A wine of staggering proportion and breathtaking beauty, the Rabajà is the sort of wine I wish every Vinous reader could taste because it captures the essence of place and vintage with so much pedigree and so much class. Black cherry, sage, crushed rocks, menthol and lavender are some of the many nuances that linger on the eternal finish.

***Ovello - 97+ points***
The 2016 Barbaresco Riserva Ovello is the most severe and angular of these wines. It will appeal most to die-hard classicists. Chalk, white pepper, mint and sweet red cherry fruit all grace this chiseled, beautifully translucent Barbaresco. As always, the Ovello needs a number of years in bottle to reveal its charms, which in 2016 are many. It is a positively stellar wine in every way.

***Asili - 97 points***
The 2016 Barbaresco Riserva Asili marries power and sensuality the way only Nebbiolo can. Soaring aromatics, beautifully pliant red-toned fruit and tons of pure depth emerge in a stunning Barbaresco that captivates all the senses. Silky, refined and exceptionally beautiful, the 2016 is quite simply one of the most complete Asilis I have tasted from the Produttori. It is an unforgettable wine.

***Paje - 96 points***
The 2016 Barbaresco Pajè opens with deeply pitched spice notes that are so alluring. Pliant and beautifully layered in the glass, the 2016 possesses tremendous density and brawn. Blue/purplish fruit, cloves, lavender and menthol infuse this rich, hedonistic Barbaresco with tons of character. The tannins are present, but they are nearly buried by the sheer density of the fruit. In a word: impressive.

***Pora - 95 points***
The 2016 Barbaresco Riserva Pora is a brooding wine, its mid-weight structure notwithstanding. Iron, smoke, tobacco, cedar and dried flowers add a feral, earthy quality that is so appealing. Pora is often one of the more approachable Riservas in this range, but the 2016 is an exception. Readers should be prepared to cellar it for at least a few years.

***Muncagota - 94+ points***
The 2016 Barbaresco Riserva Muncagota continues this tasting of frankly awe-inspiring wines. Rich, deep and super-expressive, the 2016 hits all the right notes. Black cherry, plum, spice, leather, licorice emerge, but only with great reluctance. The Muncagota is another wine in this range that clearly needs time.

***Rio Sordo - 94 points***
The 2016 Barbaresco Riserva Rio Sordo is a serious, somber wine. Black cherry, plum, lavender, spice and menthol show off the darker side of Nebbiolo to great effect. In most vintages, Rio Sordo is an easygoing wine, but not in 2016. Readers will find a potent, brooding yet mid-weight Barbaresco that screams with character. What a way to start this tasting!

94/98
Antonio Galloni, vinous.com, October 2020
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.