2019 Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva Collector Case

This mixed case contains one bottle (75cl) of each of: Rio Sordo, Pora, Asili, Paje, Ovello, Muncagota, Rabaja, Montefico and Montestefano. Rio Sordo - Pale ruby color with an amazingly restrained character and leafy lightness. Very elegant, with licorice, sweet violet, mineral, cherry pit and peach peel flavors. Over this layered complexity the wine is firm, with dusty tannins, but velvety and ripe. A sticky finish is balanced by a full body and crisp acidity. Delicious. Can be drunk now, but best from 2034. (95 points) Pora - Attractive notes of red currants and cherries with hints of cedar, walnuts and crushed stones. Juicy with bright fruit and firm, chalky tannins. Medium- to full-bodied. It’s lingering and lightly chewy at the end with notes of bitter oranges. Better after 2027. (93 points) Asili - Youthful fruit character of ripe cherries and violets. The wine on the palate is firm, extracted and medium-bodied. Precise in the finish. Tannins are a bit rustic. Will improve with aging, developing complexity. Best after a decade. (94 points) Muncagota - Aromas of raspberries and forest berries with hints of graphite, tea leaves and cocoa. Medium-bodied with a polished and silky mid-palate, ending with a firm and chewy aftertaste. It’s fresh and vibrant overall. Try after three to four years. (94 points) Paje - Plentiful fruit character on the nose with dried cherries and potpourri. The tannins are quite sticky on the palate, with a medium body, refreshing acidity and warming alcohol. Focused with licorice notes on the finish. Try after 2027. (93 points) Ovello - Leafy lightness with a meaty character and earthy cherry and pomegranate notes. Firm tannins and crisp acidity on the classic, extracted palate, with massive structure, a medium body and a juicy finish. Drink or hold. (93 points) Muncagota - Aromas of raspberries and forest berries with hints of graphite, tea leaves and cocoa. Medium-bodied with a polished and silky mid-palate, ending with a firm and chewy aftertaste. It’s fresh and vibrant overall. Try after three to four years. (94 points) Rabaja - Vivid medium ruby color. The wine is finely tuned, with sweet violets, leafy lightness and red currants. Medium-bodied on the palate with violet notes, velvety tannins, refreshing acidity and a long, crisp finish. There is sternness here but personality. Will need time to evolve. (96 points) Montefico - Cola, rhubarb and balsamic complexity to the violet, pomegranate and black-cherry aromas. The medium-bodied palate is firm and rustic with massive structure, though it lacks a bit of meat over the bones. Flavors of violets, cinnamon and savory dried cherries come through with air. Stern, licoricy finish. Needs time to evolve. (92 points) Montestefano - Restrained if not dull at first. Very minerally nose with peach peel, orange zest, sweet violets and vermouth-like complexity, Firm tannins, a medium body, crisp acidity and an extracted yet classic finish. Drink from 2025, but it has the potential for aging. (94 points)

This mixed case contains one bottle (75cl) of each of: Rio Sordo, Pora, Asili, Paje, Ovello, Muncagota, Rabaja, Montefico and Montestefano. Rio Sordo - Polished and loaded with finesse, the Produttori’s 2019 Rio Sordo Riserva is a dazzling wine. It opens with heady aromas of new leather, perfumed berry, cedar and spice. On the savory, elegant yet structured palate, a backbone of polished, silky tannins seamlessly supports ripe Morello cherry, white pepper, black tea and star anise. Fresh acidity keeps it balanced and intense. This needs a few more years to fully develop and promises great aging potential. (98 points) Pora - The lovely 2019 Pora Riserva from Produttori del Barbaresco offers delicate scents recalling ripe red fruit, culinary spice, new leather and violet while the refined palate features juicy raspberry, liquor soaked cherry and licorice. Tightly-knit, velvety tannins provide enveloping support. Pora is known for its softer tannins and smoother character thank to its more fertile soil, and the these traits come through even in 2019, a vintage known for yielding wines with youthful austerity. (96 points) Asili - The drop-dead gorgeous Barbaresco 2019 Asili Riserva from the Produttori del Barbaresco stuns with its extreme finesse and heady scents of wild rose, red berry, camphor, leather and brown spice. Full-bodied and vibrant, the elegant, linear palate delivers red cherry, blood orange, star anise and ground clove alongside youthfully tight but extremely refined tannins. Bright acidity keeps it impeccably balanced and energized, lending great tension. It’s a superb expression of this celebrated site and the fantastic vintage. An absolute stunner. (100 points) Paje - Pine forest, cedar, new leather and ripe red berry are just some of the intense aromas you’ll find on the fragrant 2019 Pajè Riserva from Produttori del Barbaresco. Youthfully austere and linear, the structured palate displays ripe Morello cherry, black raspberry, star anise and crushed mint alongside firm, fine-grained tannins. Bright acidity imparts fantastic energy and serious aging potential. What a fantastic expression of this site. (98 points) Ovello - The 2019 Ovello Riserva is succulent and enveloping, offering scents of dark-skinned berry, forest floor, violet and new leather. Full-bodied with impressive structure and fruit, it boasts ripe raspberry, black cherry and licorice supported by firm, close-grained tannins that provide the backbone. Fresh acidity keeps it well balanced. (96 points) Muncagota - Rose, menthol, forest floor and leather aromas come to the forefront along with the barest whiff of asphalt. Full-bodied and structured, the palate delivers raspberry, blood orange, licorice and a minty note alongside firm, fine-grained tannins. (96 points) Rabaja - Balsamic aromas of camphor mingle with pressed rose, wild berry, new leather and dark spice. Showing intensity and structure, the full-bodied, delicious palate boasts a weightless concentration, delivering fleshy raspberry, blood orange, almond liqueur and licorice alongside tightly woven, velvety tannins. Fresh acidity lifts the rich flavors and provides great balance. (97 points) Montefico - Alpine herb, pressed rose, new leather and black tea aromas lead the nose on the superb Montefico 2019 Riserva. Showing the impeccable class and intensity this cru is celebrated for, it’s youthfully austere but also incredibly savory. The firmly structured palate delivers ripe red cherry, raspberry compote, licorice, almond liqueur and saline mineral notes accompanied by a firm backbone of tightly-woven, close-grained tannins. Bright acidity gives it great aging potential. (98 points) Montestefano - Combining power, intensity, class and great fruit, Produttori’s 2019 Montestefano Riserva is a phenomenal wine and a quintessential expression of this fantastic cru. It opens with heady aromas of new leather, Alpine herb, pressed rose, ripe dark-skinned berry and forest floor. It has the most Barolo-like structure of all the firm’s crus, delivering ripe Morello cherry, succulent raspberry, licorice and tobacco alongside a network of firm tannins that are more reminiscent of Serralunga than Barbaresco. A magnificent wine, with incredible aging potential. (99 points)

This mixed case contains one bottle (75cl) of each of: Rio Sordo, Pora, Asili, Paje, Ovello, Muncagota, Rabaja, Montefico and Montestefano. Rio Sordo - The 2019 Barbaresco Riserva Rio Sordo is quite deep in this vintage, with notable depth in its dark-toned fruit. This is an especially powerful Rio Sordo that is still coming together. Its intensity is palpable, even if I see less of the finesse that I associate with wines from this site. Today, all of the wine's energy is directed inwards. (93 points) Pora - The 2019 Barbaresco Riserva Pora is a pretty tightly wound wine, certainly moreso than is typically the case for this Barbaresco, which is often much more engaging in the early going. Dried herbs, tobacco, cedar and earthiness lend notable savory nuance in this decidedly nervy, somber Pora. There's good fruit intensity and plenty of character that makes me want to revisit this in a few months' time. (92 points) Asili - The 2019 Barbaresco Riserva Asili is a very pretty, silky wine that shows all the signatures of this site in its refined, mid-weight personality. Crushed flowers, sweet red berry fruit, cedar, mint and tobacco all grace this classy Barbaresco. The 2019 is classic Asili, with firm tannins from the year. (94 points) Paje - The 2019 Barbaresco Riserva Pajè is full of character. Strong mineral, savory and floral notes jump out of the glass, before veins of tannin make themselves felt on the palate. A powerful, young Barbaresco, the Pajè is going to need a number of years to come into its own. That said, all of its signatures are very much present. (93 points) Ovello - The 2019 Barbaresco Riserva Ovello is powerful, savory and intensely linear, in classico Ovello style, and yet it appears to have enough fruit behind its imposing tannins to develop well over the coming years. In this tasting, the Ovello feels pretty closed post bottling, but its inherent balance and qualities are there. Clean saline notes extend the finish in promising fashion. (94 points) Muncagota - The 2019 Barbaresco Riserva Muncagota is shaping up to be gorgeous. The 2019 is marked by a very evident brightness that is not always present. Medium in body and gracious, with terrific balance, the Muncagota is very impressive in this early tasting of the 2019 Riservas. It could turn out to be one of the surprises in this range. Keep an eye on this. (93+ points) Rabaja - The 2019 Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà  is redolent of dark fruit, crushed rocks, graphite, sage, menthol and lavender all race across the palate, supported by bracing, young Rabajà tannins that make themselves felt. This mid-weight, powerhouse Barbaresco packs quite a punch. (94 points) Montefico - The 2019 Barbaresco Riserva Montefico is one of the most searingly tannic wines in the range. Readers will have to be patient with the 2019, as it is going to need time. As always, Montefico is a Barbaresco built on linear intensity more than size. In 2019, the qualities are quite accented. Time in the glass opens the bouquet nicely, but the 2019 remains quite closed. (93+ points) Montestefano - The 2019 Barbaresco Riserva Montestefano is perhaps the most complete of the 2019 Riservas at this stage. It offers fine depth, plenty of tannin and nascent emerging inner sweetness to tie it all together. A wine of stature and textural depth, the Montestefano is my early favorite in this lineup. (95 points)