2007 Barbaresco Rabaja

The 2007 Barbaresco Rabaja bursts from the glass with layers of tar, smoke, minerals, menthol, pine and Christmas cake that are wrapped around a core of intense black fruit. This is one of the more muscular, brooding wines readers will come across in 2007. The oak is beautifully integrated in this large scaled, sweeping Barbaresco. The Rabaja will be even better in a few years’ time, but I can hardly fault readers who don’t want to delay gratification, as this is a delicious bottle. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2027. Bruno Rocca’s 2007 Barbareschi are among the stars of the vintage. The wines show fabulous finesse and elegance, while capturing the exuberant personality of the year. Importers: Trilussa Wine Company, Greenbrae CA; tel. (415) 499-8466; Indigenous Selections, Fort Lauderdale FL; tel. (954) 530-4021

Barbaresco. Medium deep ruby with brick tinges. Meaty, savoury, with lots of sweet, almost jammy, fruit on the palate. Very modern, crowd-pleasing, sweet and with some oak impact on the finish but tannins prevent it from going over the top. (WS)

Medium red with an amber edge. Brooding nose hints at medicinal cherry, truffle and cinnamon. Then quite sweet, intensely flavored and juicy but a bit youthfully disjointed. Dense and rather powerful wine but not yet generous or pliant, with the dusty tannins currently cutting off the fruit. A bit awkward today and in need of time in bottle to harmonize.