Giuseppe Cortese
Rabaja DOCG
Barbaresco
2019

The producer

It is rare to find a family-run estate that so clearly embodies the character of a single great site, but Giuseppe Cortese has long been one of the most faithful interpreters of Barbaresco’s Rabajà cru. Founded in the late 19th century and still firmly family-owned, the estate has built its reputation on an unwavering focus on quality, traditional values, and an intimate understanding of its vineyards.

The heart of the domaine is its holdings in Rabajà, one of Barbaresco’s most celebrated crus, where south- and south-west-facing slopes, calcareous clay soils, and optimal elevations combine to produce wines of depth, structure, and longevity. Production is deliberately small and centred on Barbaresco, complemented by Langhe Nebbiolo and Barbera d’Alba, all made with a restrained, classical approach that favours clarity of site over winemaking artifice. The result is a range that consistently delivers authenticity, age-worthiness, and exceptional value, with the Rabajà Barbaresco standing among the benchmark expressions of the appellation.

The wine

Fruit for Giuseppe Cortese’s Barbaresco Rabajà DOCG comes from the estate’s historic holdings within the Rabajà cru, one of the most revered vineyards in Barbaresco. The site is predominantly south to south-west facing, with vines rooted in calcareous clay and limestone soils at mid-slope altitude, conditions that favour full phenolic ripeness while preserving structure and freshness. Fermentation is carried out in stainless steel tanks, followed by extended ageing in large Slavonian oak botti, in line with the estate’s traditional approach, before further refinement in bottle.

The wine is shaped first and foremost by its site: Rabajà’s natural power and depth are expressed through a core of red cherry and wild berry fruit, framed by floral notes and a distinct mineral tension. Firm but finely textured tannins give structure without weight, while the balance between fruit, acidity, and savoury complexity underscores Rabajà’s reputation for producing Barbarescos of both authority and elegance.

We choose our wines based on a range of criteria (see how we choose our wines) of which critic scores is just one. Rather than simply highlight the best score to promote a wine, our average critic score is calculated from the scores provided by several respected wine critics, who we follow for specific regions. They do not represent all critic scores and, wherever possible, we try and give more weight to more recent reviews. Where appropriate we consider market-based scores like Global Wine Score or Wine Searcher Average scores.

As a rule, we look to offer wines that achieve a 92/100 average critic score or better and frankly a lot of very good wines simply don’t make the cut. As a high-end provider we want to reflect that positioning in the quality of wines we offer. Such wines are only a tiny fraction of those generally on offer in the market. We believe that an average score is a more conservative and representative approach, but it is still subjective and only offered as a guide to our customers, who will (and should) do their own research. We will add individual critic scores to our website in the future.