2017 - Barbaresco Riserva Collector Case Produttori del Barbaresco - 9x75cl

ML, June 2022

Asili - 95 points. The Produttori del Barbaresco 2017 Barbaresco Riserva Asili is distinguished by its extremely linear and direct approach with wild rose, cassis and lots of mineral or crushed stone. The wine is taut and fresh on the palate with a medium-lean texture and lots of depth and persistence. I love those bright rose petal-like nuances on the close of this wine, and the tannins are firm and silky. This bottle boasts a unique identity in this group of Riservas. Drink 2025-2050. Rio Sordo - 95 points. The 2017 Barbaresco Riserva Rio Sordo has a mineral character and a sleek, firm approach that gives this wine its special identity. The wine is polished, almost glossy in texture with blackcurrant, plum and wild rose, and the tannins are gripping, although the Rio Sordo sports a lean to medium-rich density overall. Drink 2025-2048. Montefico - 95 points. The Produttori del Barbaresco 2017 Barbaresco Riserva Montefico is especially broad and thick in texture. It feels generous to the senses, wrapping thickly over the palate with a pretty mix of firm tannins and soft fruit fibre. These elements help to increase both the volume and the persistence of this classic wine. There is some dryness on the finish (and 15% alcohol), and you also taste crushed mineral and stone. Drink 2025-2048. Montestefano - 96 points. The 2017 Barbaresco Riserva Montestefano is darkly concentrated and among the richest wines in this series of single-vineyard Riservas. Montestefano is angular, textured and bold with dark fruit aromas, dried blackberry, toasted almond and cured tobacco. With this vintage, you get an age-worthy wine that offers brawn and power for drinking in the medium term, but it will become increasingly silky and slender with time. Dusty tannins and crushed stone appear on the long finish. Drink 2025-2050. Rabaja - 96+ points. The Produttori del Barbaresco 2017 Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà is another spectacular release from this cooperative winery that hits it out of the ballpark with each set of new releases. That impressive track record includes this wine that delivers extreme focus, depth and integrity. The bouquet is very clear cut with dark cherry, tart plum, spice and blood orange, but it is also complex and fluid. It offers new perspectives with each swirl of the glass. From a hot vintage, the Rabajà is smooth, powerful and balanced. I would bet on long aging for this bottle. Drink 2025-2050. Ovello - 94+ points. One of the bigger productions in the Produttori del Barbaresco's portfolio is the 2017 Barbaresco Riserva Ovello. All of the Riservas in this vintage are characterized by especially exuberant and bold aromas, and this bottle is a prime example. Cassis, wild cherry, tobacco, rusty nail and licorice build intensity. The wine is tapered and silky in texture, but it also offers a good amount of power to carry it through the aging process. Drink 2025-2045. Paje - 94 points. The 2017 Barbaresco Riserva Pajè is impressive on all fronts, but especially in terms of aromas. There's so much brightness here with red and purple fruits, rust and a dark note of clove or exotic spice. No element is out of place, but together they help to build the intensity of this balanced wine. It shows a soft, velvety texture, and perhaps there is a little more ripeness overall in this warm vintage. Drink 2024-2045. Pora - 94 points. The 2017 Barbaresco Riserva Pora is usually the first wine I taste each year when I review this set of Riservas from Produttori del Barbaresco. That's because it usually appears as the most delicate, and the intensity of each successive bottle increases after this one. But these schematics are a bit more difficult to align in a hot and dry vintage such as this that produced richer and more succulent fruit across the board. The Pora is redolent of red and purple fruit with a little more blackberry and plum compared to previous editions. The tannic strength of the wine is also more elaborate. Pora works very well in 2017. Drink 2025-2048. Muncagota - 94 points. The 2017 Barbaresco Riserva Muncagota plays some of its best cards in terms of texture, offering silky tannins, firmness and a long-lasting veil of fruit flavours. Cassis, wild cherry, camphor ash, spice and iron ore are aromatic protagonists. This wine is lean and compact but very linear and focused. Like the other Riservas in this group of new releases, the wine is fermented in steel and aged in large oak casks for 32 months. Drink 2025-2048.