Castello di Verduno Barbaresco, Rabajà | 2020

Owned by Gabriella Burlotto of the Burlotto winery and Franco Bianco of a long line of Barbaresco farmers, Castello di Verduno’s secret weapon is winemaker, Mario Andrion whose skills seems to do the impossible — master elegance over rusticity without using any shortcuts in the cellar. In short, Verduno’s wines are traditional, favoring long macerations, large older barrels, native yeasts, and minimal SO2. The Rabajà cru is a narrow strip, bordering Asili, taking the shape of an amphitheater which results in Barbaresco wines that are bold, more akin to a Barolo. Planted between 1974-'90, Verduno's vines face an optimal SW on soils of sands, clay, and limestone. Fermentation and maceration with the skins is patient, over 30 days, followed by almost 2 years of aging in large Slavonian casks, then another 2+ years in the bottle. One thing I love about Verduno's style is the generosity of aromatics. Out of the bottle, the wine oozes wild strawberries and plums, sandalwood spice, sassafras, and rosy cardamom. The tannins are firm, but the wine is not austere, and a warm vintage (but not hot) makes the 2020s more accessible and enjoyable than their 2019 peers. ~Allegra A