2020 Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva Collector Case

2020 Barbaresco Riserva Montestefano 97pts - The 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Montestefano is one of the most elegant, polished wines in this range. Bright red-toned fruit, blood orange, spice, mint and cedar are beautifully lifted. The tannins are remarkably polished for a young, recently bottled Riserva. I admire its poise and elegance. This is an especially refined edition of the Montestefano. In 2020, the mix of vineyards is a bit younger than in the past, as one of the blocks of older vineyards was replanted and not used. If I could have only one of the Riservas in 2020, this would be it! Drink 2025-2035 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Ovello 95pts - The 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Ovello is a massive, packed wine. Graphite, crushed rocks, dried herbs and cedar open first. Ovello tends to produce a more linear style of Barbaresco, and that is very much the case here as well. However, the 2020 also possesses notable depth and layers in the mid-palate. It's a gorgeous wine in the making. Drink 2025-2035 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Asili 96pts - The 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Asili is gorgeous. It offers a beguiling mix of intense fruit and supporting structure. A wine of depth and complexity, Asili has a lot of everything. It is clearly a step or two above many of the wines in this range. Today, the 2020 comes across as a bit somber, but that may partly be a reflection of its recent bottling. There's gorgeous depth and resonance in the Asili. Drink 2025-2035 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà 97pts – The 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà is another stellar wine in this range. Dark and explosive, the 2021 possesses notable richness to match its dark, brooding personality. Black cherry, plum, leather, cloves, menthol, licorice and gravel explode onto the palate. The 2020 will require a measure of patience, but it has a ton of potential. Drink 2025-2035 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Muncagota 94pts – The 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Muncagota comes across as somewhat austere today, which is pretty atypical. Floral, mint and white pepper lend notable aromatic brilliance. Deceptively medium in body, the 2020 offers plenty of drive. Floral, savory and mineral notes extend the intense, saline finish. I am curious to taste this again with more time in bottle. Drink 2025-2035 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Montefico 96pts – A complex, beautifully layered wine, the 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Montefico expresses so many of the attributes that make the wines from this vintage and site so intriguing. The bouquet alone is wonderfully complex. Dried herbs, mint, pine, tobacco and cedar open first, leading to a core of chiseled dark-toned fruit. A vertical, structured Barbaresco, the Montefico is superb. Drink 2025-2035 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Pajè 95pts – The 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Pajè is a classic wine from this site. Deeply spiced and balsamic notes meld into a core of dark, sepia-toned Nebbiolo fruit. A Barbaresco of real presence and substance, the Pajè makes itself felt. It's one of my early dark horse favorites in this range from Produttori del Barbaresco. Drink 2025-2035 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Rio Sordo 94pts – The 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Rio Sordo is pretty closed today, which is probably a very good sign for its aging prospects, as this site tends to produce wines that are more open than this. Dark cherry, plum, leather, incense and tobacco offer a decidedly somber expression of Rio Sordo. The 2020 clearly needs time. Drink 2025-2035 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Pora 93pts – The 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Pora is aromatic, effusive and quite charming. Crushed flowers, spice, leather, tobacco and cedar lend notable inner sweetness. Medium in body and gracious, the Pora is pretty approachable today, although it will be better with a few years in bottle. This is a very beautiful, vivid Pora and a fine introduction to the Riservas. Drink 2025-2035