Cascina Luisin Rabaja, Barbaresco DOCG, Italy 2019

Set within the fabled Rabajà cru of Barbaresco—where the Luisin estate itself is located—this parcel borders Asili to the southwest, yet the contrast between the two is unmistakable. Rabajà is darker, more brooding, and earth-driven, while Asili shows a brighter, more mineral-focused profile, often offering greater early accessibility. Rabajà, however, is generally the deeper and longer-lived of the two. From 45-year-old vines, Luisin crafts a wine that is layered and precisely sculpted—powerful without excess, and marked by the understated, unshowy elegance that defines the house style.

"The 2019 Barbaresco Rabajà is another stellar wine from Luisin. Ample and explosive, the 2019 offers tons of Rabaj character yet retains a measure of relative approachability for a young wine. Macerated cherry, blood orange, white pepper, spice, mint and sweet pipe tobacco build as this ample, layered Barbaresco opens with time in the glass. Bracing saline notes punctuate the potent finish." Vinous 94