Barbaresco 'Cotta'

Score

92

"This beauty is redolent of stone fruit, coriander and mineral nuances, and will put every Italian Riesling and Gruner, which admittedly are not much to write home about, to shame. But it will do so with many world Sylvaner wines too. Drinking window: now-2030."

Score

95

"Blue flower, rose, camphor and baking spice aromas waft out of the glass. Juicy and delicious, the polished palate doles out juicy Marasca cherry, crushed raspberry and star anise alongside taut, fine-grained tannins. Drink 2022–2029. "

Score

94

"Drawing its fruit from a 2.8-hectare section of the Cottà cru in Neive with 50- to 60-year-old vines, this is a classic offering from Sottimano. The 2017 Barbaresco Cottá unfolds to beautiful intensity and depth. The Neive area suffered hail damage on April 15th, and we are lucky that this parcel was spared, enough so to render a 9,000-bottle release. This estate believes in long maceration times (the wine stays on the skins for up to 40 days) with no selected yeasts. Malolactic fermentation is allowed to happen at its own pace in French barrel, and the wine ages up to 24 months, with lees contact for about half that time. The approach is traditional and straightforward, resulting in a wine that is focused, detailed and polished with bright cherry fruit, licorice and campfire ash. I love the intensity you get here."

Score

93

"The 2017 Barbaresco Cottà is punchy, with terrific freshness and verve. Red toned fruit, flowers, mint and bright acids yield a decidedly delicate expression of Cottà, a Neive vineyard where the wines tend to be quite a bit bigger and richer. The 2017 needs at least a few years in bottle to soften. It is an attractive wine if enjoyed on its own terms, but is also quite different stylistically from the wines Sottimano has made here in the past."

Score

95

"The nose is initially shy but slowly reveals wild berry, exotic incense, aromatic herb and a whiff of toast. The firm palate is more expressive and is all about elegance, delivering crushed red cherry, raspberry compote, cinnamon and star anise while taut, fine-grained tannins provide support. It's extremely young but already tempting so hold for even more complexity and to let the tannins unwind. Drink 2023–2035."

Score

93

"Very attractive red-cherry, redcurrant, plum and floral nose with discreet oak, then a sleek yet powerful and tannic palate with a lot of structure and some real elegance. Enough fruit for immediate drinking, but this is made for aging."

Score

93

"From a celebrated cru in Neive, the 2015 Barbaresco Cottà is a shapely, soft and accessible interpretation of Nebbiolo from a warm vintage. This mid-weight wine boasts a bright bouquet with ruby highlights. Those aromas are alert, tonic and straightforward in delivery. In terms of mouthfeel, this wine is firm and structured. However, the astringency is safely within bounds (for a young Nebbiolo). Some 10,000 bottles were made. Only 10% of the wine goes into new oak and the rest goes into neutral barrique."

Score

94

"Cherry, strawberry, chicory and woodsy notes mark this solidly structured, tightly wound Barbaresco. The sweet fruit offsets the dense tannins for balance, and this stays long and vibrant. Best from 2024 through 2043. 750 cases made, 400 cases imported."

Score

92

"Sottimano's 2015 Barbaresco Cottà is powerful, dense and brooding. Today the big, potent tannins somewhat constrict the mid-palate and finish. It will be interesting to see if the 2015 fleshes out with time in bottle. While that may happen, I expect the 2015 will always remain a bit rough around the edges, certainly within the context of the finest Sottimano Barbarescos of recent vintages. Smoke, grilled herbs, plum and firm, chunky tannins all give the 2015 Cottà its burly potent feel."

Score

92

"Notes of damp earth and tobacco weave through this wine’s flavors of baked plum and black cherry. It offers a darker, earthier profile than Sottimano’s Fausoni or Pajoré, with firm mineral tannins and savory tones that would match well with duck liver pâté."

Score

93

"The 2014 Barbaresco Cottà does not offer the acute high notes that you get with the other beautiful Barbarescos from Sottimano in this vintage. The intensity is broader and flatter, so to speak, but overall, the wine's intensity is just as bright and compelling as the others, albeit in a more subdued manner. Dark cherry and blackberry segue to spice, anise and cured leather. The wine feels soft and rich in texture as well. Some 10% of the wine is aged in new oak barrel."

Score

93

"Pretty cherry, floral, mineral and tobacco flavors line this racy red. There is an underlying density to the structure and a lingering aftertaste of fruit, iron, underbrush and tobacco. Best from 2020 through 2033. 400 cases made, 50 cases imported."

Score

93

"The 2014 Barbaresco Cottà, often a big, bombastic wine, is unusually refined in this vintage. The deep center of fruit that has always defined this wine is present, but there is more freshness and less of the heaviness that often marks this wine. Hints of blood orange, mint and rosewater give the 2014 an exotic upper register. Shades of blue/purplish fruit, lavender, mint and savory herbs add the closing shades of nuance."