2021 Nebbiolo Langhe "Costa Russi"

The 2021 Barbaresco Costa Russi is dark, rich and texturally enveloping in the style of the best wines from this hillside side. Plush contours give the Costa Russi its feeling of total sensuality. Macerated dark cherry, spice, leather, licorice and dried flowers are all beautifully amplified in this gorgeous, resonant Barbaresco. This is a fabulous Costa Russi.

- Antonio Galloni (09/2024)

This is so aromatic, with nutmeg, white pepper, matchstick, flint, bramble berries, blackberries and iodine. Medium-bodied with sleek and flexed tannins that give form and raciness. Spicy at the end. Shows excellent potential. Give this three to four years to open. (08/2024)

The 2021 Barbaresco Costa Russi is a jeweled ruby color and is bright with fresh herbs, mint, cherries, thyme, and freshly dried earth. It has good volume and ripe structure on the palate and is long and cooling, with a note of fresh lavender. It also has a great, mouthwatering mineral tone with a more linear feel, but it’s powerful at the same time, with the sanguine and ripe blood orange notes that are shared across the vintage. It needs time, but wow, is it worth snapping up! (05/2024)

Expressive and elegant, this red features cherry, strawberry, rose and mineral aromas and flavors. Deftly balanced at this youthful stage, with refined tannins and vibrant acidity, this lingers with a complex mix of fruit and mineral elements, with a hint of eucalyptus. Best from 2027 through 2045. 125 cases imported.

- B.S.

Of the three single-vineyard Barbarescos sampled, this bottle was poured first, denoting a lighter and more finessed style. The Gaja 2021 Barbaresco Costa Russi opens to roses, violets and tart berry fruit. "The 2021 vintage shows the distinct character of each site," says Giovanni Gaja. In comparison, Sorì Tildìn has a more pronounced mineral vein because of magnesium-rich soils, and Sorì San Lorenzo has more structure. This wine focuses on those pretty aromas, and it shows depth and balance. The fine-grain tannins give the Costa Russi a charming and more accessible approach.

- Monica Larner (01/2025)