Albino Rocca

Classical Nebbiolo and Friends from an Outstanding Barbaresco Estate

It’s easy to forget that Nebbiolo, produced from great sites and mature vines can be a wickedly seductive wine to drink young. The late Angelo Rocca was a master at reminding us of this fact. When Angelo Rocca tragically passed away in 2012 in a light plane accident, Barbaresco lost one of its most distinguished growers. It also lost a wonderful person and a deeply respected member of the Piemontese community. Rocca was operating at the peak of his powers and producing the most exciting, terroir-intense wines of his career. His three daughters (Daniela, Monica and Paola) along with Angelo’s cellarmaster (and son-in-law) Carlo have been determined to continue this legacy and in recent years, they have not missed a beat.

These are deeply classical wines in one sense (large cask, natural ferments, savoury tannins, etc.) and yet they are also wonderfully pure and precise. They nod to modernity in the best possible way. Of course, it helps that they have such wonderful holdings, use only Estate grown grapes and work very well in the vineyards with no herbicides, pesticides and only organic fertiliser—when it comes to Piemonte we have all been guilty of talking too much about winemaking and not enough about grape growing!

“The entire range trades on the same principal; honest, open and delightfully balanced wines, no matter what grape varieties are involved.” Nick Stock, Gourmet Traveller Wine

This producer has been through an incredible journey in recent years. The sudden passing of the family patriarch was obviously the catalyst. Angelo was already moving the Estate back to a more classical style (having come full circle), and after his passing his three daughters decided to produce a wine in his honour. Speaking with their grandfather, Albino Rocca (Angelo’s father and founder of the Estate), the idea came to them to make a wine that was vinified much in the way that Albino had done back in the day—using a wooden fermenter, with what we would call today ‘extended maceration’. The first release of the Angelo Barbaresco was such a success that it has now inspired evolution across all the wines (and two new wooden fermenters at the winery).

The Rocca’s efforts to continually improve the quality of all their Estate’s wines have resulted in some superb offerings over the last few vintages. All the wines are aged in large, neutral botti and remain contemporary in the sense that they are ripe, pure and meticulously made, but instead of any distracting new oak character, you have that wonderful dark cherry, floral and savoury structured personality of Nebbiolo in all its Piemontese glory. Not only are Albino Rocca wines outstanding examples of Barbaresco, but they are also very fairly priced.

The Range

Albino Rocca Langhe Nebbiolo Rosso di Rocca 2023

If you are new to this Bibendum staple, Rosso di Rocca is 97% Nebbiolo with a smattering of Cabernet Franc. The Nebbiolo hails from a vineyard at Magliano Alfieri in the first hills of the Roero region. The vines were planted in 1967 and 2002, and the family purchased the parcel in 2016. The Cabernet Franc comes from 20-year-old estate vines in Barbaresco. Roero’s sandy soils give a lighter, brighter, earlier-drinking wine than the Rocca Nebbiolo d’Alba—a Nebbiolo party in a glass. The wine’s upbringing (solely in tank) and early bottling help keep to this theme.The apple never falls far from the tree here. The 2023 is typically lip-smacking, perfumed and crackling with energy. It has a red-fruited sweetness almost reminiscent of Pinot Noir but with a firmer backbone of mouth-watering acidity and tannin. And it is ludicrously good at the price.

“The 2023 Langhe Nebbiolo Rosso di Rocca is a delightful wine to drink now and over the next few years. Strawberry, red cherry, rose petals and orange peel give the 2023 a lovely aromatic presence to match its understated personality. This floral, light-bodied Nebbiolo will also make a fine choice for warm-weather drinking if chilled.”

89 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous

Albino Rocca Barbaresco Montersino 2021

The Montersino Cru lies at the southern tip of Barbaresco, close to Treiso, at 320 metres above sea level. The Roccas’ 0.42-hectare parcel perches at Barbaresco's highest and coolest area. Angelo Rocca planted the south-facing vines in 1998 on very poor clay and limestone slopes with thin layers of sandstone. The sandstone brings finesse, as does the altitude. Daniela Rocca highlights that this soil type (locally called Formazione di Lequio) resembles Barolo’s Monforte and parts of Serralunga. Rocca’s Montersino has really stepped up to the plate this year.

“A complex, dynamic wine, the 2021 Barbaresco Montersino is redolent of sweet dried cherry, incense, blood orange, cinnamon, sage and mint. It offers striking translucence and mid-weight structure to round out a super-classic profile. Bright acids extend the clean, precise finish. What a gorgeous wine this is.”

94 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous

“The minerally, savoury fruit on the nose pulls you right in. Crushed shell and freshly crushed red fruit. Beautiful fragrant fruit build-up on the palate. Juice and tannic bite on the finish yet elegant. Real energy.”

17.5 points, Walter Speller, jancisrobinson.com

Albino Rocca Barbaresco Ronchi Riserva 2019

Albino Rocca’s Riserva takes the award for the most enhanced wine in the cellar. Each year the Rocca family vinifies it from a small selection of the Ronchi Cru and the vineyard’s most powerful fruit from its oldest wines. Unlike the Cru above, the Riserva is made using a submerged cap, which holds the cake under the must’s surface during fermentation. The resulting wine is richer in tannin and colour, preparing it for two years in large oak casks and a further two years in the bottle before release.In the distant past this label reflected its modernist upbringing, which included partial aging in barrique. My, how it has transformed. Today, the wine is fermented in upright oak tini before aging in large, Austrian and Slavonian oak ovals. So, while it remains the darkest and most powerful wine in the Rocca cellars, it’s a far more pure and balanced wine than in the past.

“The 2019 Barbaresco Riserva Ronchi is a powerful, dark wine. Black cherry, plum, leather, gravel and incense bring out the darker side of Nebbiolo. Sage, menthol and pine are some of the nuances that linger on the potent close. Firm, muscular tannins suggest a few years in bottle are warranted.”

95 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous

Albino Rocca Barbaresco Ronchi 2021

This celebrated, limestone-rich Barbaresco Cru runs along the southern belt of the appellation, near the town itself. The Rocca cellars sit just above this southeast-facing vineyard—leading the site to become synonymous with Albino Rocca. Ronchi is also the oldest and largest holding of the estate. It extends almost six hectares (three of which are Nebbiolo) and comprises roughly a third of the total Cru area. Rocca’s Nebbiolo vines are between 50 and 70 years old, offering an ideal combination of vine age, southeast exposure and deep clay-limestone soils. Ronchi consistently produces some of Barbaresco’s greatest wines: wildly aromatic, rich in complexity and structure.

“The Albino Rocca 2021 Barbaresco Ronchi shows a dusty mineral quality that adds to the elegance of the bouquet. Beyond that, you get nicely ripened Nebbiolo fruit with wild cherry and redcurrant. It fleshes out over the palate with tart flavors and chalky tannins.”

94 points, Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate

“The 2021 Barbaresco Ronchi comes across as a bit youthfully austere relative to some of the other wines in the range. Chalk, mint, white pepper, scorched earth and strong mineral notes infuse the Ronchi with tremendous power to match its sinewy, driving personality. This vivid, sculpted Barbaresco is hugely promising.”

95 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous

Albino Rocca Cortese 2023

Overlook Rocca’s whites at your own peril! This unique wine is the only Cortese grown within the boundaries of Barbaresco. The fact that the Roccas grow it should be clue enough that we’re onto something special. The one-hectare plot of 1980s vines are rooted in Montegrosso d’Asti (in Barbaresco, just south of Asti) on clay and limestone soils.Angelo Rocca was a great fan of Burgundy. He went as far as planting Chardonnay vines in the family’s home village of San Rocco Seno d’Elvio. Yet it is the estate’s Cortese that stands out for us. Rocca always believed in crafting a structured, food-friendly Cortese from low yields. His family has taken the wine to another level, weaving in complex mineral-savoury hints, limpid texture and a nip of reductive freshness.Fermented in a stainless steel and mature French oak, and aged on lees in barrel, you can expect layers of satiny orchard fruit, fragrant tangerine peel and yellow flower, all neatly underpinned by zing of lemon rind, fine acidity and some phenolic chewiness on the finish. A Cortese of uncommon personality!

Albino Rocca Nebbiolo d'Alba 2023

Like most Rocca wines, the Nebbiolo d’Alba comes from a single vineyard—a parcel between Barolo and Barbaresco in the westernmost section of the Seno d'Elvio subzone. Aptly, and with a Tolkien flourish, this area is known locally as Terra di Mezzo: Middle Earth. The Nebbiolo vines range from 15 to 60 years old, and the Rocca family matures this wine for 12 months in large Austrian and German oak casks.Rocca’s Nebbiolo d’Alba perennially offers outstanding depth and interest. This ‘baby Barbaresco’ is a preview of what to expect from the Barbaresco which will be released the following year. Already enticing, expect waves of strawberry and wild berry sweetness alongside blonde tobacco and dried herb notes. All this loveliness is carefully framed by supple, velvety tannins. It’s a classy wine for the level, with a surprising measure of purity and finesse. Nebbiolo’s elusive beauty doesn’t tend to come cheap, but here it does.

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AT-A-GLANCE

• This Barbaresco family estate started as a négociant in the 1940s before evolving to estate bottling in the 1960s under Albino Rocca, son of founder Giacomo.

• Following the untimely death of third-generation Angelo Rocca, the estate is run by his three daughters and son-in-law.

• The family owns 20 hectares of vines on limestone/clay soils in Barbaresco, Neive and San Rocco Seno d’Elvio (Alba), some of which are as old as 75 years.

• The estate makes four Cru wines (Ronchi, Ovello, Cottà and Montersino), a Barbaresco blend and a special Barbaresco bottling named in tribute to Angelo. There are also premium Riserva bottlings of some of the Crus.

• From Alba and Langhe, there is a Dolcetto, Nebbiolo, two Barberas and a red blend. The estate also makes Cortese, Chardonnay and Moscato d’Asti.

• The Cru wines are aged in German and Austrian oak for two years.

IN THE PRESS

“The entire range trades on the same principal; honest, open and delightfully balanced wines, no matter what grape varieties are involved.” Nick Stock, Gourmet Traveller Wine

“….there’s much to be said for the attractive willingness of the wines of Albino Rocca; the Barbaresco unmasks the essence of nebbiolo and presents the engaging, elegant and downright feminine side of this much revered grape. In fact, the entire range trades on the same principal; honest, open and delightfully balanced wines, no matter what grape varieties are involved.” Nick Stock, Gourmet Traveller Wine

“Paola, Monica and Daniela Rocca have unhesitatingly taken up the winemaking and moral legacy of their father Angelo following since his untimely death in 2012. They now continue with the story that won many fans thanks to above all to the happy combination of courteous affability permeating the Ronchi farm and the appealing, well-measured pace of the estate’s Barbarescos.” Gambero Rosso

Country

Italy

Primary Region

Barbaresco, Piedmont

People

Winemakers: The Rocca family & Carlo Castellengo

Availability

National

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