Date of visit: June 1, 2023
It seems that with each vintage that passes, the wines of Brovia are increasingly enjoyable, and in our opinion they’re one of the producers truly setting the benchmark for Barolo. For us, some of the wines tasted during our visit were clear standouts of the 2019 Barolo vintage. In addition to producing outstanding Barolo, their non-Barolo wines shouldn’t go overlooked. During our visit we tasted the 2021 Dolcetto d’Alba Vignavillej and 2021 Barbera d’Alba Sori del Drago, and both were superb examples of these varieties.
Before the tasting we spoke with Alex a little bit about corks, a complicated subject that we’ve been interested in for some time. Alex stated that thankfully these days TCA in corks isn’t as widespread of an issue as it once was. However, he said what may be worse than TCA is what’s plaguing corks today; other flaws which cause a bottle to be “off” and not show its best. These flaws can’t be tested for using any sort of machinery, chemical analysis, or similar. If a wine is exposed to a bad cork a bottle will not show anywhere near its full potential. If someone’s unfamiliar with the wine they’re tasting, they may think that it’s just a mediocre wine, and never bother to taste it again in the future. Alex opened his phone and showed us a photo of perhaps two or three dozen small glass jars filled with their Arneis and a cork laying down horizontally in each of them. He explained that this is one of the tests that they’ve been performing on their corks to test a sample set and observe how the wines are affected, if at all. He explained that in this test the entire side of the cork is submerged in the wine as we were able to see in the photo. This experiment exposes the wine to a larger surface area of cork compared to in a traditional setting when a bottle is sealed with a cork. Therefore, in theory, if a cork is flawed it should taint the wine faster and in a more extreme way. We’ve spoken to a handful of producers about corks, and Alex is the first person that we’re aware of to conduct an experiment like this one. An experiment which we find very interesting, and from our perspective a brilliant one.
As a side note, Brovia recently completed construction on a brand new magnificent tasting room just across from where their original tasting room was located, which is where we tasted these wines.
*For a more detailed look at this producer we encourage you to visit the links to our 2021 and 2022 visits.
Our Tasting Notes
2021 Dolcetto d’Alba Vignavillej: 80% of the grapes are grown in Brovia’s Brea vineyard in Serralunga d’Alba, and the remainder in Castiglione Falletto. Alex mentioned that Brovia’s Dolcetto d’Alba Vignavillej sees 7-10 days of maceration, and for that reason they chose to release their Dolcetto one year later than most. The nose is fruity and floral, filled with very fresh yet rich notes of crushed red and black berries, tar, and black currants, all of which carries over to the palate which finishes long. Fruit forward, earthy, and floral, with great energy, and vibrant acidity which beautifully compliments its classic Dolcetto tannins.
2021 Barbera d’Alba Sori del Drago: Alex mentioned that in 2021 Barbera yields were down, and as a result they only produced Sori del Drago, whereas they normally also produce a second Barbera known as “Ciaböt del Fi”. The 2021 Sori del Drago was aged exclusively in stainless steel. Aromas of strawberries, raspberries, cherry juice, and blackberries gently lift from the glass and are accented by hints of new leather. This carries over to the palate which is super juicy, packed with soaring acidity, and a persistent finish which tapers off with some citrus tinged notes.
Barolo 2019: Captivating, highly pronounced aromas of roses and cherry blossoms make it feel as though you're holding a bouquet of flowers rather than a glass of wine. These beautiful floral aromas eventually give way to crushed cherries, strawberries, raspberries, baking spices, tar, anise, and licorice. The aromas alone make it difficult to put the glass down. The palate is a striking balance of richness and finesse with flavors of crushed fresh cherries, dried cherries, and cacao. Lively acidity and ultra fine silky, mouth enveloping tannins are beautifully intertwined. Incredibly approachable, almost shockingly so for a young Barolo. This wine is extremely enjoyable now, and already possesses dazzling complexity, but will age beautifully for decades to come and only get better with time. When we tasted this wine originally it truly swept us off our feet, and we knew that we were in for a real treat with the single vineyard Barolo which would follow.
2019 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione: An alluring bouquet filled with crushed red fruits followed by anise and tobacco which draws you in. Each time we revisit the glass new aromas unfold; a burst of roses, cherry blossoms, tar, and baking spice, all of which are also present on the palate. We could sit with a glass for hours and even more would reveal itself over time. Incredibly exotic, deeply captivating, and an absolute kaleidoscope of flavors and aromas. It’s inviting and approachable in every way possible, but possesses the structure to age effortlessly for decades to come. It already possesses mesmerizing complexity, and this will only grow with time. This is a wine which Barolo lovers should not miss. It truly stopped us in our tracks, is without a doubt a standout of the 2019 Barolo vintage, and is certainly one of the greatest new vintage Barolo we’ve tasted from any vintage.
2019 Barolo Villero: Grapes are grown in Castiglione Falletto in the Villero vineyard, which is located approximately 200-300 meters away from Rocche. The 2019 Villero takes time to reveal itself, but with time, gorgeous aromas of flowers, raspberries, cherry blossoms, baking spices, anise, roses, licorice, and a touch of tobacco begin to unravel on this complex and elegant nose. Flavors of fresh cherries and baking spices follow with tiny microscopic tannins which only barely reveal their youth on the finish. The mouthfeel on this wine is incredibly smooth. It’s hard to believe that this is a young Barolo.
2019 Barolo Brea Vigna Ca’Mia: Pronounced flavors and aromas of crushed cherries, leather, and anise blossom in the glass with nuances of baking spices, herbs, and tobacco. The palate is broad, structured, and filled with grippy tannins which cling to the palate and slowly fade alongside a long finish. Tantalizing, highly complex, and overt in nature, this Barolo is not at all shy, yet it’s remarkably elegant. Approachable and enjoyable today, with exceptional aging potential. A Barolo lover's dream, and another standout Barolo of the 2019 vintage.
Our Visit to Brea Vigna Ca’Mia
After our tasting we were joined by Elena and the four of us visited Brovia’s Brea Ca’Mia vineyard in Serralunga d’Alba. Today, the official MGA recognized name of this vineyard is “Brea”, but before the MGA names were defined this vineyard was once called “Ca’Mia”, and for that reason Brovia lists both names on their single vineyard “Barolo Brea Vigna Ca’Mia”. This vineyard is home to the Nebbiolo, Barbera, and Dolcetto vines. A section of the Nebbiolo vines is 30-35 years old, and another section is 60 years old. It was an extremely interesting and informative experience to visit this vineyard particularly after we’d just tasted wines which are made from grapes that are grown in this vineyard. As a side note, the view from the vineyard is absolutely breathtaking.
Thank You
Grazie mille Alex e Elena for the incredible tasting and for showing us the Brea Ca’Mia vineyard. Your wines are truly extraordinary, and we can’t thank you enough for sharing them with us. This is a tasting that we will always remember. We look forward to seeing you again hopefully very soon! A presto!
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