Date of visit: June 18, 2024
Our most recent trip to Brovia began in the renowned Rocche di Castiglione vineyard located in Castiglione Falletto. The vineyard is one of the marvels of Langhe. Here vines dig deep into sandy soils, miraculously cling to the staggeringly steep hillside, and produce some of the most captivating Barolo there is. This is by far the steepest vineyard that we’ve seen in Langhe. In fact, the vineyard is more reminiscent of the edge of a cliff than it is a vineyard.
The soil that you see in the photos is sand, though it looks more like stones which are stacked due to the densely compacted nature of it, and the different color soil bands. As you can see, portions are nearly white while other sections are brown or silver in color. This was really incredible to see up close.
The bottom portion of the vineyard's terraces are reinforced with metal rods and nets to protect against erosion, and maintain humidity in the soils. To our knowledge this is the only terraced vineyard in Langhe, and it’s a necessity due to its extremely steep nature.
The vineyard is shaped like a perfect amphitheater with southeastern exposure which soaks up every single ray of sunshine. As we walked up and down the vineyard and through the rows you could immediately feel the power of the sun basking down upon you.
Elena and Alex describe Rocche as “magical”, and it really is. This is a perfect environment for Nebbiolo to thrive in, and is unlike any other vineyard that we’ve visited.
After our visit to Rocche it was time to taste.
Tasting notes:
2019 Antërsè Metodo Classico Extra Brut: This is the first vintage of this wine, and to our knowledge the first time that Brovia has produced a sparkling wine. Antërsè, in Piedmontese means “to weave”. The name was chosen, because the wine weaves together three indigenous varieties; Barbera 50-60%, Nebbiolo 30-40%, and Freisa 10%, all of which are harvested on the same day. The grapes are all pressed together, spend 4.5 hours on their skins, are fermented and aged in stainless steel, and spend 50 months on their lees. At the time we tasted this wine, just 100 bottles had been disgorged, which took place in September 2023. 1,600-1,700 bottles were produced.
In the glass the wine has a beautiful onion skin like appearance with salmon colored reflections. The nose delivers aromas of white flowers, brioche, wheat, and some citrus. On the palate it’s incredibly lively, energetic, and delivers flavors of tart grapefruit, with incredibly fine, soft, and mouth enveloping perlage, which leaves the palate completely refreshed. This finishes clean, and very persistent. Very complex, structured, and impeccably balanced. This tastes like Langhe. A truly beautiful representation of terroir, and the varieties this is made from. What an outstanding wine.
As a side note, we happen to love that Brovia made the decision to produce this wine from indigenous varieties. This wine is a testament to the fact that exceptional sparkling wine doesn’t necessarily have to be made from the usual suspects; Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. As much as we love sparkling wine produced from the aforementioned varieties, it’s nice to see a Langhe sparkling being produced from varietals native to Langhe.
2022 Dolcetto d’Alba Vignavillej: Made mostly from vines planted in Serralunga d’Alba, and a small portion from Castiglione Falletto. Made 100% in stainless steel. Aromas of new leather, crushed juicy red and black fruits, cherries, and blackberries, all of which are also represented on the palate, which is very juicy, with supple tannins, fresh acidity, and a very clean and persistent finish.
2022 Barbera d’Alba Sori del Drago: Made 100% in stainless steel. Fresh crushed raspberries, cherries, pomegranates, and wild strawberries, on both the nose and the palate, backed by lively acidity, and a pleasant inner sweetness.
2020 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione: Fresh, juicy, fruit-forward aromas rise from the glass accented by notes of roses, anise, flowers, red berries, and hibiscus, with a very faint whisper of leather and tar, all of which carries over to the palate. Juicy and lively, with silky soft, but powerful tannins, and vibrant acidity. Very elegant and expressive. Approachable and enjoyable today, but we suspect this will reward those who wait a few years, where this wine will truly shine. This is always a stunning Barolo.
2020 Barolo Villero: It’s so interesting to taste this immediately after tasting Rocche, because these two Barolo couldn’t be more different, and we enjoy both immensely. Aromas of dried flowers, licorice, anise, ripe strawberries, raspberries, and new leather. Flavors of cranberries, dried red berries, cherry juice, ripe wild strawberries, and a hint of tobacco leaves are complemented by vibrant acidity, and super fine tannins which gently grip on the finish. Today this is a bit more overt, and showy than the Rocche, but equally approachable.
2020 Barolo Brea Vigna Ca’Mia: It’s always fascinating to taste Brovia’s Barolo side by side. For the reason being, their single vineyard wines are all made identical to one another, the only difference is the vineyard site.Therefore, the differences (which can be quite stark), are a result of only the terroir. As a result, tasting these Barolo side by side is always one of the most interesting tastings for us.
Completely different from Rocche di Castiglione and Villero. The nose delivers notes of licorice, spice, minerals, and iron. This is richer in style and has greater concentration than Rocche di Castiglione and Villero, which is typical of Brea Vigna Ca’Mia based on previous vintages we tasted, and is typical of Serralunga d’Alba in general. However, despite the wine's power, it remains impeccably balanced. The palate has vibrant acidity, with notes of dried red fruits, cherries, and iron, which slowly expand on the palate, and pleasantly linger. A beautiful wine capable of lengthy aging, which will become increasingly enjoyable in years to come.
2021 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione (from barrel): When we tasted this wine it hadn’t been racked yet. Alex said he will likely bottle this next month (July 2024). Quite different from the 2020 vintage tasted earlier; more power and energy, with a greater concentration of fruit on the nose and palate, as well as more depth. Pronounced notes on licorice, roses, and tar. The tannins are of course more aggressive given the wine's youth, but are still silky and very well balanced. This is an absolutely magnificent Barolo that we’re very much looking forward to tasting again once bottled. We suspect that this will have extraordinary cellaring potential. This has a very long life ahead of it. WOW!
Thank You
Grazie mille Elena and Alex for showing us Rocche di Castiglione. This is an experience that we’ll never forget. Thank you so much for inviting us back to taste with you, and sharing your amazing wines with us. You are too kind! We hope to see you again very soon. A presto!
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