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.

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Albino Rocca Barbaresco 2020

In addition to its classic source—a parcel of old vines in Meruzzano—Rocca’s Barbaresco now takes in a selection of young-vine fruit from two Barbaresco Cru parcels: Ronchi and Cottà. These sources, along with the winemaking—three weeks on skins and maturation exclusively in large Stockinger botti for 24 months—mean we can expect a pretty serious wine at this level.It’s a terrific introduction to the year. From the off, you can sense the presence of the fleshy power and precision that characterised Rocca’s 2019 Barbarescos. The nose already shows great aromatic charm with red fruit purity, flecked by floral prettiness and lifted spice. The palate is vibrant and fleshy, more ‘filled out’ than 2019, and crammed with graceful flow cosseted by fine, mouthcoating tannins and wonderful freshness. It finishes on a Campari note with great length. It all adds up to an excellent vintage for this cuvée.

“The 2020 Barbaresco is lovely. A wine of charm, the 2020 shows how appealing the vintage is. Crushed ﬂowers, mint, spice, blood orange and mint are all nicely delineated. This mid-weight, vibrant Barbaresco is impeccable. It's a gorgeous entry-level offering from Albino Rocca.”

92 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous

"Red fruits, mint, lavender, orange peel, spice. It’s medium-bodied, light and crisp, almost a cranberry crunchiness to it, a little amaro tang in with the red fruits, moderate peppery grip to tannin, with a lively finish of good length. Nice."

93 points, Gary Walsh, The Wine Front

Albino Rocca Barbaresco Ronchi 2020

This celebrated, limestone-rich Barbaresco Cru runs along the southern belt of the appellation, near the town itself. The Rocca cellars are located just above this southeast-facing vineyard—one of the reasons the site has become synonymous with the name Albino Rocca. Ronchi is also the oldest and largest holding of the estate, extending to almost six hectares (three of Nebbiolo)—roughly a third of the total area of the Cru. With Rocca’s Nebbiolo vines here now aged between 50 and 70 years, this vineyard offers an ideal combination of vine age, deep clay and limestone soils and southeast exposure. It’s no surprise that it consistently produces some of Barbaresco’s greatest wines, wildly aromatic and rich in complexity and structure.

“The 2020 Barbaresco Ronchi stands out in this range for its breadth and textural resonance. There's gorgeous palate presence. Sweet red plum, blood orange, spice, new leather and incense ﬁll out the layers. It’s a compelling wine in every way, and one that handles its alcohol quite well.”

95 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous

“This is red-fruited and floral with citrus peel, rose petals and some undergrowth notes. Medium-bodied, polished and delicate with fine tannins and fresh cherry-fruit in the middle. Very attractive.”

93 points, James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

“The style is fairly reductive, with a menthol character, dark cherry fruit and minerals on the savoury nose. Full of sucrosity on the palate, with crunchy tannins of good ripeness, refreshing, lively, brilliant acidity and an amazing liquorice aftertaste with a zip of sternness which is welcome at this stage. From a vineyard with southeast exposure planted between 1950 and 1980, this ages for at least 20 months in German and Austrian oak casks.”

93 points, Aldo Fiordelli, Decanter

"Has a bit of a whole bunch Pinot Noir character about it, was my first impression. Cherry, dried herbs, citrus peel, almost a salty samphire sort of thing. It’s red fruited, blood orange, sappy and tangy, a little bit warm in alcohol perhaps, with a savoury finish of good length. Different."

92 points, Gary Walsh, The Wine Front

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.

Albino Rocca Barbera d’Alba Superiore Gepin 2020

The name of this wine is taken from the previous farmer. Gepin tended these old parcels of Barbera in the great crus of Ronchi (Barbaresco) and Cottà (Neive), planted between 1950 and 1974.This wine has improved out of sight in recent vintages (in part thanks to enhanced barrel integration) and has now become a regular in our portfolio. Where the classic Barbera is raised in tank, the Gepin matures for 12 months in low-impact, large Austrian casks (from you know who) and is bottled unfiltered.This is a very classy Barbera, a ripe, pure and pulpy wonder with the kind of intensity and length seldom found in the regular DOC, where the best sites are often reserved for Nebbiolo. Plum, black cherry and raspberry fruit are framed by savoury tannins, chalky grip and the tangy acidity typical of the variety. Textural and full-bodied, the balance is sublime. It finishes with impressive length and precision. We might be in benchmark territory here—Galloni's note does not oversell the quality.

This is a very classy Barbera, a ripe, pure and pulpy wonder with the kind of intensity and length seldom found in the regular DOC, where the best sites are often reserved for Nebbiolo. Plum, black cherry and raspberry fruit are framed by savoury tannins, chalky grip and the tangy acidity typical of the variety. Textural and full-bodied, the balance is sublime. It finishes with impressive length and precision. We might be in benchmark territory here—Galloni's note does not oversell the quality.

“The 2020 Barbera d'Alba Superiore Gepin is deep, flavorful with tons of character. It emerges from the Cottà cru, where the wines are naturally rich and creamy. Black cherry, plum, chocolate, leather and incense all open nicely. A year of aging in cask adds structure. What I like most about the 2020 is the combination of fruit intensity and depth, but in the restrained, classic style that is the norm here these days.”

94 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous

Albino Rocca Barbaresco Ovello Vigna Loreto 2020

Barbaresco’s Ovello Cru spans a ridge with both slopes of the crest planted to vines. Within this large Cru are several delimited parcels (historical plots, if you like). Rocca’s Vigna Loreto is one of them, a tiny plot that is effectively a monopole. Vines here are around 45 years old, and the fruit was first vinified as a separate bottling in 1990. Sitting on the sunnier, southwestern side of the ridge, these vines directly face the moderating influence of the Tanaro River, so the nights are much cooler than on the other side of the Cru. The clay and limestone soils are also sandier and lighter than in the rest of Ovello, giving the wines here far more finesse. On the other hand, vines from Loreto must be cropped at 10 hl/ha less than other Ovello vines if the wine is bottled under the parcel name, so this wine balances its finesse with real density. As in most years, you get Ronchi’s architecture and Cottà’s prettiness here.

“The 2020 Barbaresco Ovello Vigna Loreto is a bright, nervy Barbaresco. Kirsch, dried ﬂowers, chalk, mint and white pepper give the 2020 its distinctive upper register. This mid-weight, vibrant Barbaresco needs time to soften. It is the most reticent of these wines.”

93 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous

"Sweet cherry, spice, quite some potpourri perfume, liquorice. I like the flesh and juiciness here, plenty of cherry and spice, but also pleasing dusty stony grip to fine tannin, with a bright finish of excellent length. Such charm. Lovely. My kind of wine."

94 points, Gary Walsh, The Wine Front

Albino Rocca Barbaresco Angelo 2019

This producer has been through an incredible journey in recent years. The sudden passing of the family patriarch, Angelo Rocca, in 2012 was obviously the catalyst. Angelo was already moving the estate back to a more classic 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 Rocca sisters formulated the idea of making a wine in the way it had been done back in Albino’s day. The first release of the Angelo Barbaresco was such a success that it has inspired evolution across all the wines and two new wooden fermenters are now at the winery.Angelo is a small blend of fruit from selected parcels across the estate. It was given a lunga macerazione (50 days on skins using a submerged cap) in a large-format, specially designed Stockinger wooden fermenter. The wine was then aged for 24 months in a single 2,000-litre cask. The blend is typically 50% Ronchi, 25% Ovello and 25% Montersino. It has been described by Galloni as a “Brunate of Barbaresco”, which gives you some insight into the quality on offer here.As you would expect, when young, the 2019 Angelo is the most complex and brooding of Rocca’s 2019 Barbarescos. Given time, the wine’s ethereal structure and lush, red-fruited succulence will mesh nicely with the layers of dried florals, deep spice and earthy depth. In the meantime, there is something charmingly ‘old school’ that the extended maceration has brought; something indescribably complex too. Yet, the wine remains magically fresh, pure and refined, with the supporting structure hovering in the background. Tasted last week, it’s already looking more seductive than Galloni’s note (October 22) suggests.

As you would expect, when young, the 2019 Angelo is the most complex and brooding of Rocca’s 2019 Barbaresco’s. Given time, the wine’s ethereal structure and lush, red-fruited succulence will mesh nicely with the layers of dried florals, deep spice and earthy depth. In the meantime, there is something charmingly ‘old school’ that the extended maceration has brought; something indescribably complex too. Yet, the wine remains magically fresh, pure and refined, with the supporting structure hovering in the background. Tasted last week, it’s already looking more seductive than Galloni’s note (October 22) suggests.

“The 2019 Barbaresco Angelo is a blend from Ronchi, Montersino and Ovello, co-fermented, done with extended submerged cap maceration that can go as long as 50-60 days. It offers remarkable depth in an elegant, transparent style that is hugely appealing. Sweet red cherry, kirsch, mint and raspberry all come together. Interestingly, it is the most reticent of the Barbarescos.”

94+ points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous

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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, Piemonte

People

Winemakers: The Rocca family & Carlo Castellengo

Availability

National

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Albino Rocca
It’s no secret that 2021 was a dazzling vintage for Piemonte. In the glass, this transl...

It’s no secret that 2021 was a dazzling vintage for Piemonte. In the glass, this translates as manna from heaven for Nebbiolo lovers, and a set of ...

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