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 Nebbiolo d'Alba 2021

Like most of the Rocca wines, the Nebbiolo d’Alba derives from a single site—a parcel between Barolo and Barbaresco in the westernmost section of the Seno d'Elvio subzone. Aptly (and nowt to do with Tolkien), this area is known locally as Terra di Mezzo (middle earth). The Nebbiolo vines vary in age from 15 to 60 years, and the Roccas mature this wine for 12 months in large Austrian and German oak casks. Not only does Rocca’s Nebbiolo d’Alba perennially offer outstanding depth and interest for the money, but this ‘baby Barbaresco’ also gives us a preview of what to expect from the Barbaresco to be released next year (a very significant one in this case!), while acting as the perfect, early-drinking understudy.

Albino Rocca Dolcetto d'Alba 2021

Albino Rocca’s Dolcetto d’Alba is drawn from a single vineyard in Barbaresco, a first-rate location with an east to south-east exposure for the most part. The vines were planted in 1960 and 1978. Thanks to the maturity and sensible yields they provide, this wine displays more intensity and texture than many a garden-variety Dolcetto d’Alba. The 2021 was raised in stainless steel for six months.What a cracking Dolcetto. It's a riot of zest and energy, opening with a lovely interplay of summer berries, violets and spice before intensifying on the palate with a plush texture, deftly partnered with perfumed, juicy tannins and mouth-watering freshness. “Lights out”, indeed.

What a cracking Dolcetto. It's a riot of zest and energy, opening with a lovely interplay of summer berries, violets and spice before intensifying on the palate with a plush texture, deftly partnered with perfumed, juicy tannins and mouth-watering freshness. “Lights out”, indeed.

“The 2021 Dolcetto d'Alba captures all the elegance of this late-ripening vintage. Fresh and aromatic, with striking depth, the 2021 is lights out. A burst of dark red cherry, plum, rose petal and lavender lingers on the impossibly long finish. The 2021 is the best Dolcetto here in recent memory.”

91 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous

Albino Rocca Cortese 2020

Overlook Roccas whites at your peril! As far as we know, this unique wine is the only Cortese grown within the boundaries of Barbaresco, so perhaps the fact that the Roccas grow it should be clue enough that we’re on to something special and unique. The one-hectare plot of 40-year-old vines is rooted in Montegrosso d’Asti (in Barbaresco, just south of Asti) on clay and limestone soils. The wine was aged in a mix of stainless steel and mature French oak (just six months in barrel). It’s an engagingly textural white with layers of fresh orchard fruits, saline minerality and some wild herbs, all underpinned by chalky freshness and closing with a twist of grapefruit bitters and phenolic chewiness. Cortese rising! This is a very strong candidate for all manner of seafood and white meat.

It’s an engagingly textural white with layers of fresh orchard fruits, saline minerality and some wild herbs, all underpinned by chalky freshness and closing with a twist of grapefruit bitters and phenolic chewiness. Cortese rising! This is a very strong candidate for all manner of seafood and white meat.

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

Albino Rocca Cortese 2021

Overlook Rocca’s whites at your peril! As far as we know, this unique wine is the only Cortese grown within the boundaries of Barbaresco, so perhaps the fact that the Roccas grow it should be clue enough that we’re onto something special. The one-hectare plot of 40-year-old vines is rooted in Montegrosso d’Asti (in Barbaresco, just south of Asti) on clay and limestone soils. The wine was aged in a mix of stainless steel and mature French oak (just six months in barrel). Angelo Rocca was a great fan of Burgundy and went as far as planting Chardonnay vines in the family’s home village of San Rocco Seno d’Elvio. Yet it’s the estate’s Cortese that stands out for us. Rocca always believed in crafting a structured, food-friendly Cortese from low yields, and his family have taken the wine to another level, weaving in complex mineral-savoury hints, great texture and layers of citrus-pith and spice-flecked fruit. From an outstanding Piemonte vintage, you can expect layers of fresh orchard, ripe white peach and orange oil notes, underpinned by chalky freshness and some phenolic chewiness on the finish.

Albino Rocca Dolcetto d'Alba 2022

Albino Rocca’s Dolcetto d’Alba is drawn from a single vineyard in Barbaresco, a first-rate location with an east-to-southeast exposure for the most part. The vines were planted in 1960 and 1978. Thanks to their maturity and sensible yields, this wine displays more intensity and texture than many a garden-variety Dolcetto d’Alba. The 2022 was raised in stainless steel for six months. What a cracking Dolcetto. It's a riot of zest and energy, opening with a lovely interplay of summer berries, violets and spice before intensifying on the palate with a plush texture, deftly partnered with perfumed, juicy tannins and mouth-watering freshness.

“The 2022 Dolcetto d'Alba is fresh, fruity and very easy to like. A burst of sweet red berry fruit and lifted ﬂoral notes convey unexpected freshness. This mid-weight, vibrant Dolcetto is beautifully done.”

88 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous

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“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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