Pre Arrival Brovia Barolo "Rocche di Castiglione" 2021

96 VM

Notes:

The 2021 Barolo Roche di Castiglione is a classic Brovia wine from this site. Aromatic, sculpted and vibrant in the glass, the 2021 has so much to offer. Crushed flowers, vibrant red/purplish fruit, rose petal, mint and cinnamon are all beautifully lifted. There's gorgeous inner sweetness that emerges over time. Silky, beautifully ripe tannins pull it all together on the closer. As always, Roche is the most charming and sensual of the Barolos in this range. If I had to pick just one wine to encapsulate what Brovia is all about, the Roche di Castiglione would be it. Superb Vinous Media 96

Producer: Brovia is a historic family estate in Castiglione Falletto, founded in 1863 and today best known for its traditional approach to Barolo and its holdings in some of the commune’s most important vineyards. Rocche di Castiglione has a particularly long history at the domaine: Brovia has bottled it separately since 1970, making it the estate’s first single-MGA Barolo. The wine follows the classic Brovia approach—long maceration, spontaneous fermentation and maturation in large-format oak rather than small new barrels.
Vineyard: Rocche di Castiglione is a steep, southeast-facing MGA in Castiglione Falletto. Brovia farms approximately 1.5 hectares, divided among nine parcels, with vines planted in 1966. The vineyard sits around 300–350 meters above sea level and is particularly notable for its high proportion of white sand. Wine Advocate identifies both Diano sandstone and Sant’Agata Fossili Marl in the site. The combination of steep slopes, sandy soils and southeast exposure has long distinguished Rocche from Brovia’s other Barolo vineyards. The estate harvests the vineyard entirely by hand.
Winemaking: The wine is 100% Nebbiolo and the fruit is completely destemmed. Fermentation begins spontaneously in concrete vats, followed by an extended 21–30 day maceration. Malolactic fermentation also occurs spontaneously. Brovia then matures Rocche di Castiglione for 24 months in large French and Slavonian oak botti. The estate technical sheet specifies 30-hectoliter casks, while Wine Advocate reports 40-hectoliter casks for the 2021. The wine is produced using free-run juice and is bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Technical Details: 100% Nebbiolo. Barolo DOCG. Rocche di Castiglione MGA, Castiglione Falletto, Piedmont, Italy. Approximately 1.5 hectares of southeast-facing vines planted in 1966. Predominantly sandy soils. Manual harvest. Completely destemmed. Spontaneous fermentation in concrete. 21–30 days maceration. 24 months in large French and Slavonian oak botti. Unfined and unfiltered. Approximately 5,000–5,500 bottles are produced. The 2021 is listed at 14.5% alcohol.
Food Pairing: The structure and acidity of Nebbiolo make this particularly well suited to braised beef, roast lamb, wild boar, tajarin with truffles or mushrooms, porcini risotto and aged cheeses. Traditional Piedmontese dishes such as brasato al Barolo would be a natural match.