Langhe Nebbiolo DOC “Rosso di Rocca” 2019 – Albino Rocca

The Rocca family has been cultivating Nebbiolo for over a century, but the story of Albino Rocca begins with the vineyards of Giacomo Rocca, where he sold his grapes while starting small scale production. Along with his son, and the namesake of the company, Albino Rocca, they established the company in 1955 in one of the most precious region of Piemonte–Barbaresco. 1971 was the first vintage of Barbaresco produced under the Albino Rocca label. Albino Rocca is composed of four vineyards, approximately eighteen hectares in total, all located in the historic Barbaresco DOCG. Their primary production is Nebbiolo but also includes a little Barbera, Dolcetto, Cortese, Chardonnay, and Moscato. Vigna Ronchi is their oldest vineyard, planted over 50 years ago and containing vines over 70 years old; it is the most representative of the winery’s style. Their other vineyards include Ovello Vigna Loreto, Vigna Montersino, and Vigna Cotta. More recently they have gained their “Green Experience” certification, an achievement granted solely for Piemonte wines with viticultural methods that conserve natural resources and protect the landscape of the region through natural agricultural methods and chemical reduction. The winery’s commitment to ecologically protect began under the late Angelo Rocca and continues to be a defining principle today. Albino’s son, Angelo, began working in the winery at the age of fifteen and grew to become known as “Barbaresco’s free thinker” with a determination to produce high-quality, terroir-driven wines. This new innovative thinking began with Angelo spending time in France learning to sharpen his craft. He ushered in changes including the reduction of vineyard chemical use, the separate vinification of the Ronchi and Loreto vineyards, and different aging techniques. Today, their Barbarescos are aged in large twenty hectolitre neutral oak barrels to highlight the Nebbiolo grape and produce a more elegant, less oaky style. Unfortunately, Angelo Rocca passed away in a tragic accident in 2012. Since his passing, Albino Rocca is run and managed by his three daughters, Daniela, Monica, and Paola, with Angelo’s first student, assistant, and son-in-law, Carlo, as their winemaker. They are committed to the same philosophy of their father in crafting wines that “reflect superior quality that is authentically tied to our territory”.