Bruno Rocca Barbaresco Rabaja DOCG 2015

Description

“… Bruno Rocca is without question one of the hottest estates in Barbaresco right now. And my feeling is that Francesco Rocca (Bruno’s son and Luisa’s brother) is just getting started.”  Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media.

In the late 1950s, Bruno Rocca’s father Francesco, and his wife Maria Adelaide purchased a vineyard in Rabajà and moved there from the centre of Barbaresco. This marked the beginning, in particular for Bruno, who from a very early age began to view the grapes as the true expression of the land. In 1978 Bruno decided to carve out a new direction, rather than selling the grapes to large Barbaresco producers, Bruno began to sell bottled wine on the Italian and world stage. The philosophy of wine as the natural expression of the Barbaresco territory was widely appreciated, and with the estate’s gradual growth came the purchase of new plots of land and the expansion of the cellar, which continues today with Bruno’s children Francesco and Luisa now both closely involved in all aspects of the wine production and sales respectively. Organic farming with certification ; 100% estate grown fruit; minimal intervention and sparing use of French oak usually less than 10% new oak across production. The Bruno Rocca company philosophy is clear, as Rocca himself affirms: “Wine is the mirror and soul of the ground, and the territory, if protected and defended, it will never let you down.”

Nebbiolo 100% from revered Rabajà Cru in the village of Barbaresco. Clay soils with marl and limestone. 50-60 year old vines. 12 months French oak.

93+ points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous “… surprisingly accessible for such a young wine from this revered site in Barbaresco. There is plenty of Rabajà impact and density, and yet the 2015 has a certain charm and seductiveness to it that is impossible to miss. It will be interesting to see if the 2015 shuts down at some point in bottle. Given the natural power and structure of Rabajà, I suspect that will happen. Even in this warm, radiant vintage, the 2015 delivers tons of Rabajà character, although naturally with the friendlier personality that is typical of the year.”

94+ points, Monica Larner, Wine Advocate “Bruno Rocca and his family have moved the release of this wine forward by six months. Given the importance of its structure and the complexity of the bouquet, it is more similar to a Barolo in their judgement and can therefore use more time to integrate in the cellar … a beautiful wine, and the Rocca family never disappoints. This estate is at the top of a list of my favourite Barbaresco producers. This gorgeous achievement showcases fine mineral nuances stitched firmly throughout the generous fruity fibre of the wine. This part of Rabaja has cool, heavy soils and is west-facing and therefore does well in hot vintages such as 2015.”

**Very limited**