Winefriend by David Way

Writing about the wines of Piemonte, Italy and France

Bruno Rocca – above all the land

Having finished the posts from Vinitaly, we return to our week in the Langhe, home of the famous wines of Barbaresco and Barolo.  The message at Bruno Rocca’s family winery in Barbaresco is clear.  However much they are completing an impressive new winery under the current house, the heart of the matter is the land.Barbaresco vineyard

It is only now after three decades that the new winery has become a priority. Until then it was buying the best possible sites.  Daughter and marketing manager Luisa explains: her father, of course, has to sit in the office at times but always with a sense of impatience, he would always rather be in the vineyard.  Or, as the brochure says, ‘The wine which grows here is the mirror and soul of its land’  – to translate the Italian version very literally. 

Thirty years ago the previous generation was selling wines in demijohns and now the new winery nears completion.  Such is the speed of change when you get the basics right.   And Bruno Rocca has been happy to learn from others including a period in Burgundy.  Not only is the Cote d’Or not that far away (give or take IMG_4841the odd range of Alps) but the similarities are very obvious: many, small family wineries; a smallish wine zone with seemingly infinite if minuscule variations of terroir; passion for the local and the particular; red wines of subtlety and elegance.  The recent conference in Alba which focused on Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo was on to something.  If they had added Sangiovese, some of us would have been in wine heaven! 

Bruno Rocca has a full range of wines – no less than four Barbaresco, a red blend, two Barbera, a Dolcetto and – perhaps with a nod to Burgundy again – a Chardonnay.  We chose to go on the red route.  It is always interesting to taste the Dolcetto because it tells you about winemaking standards.  All the attention in the Langhe is on the wines made from Nebbiolo and after that Barbera.  The Dolcetto, made for drinking young, is a lovely purply red, with quite a dark cherry nose, quite complex, very drinkable indeed. It carries its vineyard name, Trifolé, truffle in the local dialect. 

 The second red, Langhe DOC Rabajolo,  is a blend and contains – shock, horror – Cabernet Sauvignon!  50% of the Bordelaise foreigner, plus 25% each of Nebbiolo and Barbera.  Bruno Rocca himself appears just in time to explain that he thinks the Cabernet ripens well here and loses its greenness.  Certainly, after the deep ruby red colour, the aroma is of ripe fruit, not typically mint and blackcurrant.  The wine has spent 16 months in barriques in their first and second years of use.  The Barbera makes a big contribution to this wine, which does have that characteristic Italian edge of bitterness.

  The final wine has to be Barbaresco of course, in this case, the cru Rabajà 2007 – this seems right given we have been driving up and down the Rabajà road to reach the various wineries, but we had vehicle policy coverage in case anything happens. The 2007 had just been released and like all Nebbiolo is pale ruby red with a characteristic orange tinge, even in relative youth.   It has spent 18 months in barriques and a further 12 at least in the bottle.   The maturation in the future will be in the fine, traditional brick-built cellar with its wonderful barrel roof.  After some clove and spice notes, the fine red fruit is prominent, very rounded and already well integrated, but also some hazelnut and butteriness.  Very refined, complex, a fitting climax to the visit. 

But we must return to the land.  Others can give a technical explanation of why it is so suited to fine red wine production.  We can enjoy meeting the people, tasting the wines and being surrounded by a very beautiful landscape. 

Majestic landscape of the Alps

Many thanks to Bruno and Luisa Rocca.  The wines are available in the UK via Liberty Wines.

Luisa Rocca

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