Albino Rocca, Barbaresco, Angelo, 2015

 Tasting Note: Forest floor, woodland berry, crushed herb and dark culinary-spice aromas set the tone. The tight focused palate offers crushed strawberry, red cherry, liquorice and a hint of exotic spice while firm fine-grained tannins provide the backbone.

Drink 2025–2035.

Country: Italy Region: Piedmont ABV: 14%  Bottle Size: 75cl

Sustainable viticulture  Organic 

Additional Information: The 2015 Barbaresco Angelo is a blend of fruit mostly from Ronchi with pieces of Montersino and Loreto that sees 55 days on the skins. Crushed rose petals, cedar and dried herb notes are pushed forward, while the fruit is initially more restrained in its expression.

Time in the glass brings out the wine's pedigree as well as the raciness and natural richness of the year. There is so much to like here.

The story of Albino Rocca dates back to the 1940s when Albino’s father Giacomo started selling grapes from the family vineyards before beginning to bottle and sell his own wines. 

In the 1960s Albino founded the modern winery and laid the foundations for the thriving family business which is today run by his grandchildren.

Over the years the family have expanded their vineyard holdings to incorporate prime parcels in Neive and San Rocco Seno d’Elvio as well as Barbaresco. This is their magnificent Barbaresco from the prized Ronchi vineyard which was planted over 50 years ago and boasts vines of up to 70 years of age.

The Rocca family only make their Barbaresco Ronchi in the finest vintages in very limited quantities. To help express the intense and complex character of the Nebbiolo grape, the young wine is aged in 20 hectolitre Austrian and German oak barrels for 20 months followed by a further 9 months of ageing in the bottle. The result is an incredibly multi-layered, concentrated wine which continues to evolve and open up in the glass throughout the evening.

Pair With: hearty game dishes such as a hearty venison ragu served over polenta or wintery stews.