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There is the sense that time has stood still at the 18 century La Ca` Nova cascina of the Rocca family which is located atop the famous Montestefano vineyard just as you enter into the village of Barbaresco. This “new cascina” is about 150 years old new. Since that time, the Rocca family has been the custodian of this estate and pretty much kept things unchanged. It is still run in a family manner by Marco Rocca, his brother, father and uncle. It’s a farming family that’s remained pretty much as it always was.
In an era in which producers enlarge their estates and tractor drive throughout the appellation, the Rocca are definitively old school and as close to home as they have always been. They tractor out directly into the vineyard and that’s it.
The Rocca’s have the fortune of owning over 12 hectares of Nebbiolo for Barbaresco on two of the appellation’s finest cru vineyards: Montefico, and especially the hill top crest of the vineyard called Bric Mentin, and Montestefano. The remainder of their vineyards are immediately adjacent in Ovello. The two cru are each bottled separately and a combination of Ovello, Montefico and Montstefano make up the regular Barbaresco.
Aging and making of the wines is traditional and pure. It’s all about pure vineyard expression with no interference. The taster will always recognize the tell tale signs of the chalky, minty, floral Montefico and the darker, exotic, incense-like Montestefano. To those accustomed to wines made in a more manipulated style, the intense, almost pungent aromas might startle at first. But let them settle and these wines will reveal extraordinary and individual, vineyard characteristics.
Wines
Barbaresco
Wonderfully open-knit and inviting. Sweet red cherry, kirsch, mint, spice and white pepper make a strong opening statement.
Montestefano
Warm, rich and inviting. Black cherry, plum, sage, lavender, menthol, licorice and spice take on exotic shades of expression.
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