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If you are new to this Bibendum staple, Rosso di Rocca is 97% Nebbiolo with a smattering of Cabernet Franc. The Nebbiolo hails from a vineyard at Magliano Alfieri in the first hills of the Roero region. The vines were planted in 1967 and 2002, and the family purchased the parcel in 2016. The Cabernet Franc comes from 20-year-old estate vines in Barbaresco. Roero’s sandy soils give a lighter, brighter, earlier-drinking wine than the Rocca Nebbiolo d’Alba—a Nebbiolo party in a glass. The wine’s upbringing (solely in tank) and early bottling help keep to this theme.
The apple never falls far from the tree here. The 2023 is typically lip-smacking, perfumed and crackling with energy. It has a red-fruited sweetness almost reminiscent of Pinot Noir but with a firmer backbone of mouth-watering acidity and tannin. And it is ludicrously good at the price.