Region: Barbaresco, Piedmont, Italy

Varietal: 100% Nebbiolo

Tasting notes: Giancarlo Rocca makes this Barbaresco with fruit from the Ronchi MGA, where his winery is located, as well as from several other estate vineyards. He ages the wine in large Slavonian casks to retain pure flavors of freshly crushed cherry, raspberry and orange peel. The wine feels focused and integrated, gaining warm spice notes and a hint of forest floor with exposure to air even as the fruit flavors remain tangy and mouthwatering.

Producer: Hand-crafted from field to bottle, craft shared as tradition from generation to generation—this is what makes Barbaresco from Azienda Agricola Ronchi so special. Winemaker Giancarlo Rocca and three generations of the Rocca clan live in a house built by the family, surrounded by ‘Ronchi’ cru vines. This natural amphitheater not only captures the sun to push Nebbiolo to perfect ripeness but also is stunningly picturesque.

Vineyard and Winemaking: Although the Rocca family has been a fixture in Barbaresco for decades, their peerless Nebbiolo wines are still an insider’s find. The “Ronchi” cru runs along the southern edge of the appellation, near the historic town of Barbaresco. Bordered by ‘Montestefano’ to the north, where Nebbiolo shows a deep complexity and elegant tannins, and ‘Moccagatta’ to the south, the source of silky Nebbiolo with delicate yet intense perfumes, ‘Ronchi’ combines the best of all these attributes in a wine that is unforgettable.