Description

Albino Rocca Barbaresco comes from old vines in Meruzzano with younger fruit from Ovello, Ronchi and Cotta. The wine is macerated for 3 weeks on skins and aged in botti for 24 months. This is a graceful and somewhat approachable Barbaresco. The flavours are deep and rich, and feel welcoming. Albino Rocca Barbaresco is very expressive of the region while young, it’ll evolve over the mid-term too.

Albino Rocca Barbaresco 2018, and all wines are eligible for at least 5% off any six bottles. And 10% off any 12 bottles. Some wines will be at a more significant discount and not subject to further discounts.

Albino Rocca was known for making attractive, young drinking Barbaresco. His family estate in now run by its 4th generation. They have vines in many Crus of Barbaresco and parts of Alba and Langhe. Albino Rocca makes great wines that taste classic for the region and are approachable at a young age.

Albino Rocca Barbaresco 2018 Wine Review

Brunce Sanderson
Wine Spectator
94 Points

“A beam of pure cherry is the hallmark of this round, supple red. Floral, mint, mineral and tobacco notes add depth as this unfolds gracefully to a lingering finish. This is firmly structured, yet balanced, with an aftertaste of fruit and wild herbs, tar and a chalky feel.”

Barbaresco DOCG

Often overshadowed by the more famous Barolo. Barbaresco is also 100% Nebbiolo but only requires 2 years aging (4 for Riserva). The vintages seem to be the same for both regions but the Barbaresco wines tend to be more elegant and of lighter body. The villages here are Treviso, Nieve and Barbaresco.

Nebbiolo

They are famously producing long-lived red wines. Light of colour, but abundant in tannin. Barolo and Barbaresco are the pinnacles of Nebbiolo. But many local and international regions are catching up. Typical flavours include tar, roses, anise, cherry, blackberry and truffle.

Italian Wine

There are 1000s and 1000s of grapes in Italy. There are sub-alpine cool-climate regions in the North, and Sun-baked vineyards in the South. Add to that, volcanoes and many cultures within one Country. You could struggle to find anything uniform about the wines. The best of the best include Tuscan reds from Sangiovese or Cabernet. Nebbiolo from Piedmont, especially Barolo and Barbaresco. The aromatic whites of NE Italy from Garganega, Pinot Grigio, and numerous crazy blends. The volcanic wines of Mt Etna in Sicily. And many more.

The only generalisation I will make is that a lot of Italian wine is undervalued when compared to a similar French style.

Wine

Wine is the result you get from fermented grape juice. There is proof of wine production dating back 8000 years ago. Fashions, innovations and many other factors have influenced the way wine has evolved over the years.

The wine grape is special. It contains everything you need to make grape wine except for the yeast, which lives on the outside of the skins.

Human inputs can influence the final product, including the viticulture (growing) choices. And the winemaker can shape the wine to a point too.

The best wines of the world often refer to terroir. Terroir is a French term that refers to all the climatic, geological and topographical influences on a specific piece of land. And it is true that neighbouring vineyards, grown identically, can taste noticeably different.

Red Wine

Fun fact; most of the colour for wines comes from the skins. There are only a handful of grapes that have red juice. Alicante is the most well known of these grapes.

By macerating the juice on the skins, the wine gains tannins, and flavours. Certain compounds change the chemistry of the wine too.

Red wines tend to have higher alcohol. More tannin and more oak flavours compared to other styles of wine. But the thousands of grapes and terroirs they grow in influence this.

The Wine Depository

I, Phil, have been running The Wine Depository since 2011. The Wine Depository exists to make sure you are drinking the good wines. You can browse and pick what is interesting to you. Or you can make contact with me. I’ll make sure you get what you want, to your palate, to your budget and to your door.