It’s baaaack: A three-pack containing single-vineyard Barolo of the highest possible pedigree, from one of the region’s reference-point estates. Get ready for a one-stop master class on the terroir of Castiglione Falletto, where the Brovia family continuously produced wine for more than 150 years. This three-pack—of which we have very few—is for the Barolo fanatics, the passionate few who thrill to the subtleties that distinguish wines from different vineyard sites.
The three wines featured—bottlings from “Rocche di Brovia” and “Villero,” in Castiglione Falletto, and “Ca’Mia,” Brovia’s parcel of the “Brea” cru in Serralunga d’Alba—are produced in such tiny quantities that we don’t always get a shot at them, and even when we do, there isn’t usually enough to merit a full-blown offer on SommSelect. So, we assemble the few bottles we get into three-packs and throw them to the wolves. While your best move would be to grab one and stow it away for at least five years before opening any one bottle, it would also be an unforgettable experience to pull the corks on all three and taste them side-by-side with friends. Either way, Brovia is the epitome of soulful, “old school” Barolo; this is one of Barolo’s founding families, making the kinds of wines that are staples in the cellars of the savviest collectors.
Today, the estate is run by fourth-generation sisters, Cristina and Elena Brovia, along with Elena’s husband, Alex Sanchez. The family’s pride is its enviable collection of top vineyard sites, all of them organically farmed and most located in the village of Castiglione Falletto: Perhaps the best-known is “Villero,” a southwest-facing cru known for powerful, brooding wines, but there’s also the well-known “Rocche” and “Garblèt Sué” (a.k.a. “Bricco Fiasco”) sites. In the village of Serralunga, the Brovias farm a piece of the “Brea” vineyard, called “Ca’Mia,” and the family bottles their four individual “crus” separately and releases them as the estate’s premium-priced, top wines.
These are all resolutely “traditional” Barolos, aged in large oak casks (most of them French now, rather than Slavonian) and structured for long, graceful aging. Yet while the Brovias are very much in the elite company of classicists like Bartolo Mascarello, Giacomo Conterno, and Bruno Giacosa, their wines have never shot up as dramatically in price as those others. At the same time, each of the cru wines in this three-pack are exceedingly rare, making the value proposition here that much more impressive.
Make sure to give these 2017s a healthy one-hour-plus decant if consuming now; otherwise, be assured they all have at least 20 years of positive evolution ahead—so pick your spots! Here’s a look at the vineyards:
“Rocche di Brovia,” a.k.a. “Rocche di Castiglione” is arguably the most finessed and approachable of the three wines, hailing from a site that faces southeast and sits at an altitude of about 350 meters. The 1.5 hectare Brovia site has a sandier composition than many sites in Castiglione Falletto, which may account for its more refined tannins. Only about 1,200 bottles are exported to the US each vintage.
“Ca’Mia,” is the Brovia family’s parcel of the “Brea” vineyard in Serralunga d’Alba, their only cru holding in that village. It has a similar elevation and aspect to that of “Rocche,” but its limestone-rich soils deliver a broader, darker style of wine. It may be the ‘biggest’ Barolo in the group, with an annual production of about 3,500 bottles (of which 1,200 make it to the US).
“Villero” is arguably the most important cru in Castiglione Falletto, thanks not only to this powerfully structured beauty from Brovia but from Vietti’s similarly long-lived benchmark from the site. Facing southwest, with soils combining marl and sandstone, this is the vineyard that produces the wines with the most longevity and breed—truly operatic Baroli for the most special occasions.
Take your time and savor every sip—this is the very top of the Barolo pyramid. Cheers!
