Cascina Baricchi’s Barbaresco “Rose delle Casasse” Riserva is one of the most remarkable wines to emerge from Piemonte in recent decades. Crafted entirely from the rare Nebbiolo Rosé clone—once a vital component of Barolo and Barbaresco but nearly extinct today—it comes from century‑old vines planted in 1913 on the border of Neive and Treiso. Natale Simonetta, whose lineage traces back to Angelo Gaja’s grandfather, has dedicated himself to preserving this treasure, farming naturally and vinifying with uncompromisingly traditional methods.
This is an absolute must‑buy for Piemontese purists. The SommSelect team had the rare opportunity to taste this wine twice last month—once in our office and again at the importer’s Bay Area trade event. On both occasions, it revealed seamless, ethereal layers of rose petals, lifted aromatics, and beautifully integrated tannins, confirming its place among the most distinctive and unforgettable Barbarescos we’ve encountered.
Simonetta’s approach is resolutely old‑school: grapes are foot‑crushed for gentle extraction, fermented for forty days under capello sommerso, and aged three years in large neutral barrels before bottling with minimal sulfur. This patient, meticulous process yields a wine of haunting perfume and structure, illuminating the delicacy for which Nebbiolo Rosé is prized. Unlike modern, polished Barbarescos, Rose delle Casasse is a throwback to the era when Nebbiolo was celebrated for nuance and transparency rather than sheer power.
The 2018 Riserva is riveting in the glass, opening with pure raspberry, dried roses, rocky earth, and a lift of fresh tangerine. On the palate, it is elegant yet powerful, with fine tannins, fantastic clarity, and a long, perfumed finish that lingers. Jeb Dunnuck awarded it 96 points, praising its elegance and purity, while John Gilman gave it 95 points, highlighting its brilliant aromatic profile and old‑school structure. For collectors and purists alike, Cascina Baricchi’s Rose delle Casasse Riserva is a treasure not to be missed.
Molte Grazie!
96 Points, Jeb Dunnuck:
“Natale Simonnetta’s 2018 Rose delle Casasse Riserva is a stunning young Barbaresco. The wine shows superb depth on the nose, wafting from the glass in a mix of black cherries, sweet dark berries, coffee bean, a nice touch of roasted meats, anise, a complex foundation of dark soil tones, incipient notes of curry, roses and a top note of distant bonfire. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and complex, with a beautiful core of fruit, great soil signature and grip, ripe, buried tannins and impeccable balance on the long, classic finish. This is a great wine in the making, all it needs is sufficient hibernation time to soften up its undercarriage of tannin.”
95 Points, John Gilman:
“The 2018 Barbaresco Riserva Rose delle Casasse offers lovely density and plenty of character. There’s gorgeous depth in the mid-palate. Light fading at the edges and slight mature notes in the bouquet lead me to believe the 2018 will likely be more of a medium-term drinker, its notable presence notwithstanding. Tobacco, dried herbs, mint, leather, cinnamon and dried autumn leaves all develop with a bit of aeration. The 2018 is a gorgeous wine whose only shortcoming is that it tastes a bit older than it should.”
