Current Ronchi proprietor Giancarlo Rocca, whom we’ve profiled countless times, presides over roughly seven hectares (16 acres) of vineyards in total. The Ronchi winery is based in the town of Barbaresco proper, with the family home perched atop the cru vineyard of the same name (for the Italian wine experts out there, the “Ronchi” vineyard is bordered by “Montestefano” to the north and “Moccagatta” to the south).
This gorgeously perfumed 2020 is a luminous garnet-red with crimson and pink reflections, with textbook Barbaresco aromas of black cherry, red currant, rose petal, licorice, sandalwood, leather, and underbrush. It is medium-plus in body, with ripe but firm tannins that frame the fruit and lend that inimitable Barbaresco backbone. The wine displays beautiful finesse but also serious persistence, and it is crying out for a pairing with a nice osso buco or truffle risotto.