A decade ago the wines of Brovio were just beginning to gain critical acclaim–not because this is a new estate (it dates back to 1863!), but simply because they had somehow managed to fly under the radar for decades. Today the family is finally getting its due, and the wines are now regarded as some of the finest in Piedmont. That’s largely thanks to their excellent parcels in some of the region’s best terroirs, but also because the team today is incredibly talented and focused entirely on producing the purest expressions of Nebbiolo possible. Their “Classico” bottling is a traditional blend of different vineyards, and is a perfect snapshot of the vintage and the Brovia style. The latest vintage, 2020, is a total knockout right now, and will be even better with another three to five years of aging. Piedmont devotées, do not miss this wine!
Over the past two decades, the Brovia family has risen from relative obscurity to today enjoying a status as one of the undisputed top producers in Barolo. Today, the Brovia estate is run by fourth-generation sisters, Cristina and Elena Brovia, along with Elena’s husband, Alex Sanchez. The family’s pride is a small collection of top vineyard sites in Barolo’s top villages of Serralunga d’Alba and Castiglione Falletto. Their top sites are Villero, Rocche, Brea, and Garblet Sué. The Brovia family bottles these four individual “crus” separately and releases them as the estate’s premium-priced, top wines. But what many collectors don’t realize is that their “Classico” (aka normale) cuvée is actually a blend of all the top vineyards in one bottle; suffice it to say, there is absolutely nothing “normal” about it.
All of the Brovia family’s vines are meticulously farmed in accordance with organic methods, and all of the fruit is harvested by hand and gently pressed into stainless steel tanks for fermentation. Just like the estate’s top “cru” bottlings, this wine is then split into a mix of large, mostly old (and a few new) Slavonian and French oak barrels. It ages in said barrels for two years and then spends another two years in bottle before release.
Brovia’s “Classico” bottling is made with the same exacting methods and attention to terroir transparency as the family’s cru offerings. It is a perfect snapshot of the vintage in Castiglione Falletto writ large, and can be enjoyed on the younger side, though it will also greatly benefit from a few years in the cellar. If you open it sooner rather than later, be sure to give it a good 30-45 minute decant, and serve at cellar temperature of about 60 degrees in a large Burgundy stem. This deliciously precocious 2020 Barolo erupts from the glass with black plum, black cherry, red currant, wet rose blossoms, sweet red tobacco, toasted black truffles and white pepper. Its refined fruit and cascading tannins are seemingly designed to access every corner of one’s palate. Pair with a simple, but delicious, meal of wild mushroom risotto and you’ll be in a cozy, very happy place.
