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. 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 basic normale cuvée, today’s offer, 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 method, 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 mostly old (and a few new) Slavonian and French oak barrels. It ages in barrel for two years and then spends another two years in bottle before release.
The 2011 Brovia Barolo has an opaque and almost black core with blood orange and garnet reflections on the rim. This wine’s aromatic palette is a one-stop Barolo masterclass: dried roses, black and white truffles, cuban cigar tobacco, tar, crushed white rocks and cedar erupt from the glass. These savory aromas sit atop a dense foundation of layered plum and dark cherry fruit and a palate rich in texture with abundant, yet extraordinarily soft tannins. As always with Brovia’s top wines, there is a sense of energy and movement—this Barolo propels itself to all corners of your palate. Everything is tied together by an impressively long and finessed finish with notes of crushed chalk, dried flowers, wild herbs, and cocoa powder along with the classic dark cherry and wild berry notes. The wine is outstanding straight from the bottle and does not need air, but an hour in a decanter, followed by service at 65 degrees in a large Burgundy stem, will flatter it further. The rule for a complex and powerful wine like this is: keep the food simple. Every Summer I find myself enjoying grilled beef at least once per week. This year, I keep returning to the simple and effortless perfection of Hanger Steak. It’s not always the easiest cut to find, but do a little detective work with your local butcher and you will be rewarded with superior flavor and texture, and just like today’s wine—a relatively modest price tag. I marinate my steaks in olive oil, chopped garlic and parsley for 2-3 hours at room temperature, then grill them briefly at medium high temperature creating a light char and a perfect, rare center. Enjoying a glass of this classic wine alongside this thinly sliced steak is my definition of a perfect Summer meal. Cheers!
