The greatest fine wine value in the world right now is Barbaresco. I’d invite someone to debate me on this but there’s nothing to debate: $45 doesn’t buy you this much longevity, this much site-specificity, this much complexity anywhere else.
Perhaps only the storied Produttori del Barbaresco, which also bottles a wine from the “Montefico” vineyard, can rival the quality/price ratio of La Ca’Növa’s profound 2016 from this celebrated cru site. Keep in mind that the Rocca family of La Ca’Növa is as deeply rooted in Barbaresco as any, with fifth-generation Marco Rocca blessed with one of the most perfectly positioned slivers of Nebbiolo vines in the entire appellation: His “Bric Mentina” parcel, a south-facing subsection of the Montefico cru. Today’s wine is a powerful expression of Barbaresco, almost Barolo-esque in dimension, from a vintage described as “magnificent” and “potentially historic” by well-traveled critic Antonio Galloni. Whether you pull a cork now and watch this woodsy beauty shape-shift over the course of 2-3 days or stow it away for 5-10 years for some real magic, don’t ever forget: It only cost you $45! I know that sounds crass, but I don’t have unlimited funds to spend on wine—a value this good is worth crowing about!
The Roccas were growers who sold grapes to others (including Gaja) until they began bottling under their own label in the 1970s. Their winery, and their 14 hectares of vineyards, are all concentrated in the village of Barbaresco proper. Marco Rocca and his brother, Ivan, continue to run the show from a 19th-century farmhouse just outside the center of town and craft their wines in a resolutely “traditional” style. But as with all traditionalist producers, there are nods to modernity as well. They still employ a technique called steccatura, in which wooden planks are laid into the fermentation tanks to help keep the “cap” of solids submerged in the juice during maceration; at the same time, while the casks they use for aging are indeed large (30 hectoliters), they are also relatively new and are crafted from Austrian, rather than Slavonian oak. These are wines with plenty of Old World soul and soil character—they just happen to be clean and well-made rather than austere and rustic.
As you can see on the wine’s label, the Roccas give a call-out not just to the “Montefico” cru but to their specific sub-section of that vineyard, “Vigna Bric Mentina.” This is an especially well-positioned part of the slope facing south/southeast, with an altitude of nearly 300 meters, and it consistently produces a structured Barbaresco with some real mid-palate weight. The 2016 vintage has been described as “perfect” from a weather perspective—no heat spikes, well-timed rains—and this wine shows all the hallmarks of a “classic” Piedmontese vintage: It is still firm and slightly brooding, although 30-60 minutes in a decanter sure did work wonders—the aromatics are already expressive and complex and the impression on the palate is downright explosive.
In the glass, this 2016 displays a relatively deep garnet core moving to pink at the rim, with only the slightest hint of orange at the rim. The aromas and flavors are deep and savory, with notes of black cherry, currants, blood orange peel, tar, tobacco, rose petals, and lots of underbrush. “Woodsy” is the operative word here, so pair accordingly—wild mushrooms, game dishes, and of course truffles (if you can get your hands on some) would all be perfect accompaniments. If you are opening a bottle now, give it a solid hour in a decanter before serving in Burgundy stems at 60 degrees. It’s a heady, serious red with a long, lingering finish—not a “cocktail wine” by any stretch of the imagination. You need to cook for this wine, and it will reward you handsomely. I liked the inclusion of hazelnuts (another Piedmontese specialty) in the attached recipe—we might have a match here! Enjoy!
