This is the fourth release of Rocca’s Barbaresco Cottà, one of the great Crus of Neive. Cottà was one of the first sites in Barbaresco to be produced as a single vineyard. The Roccas work with a micro-parcel of 50-year-old vines in the middle of the southwest-facing slope, adjacent to their Gepin (Barbera) parcel and directly facing the Ronchi vineyard. It is a tiny holding, producing no more than 2,000 bottles annually. The sand-rich clay/marl soils and warmer microclimate produce generous yet fine wines that marry beautifully with Rocca’s elegant interpretation of Nebbiolo.
Young as it is, there’s already a cracking fusion of sweet cherry, hoisin and tea leaf flavours backed by textural prowess and impressive tension. The profile is prettier than Ronchi, with market-fresh red berries interwoven with integrated, fine-boned tannins and puckering acidity. Perhaps the laciest and most approachable of the Crus this year, it is an absolute standout.