Overlook Rocca’s whites at your peril! As far as we know, this unique wine is the only Cortese grown within the boundaries of Barbaresco, so perhaps the fact that the Roccas grow it should be clue enough that we’re onto something special. The one-hectare plot of 40-year-old vines is rooted in Montegrosso d’Asti (in Barbaresco, just south of Asti) on clay and limestone soils. The wine was aged in a mix of stainless steel and mature French oak (just six months in barrel).
Angelo Rocca was a great fan of Burgundy and went as far as planting Chardonnay vines in the family’s home village of San Rocco Seno d’Elvio. Yet it’s the estate’s Cortese that stands out for us. Rocca always believed in crafting a structured, food-friendly Cortese from low yields, and his family have taken the wine to another level, weaving in complex mineral-savoury hints, great texture and layers of citrus-pith and spice-flecked fruit. From an outstanding Piemonte vintage, you can expect layers of fresh orchard, ripe white peach and orange oil notes, underpinned by chalky freshness and some phenolic chewiness on the finish.