You may already know that Simon has long been fascinated with the wines of Barolo and Barbaresco; in part due to the proliferation of different styles of Nebbiolo from specific sub-regions and vineyards, and in part due to the fact that it still offers the wine buyer the opportunity to explore, discover and find considerable value. Nothing is more exciting as a buyer than visiting an estate and venturing into a cellar for the first time, only to discover truly outstanding quality. Our offer on the wines of La Ca' Nova, below.
I recently read a great review by Antonio Galloni, our go-to critic for Piemonte; he was writing about La Ca’ Nova in Barbaresco and his enthusiasm certainly caught my attention:
‘La Ca' Nova is the hottest estate in Barbaresco right now. Proprietor Marco Rocca has really raised the bar here in recent years. The Ca' Nova Barbarescos are deep, powerful wines loaded with personality. Best of all, prices remain exceedingly fair for the quality that goes into the bottle. (Antonio Galloni, vinous.com, August 2017).
This comment led to our first visit to La Ca’ Nova, a tour of their 14 hectares of vineyards and a remarkable tasting with Marco Rocca. I was struck by the fact that the wines here are reassuringly traditional in style. The family started producing their own Barbaresco in the 1970s from several of the region’s leading Cru, including Montestefano (approximately 270 metres over sea level and facing full south) and Montefico (within which the family own a parcel in the Bric Mentina vineyard). While the altitude in Montefico is virtually the same as Montestefano, the orientation is more south-east facing. Montestefano produces more powerful, deeper styles, whereas Montefico reveals a terrific elegance and a slightly gentler expression.
In terms of manner of production, there is no temperature control during fermentation and towards the end of fermentation, Marco employs an approach called steccatura, which keeps the skins submerged for a post-fermentation maceration of up to 15-20 days to extract more from the fruit. The wines are then aged in 30-hectolitre Austrian oak botti (which Marco prefers to the more widely used Slovenian oak) for a minimum of 18 months. In the 2016 vintage, this has delivered stunning results. 2016 was a later harvest than we have encountered in recent years and Marco’s harvest commenced on the 15th October. Given the run of warmer vintages that Piemonte has witnessed, this marks something of a return to near normality. For certain, you will hear a lot more about the 2016 vintage in Piemonte as it is likely to rival – if not exceed in some cases – recent greats such as 2010 or 2013.
Last month, Antonio Galloni made further comments on La Ca Nova and their success in the 2016 vintage as follows:
I was once again deeply impressed with the wines I tasted at La Ca' Nova this past summer. Of all the estates I visit regularly, La Ca' Nova may very well have the most untapped potential. The quality of the wines notwithstanding, prices remain incredibly fair…2015s reflect the personality of the warm year, while the 2016s are the product of a later harvest that allowed for gradual ripening under the shorter, cooler days of September and October. I found all the wines I tasted to be terrific, but the 2016s have a little more of everything. If the bottled wines are as good as what I tasted from barrel prior to bottling, 2016 will be a magical vintage for La Ca' Nova. Readers who have not tasted these wines owe it to themselves to do so. (Antonio Galloni, vinous.com, October 2018).
We are delighted to offer all three of these particularly enthralling wines. The Barbaresco is such an impressive introduction to the estate, scented, refined with vibrant red fruits to the fore, notes of mint – a beautifully balanced, flowing style. The Montefico ‘Bric Mentina’ is sleek, elegant, coolly ripe with fragrant lifted notes of tobacco, mint and rose adding complexity to the juicy red stone fruits and hints of blood orange. This does not lack substance at all and even a young barrel sample promised much on its remarkably persistent finish, with lingering mineral notes. The Montestefano possesses a deeper, duskier, more intense fruit quality, black cherry, damson, even hinting at liquorice with a deep, layered core of fruit in a powerful yet fine tannic frame. All reveal striking purity, and a very fine classical interpretation of Barbaresco. I look forward to seeing how they develop in time.
I have added Antonio Galloni’s recent notes below; he neglected to include recommended drinking dates, but I would suggest the Barbaresco can be broached from 2024 and the two Cru have the potential to age until 2040.
2016 Barbaresco, La Ca’ Nova
£110 per 6 bottle case in bond
90-92 points, Antonio Galloni, vinous.com
Tasted from tank prior to bottling, the 2016 Barbaresco is shaping up to be a jewel of a wine. Rich, aromatically intense and utterly beguiling, the 2016 captivates from the very first taste. The 2016 is medium in body and yet delivers so much flavor intensity, in the way only Nebbiolo can. In a word: fabulous!
2016 Barbaresco Montefico, Vigna Bric Mentina, La Ca’ Nova
£135 per 6 bottle case in bond
93-96 points, Antonio Galloni, vinous.com
La Ca' Nova's 2016 Barbaresco Montefico Vigna Bric Mentina is magnificent. All the elements are in the right place. Vertical construction and intense aromatic depth give the Montefico much of its unique feel. Amazingly, there is virtually no perception of tannin today, although I suspect I may have caught the wine at a particularly expressive stage. No matter, the 2016 Montefico has a very bright future. I can hardly wait to taste it from bottle.
2016 Barbaresco Montestefano, La Ca’ Nova
£135 per 6 bottle case in bond
93-96 points, Antonio Galloni, vinous.com
Another super-promising, embryonic wine, the 2016 Barbaresco Montestefano is powerful, dark and explosive in the glass. A wine of both tremendous density and detail, the 2016 has a lot to offer. Sage, mint, lavender and plum develop in the glass, but it is the wine's resonance and overall richness that leave a lasting impression.
Please let us know of your interest.
Please also note that Barbaresco comes to market earlier than Barolo so you will start to see some reviews and further commentary on new Piemontese releases as we enter the new year. Be prepared for the hype, much of which may well be justified!