Barbaresco Montestefano La Ca Nova 2017

Barbaresco Montestefano La Ca Nova, old school naturally produced Barbaresco, although they aim for medium maceration, elegance and authentic Nebbiolo aromas of flowers, red fruits and leather make for delicious drinking. Barbaresco Montestefano La Ca Nova, a great example of a great wine from a great vineyard! Montestefano is described by the great Beppe Colla as the most Baroloesque Barbaresco vineyard. Certainly the vineyard produces wines with Barolo’s austerity and harshness in youth that develop into seductive, hedonistic complexity with age. Ca Nova is all earth and spice with lush fruit. This is a wine that would reward patience and like great Barolo will come into its own with a good 8 to 10 years in bottle. That said, decanter it for a few hours and eat with a hearty dish of stewed beef and it will nevertheless provide great pleasure to the drinker now!

Up on a ridge above the town of Barbaresco in Piemonte, three brothers Pietro, Giulio and Franco Rocca preside over 12 hectares of ancient vineyards.

They produce some of the best and most authentic Barbaresco available, as well as producing Dolcetto and Barbera, among other local varieties. The vines are cultivated with the upmost respect for tradition, with careful selection of the grapes that go into the wine, and no chemical treatment on the vineyard. Although their cellar has been modernised to take advantage of the latest winebmaking technology, it is still housed deep underground so as to take advantage of the natural cool and stable environment.