2008 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione Brovia

Brovia is one of Piedmont’s historic families. Giacinto Brovia worked sixty harvests until his passing last summer, a testament to the firmly held values of a local culture where farming and winemaking is a way of life rather than a job. Today, the estate is run by Brovia's daughters, Elena and Cristina, and Elena’s husband, Alex Sánchez. The Brovia wines have often been outstanding, but over the last two decades or so, quality and consistency have both surged, placing this small, family-run estate in the upper echelon of Barolo producers. Brovia bottles single-vineyard Barolos from Rocche di Castiglione, Villero and Garblèt Sué, all in Castiglione Falletto, and Brea in Serralunga, plus a straight Barolo that is made mostly from young vine Brea fruit.

In my view, the Rocche di Castiglione remains Brovia's flagship Barolo, although Brea has come on very strong since it was added to the range in the mid 1990s. Barolos from Rocche are distinguished by their floral aromatics, precise fruit and silky, polished tannins, all qualities that often give them early accessibility, but without sacrificing longevity. Stylistically, Rocche di Castiglione can be compared with Bricco Rocche, which sits just above, and also Monprivato for its ability to produce deceptively mid-weight yet age-worthy Barolos. This extensive vertical was a great opportunity to revisit many of the classics as well as a few wines from less well known but equally noteworthy vintages.

I can't say enough good things about the Brovia family and what they have accomplished over the years, but especially over the last decade or so, which has seen them jump into the upper echelon of Barolo producers. The 2008s had just been bottled when I tasted them in November 2011. Now that the wines have been in bottle a little longer, it is clear they are fulfilling all of their early promise.

What I love most about the 2008s from Brovia – aside from their high overall quality – is the way they succeed in transmitting the unique personalities of their respective sites. This is a textbook vintage for Brovia. Readers who enjoy traditionally made Baroli will not want to miss these fabulous wines. Brovia bottled the 2008s earlier than normal, so it is quite possible the wines will merit even higher scores once they have settled down. I also tasted all of the 2009s and 2010s from barrel. The 2009s are promising, but the 2010s are shaping up to be epic.

Cristina and Elena Brovia, and Elena's husband Alex Sanchez, were reluctant to present their 2008 Barolos, as the wines had been bottled just a couple weeks before my visit. They need not have worried, though, as the wines showed extremely well, offering obvious structure for a long life in bottle but also outstanding sweetness of fruit. This vintage was bottled earlier than usual (the '07s were bottled in January and February of 2011), as, according to Elena, "there was a lot of positive evolution in the months before the bottling; the wines achieved complexity early." Sanchez described the vintage as "elegant and classic." In comparison, he went on, "2007 is a controversial vintage: some find it very atypical, not classic. If you like the 2007s, that doesn't necessarily mean you're a Barolo lover." Paterfamilias Giacinto Brovia, who has worked 58 harvests, told me that he couldn't compare 2007 to any past vintage.