2013 Barbaresco Ovello Vigna Loreto

The Rocca family continues to make all the right decisions to ensure the highest quality possible. It seems every year brings with it a new investment. The cellar is now temperature and humidity controlled. While that may not seem like a big deal, retrofitting an old cellar with modern equipment is neither easy nor inexpensive. The Roccas have made the investments, which is one of the reasons their wines continue to improve while those of some of their neighbors don't. The 2013 Barbarescos are all very pretty. The Nebbiolo harvest took place between October 6 and 16, which is late by today's standards. In recent years the Roccas have brought a greater emphasis on energy, longer macerations and more neutral oak influence. My only critique is that the wines seem to lose a bit of freshness during aging, but that should not be an issue now that the cellar is temperature and humidity controlled.