2005 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione Brovia

Brovia was one of the highlights in my tastings of the 2005 Barolos. With the exception of the Ca' Mia, which remains a bit of a mystery, the wines are simply fabulous, both on their own and within the context of the vintage.

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.

Just when I thought I was getting a fix on the relative merits and different styles of the past few vintages, the Brovias ventured the opinion that their 2006 Barolos are characterized by finesse and elegance and are rounder than their '05s. In other words, the 2005s are the powerful wines here, with some of them showing slightly rustic herbal and peppery nuances. Elena Brovia compared the family's 2005s to past vintages like '01, '99 and even '96, although she was quick to point out that the '96s are less sweet and have harder tannins. On the other hand, Elena's husband Alex Sanchez noted, "the 2006s weren't especially strong or powerful at the beginning but they have changed a lot." Still, the '05s are slightly higher in acidity than the '06s, which in turn are higher than the '04s. My notes in this issue include a couple of 2004s that had not been bottled as of my last visit in September of 2007.

The Barolos are vinified in a traditional manner, using natural yeasts and with a preference towards cement for the single-vineyard wines, which are subsequently aged in French oak. The entry-level Barolo is made from the estate's youngest vines and aged in large Slavonian oak.