2007 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.

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.

Brovia's 2007 Baroli are just as impressive from bottle as they were when I tasted them from barrel late last year. The straight Barolo is always the last to be bottled. I will report on that wine as soon as I have a chance to taste it.

Brovia's 2007 Baroli look to be worthy follow-ups to the stunning 2006s. They have been gorgeous on the multiple times I have tasted them from barrel. All of the Baroli were in cask when I last sampled them in November 2010. In keeping with the personality of the vintage, the 2007s possess a fleshiness that makes them virtually impossible to resist even at this early stage. At the same time, the intensity of color, tannins and overall freshness makes me think the wines will age gracefully. The 2007s show an intense, almost extreme expression of the estate's single vineyards, and the differences between the wines aren't quite as marked as they are in more classic vintages such as 2006.