2021 Barbaresco

It’s always a pleasure to stop by La Ca' Nova, which remains one of the most under-the-radar estates in Barbaresco. Marco Rocca presented a stellar set of Barbarescos. The 2022 Barbarescos are a bit lighter than the 2021, but they show no hard edges. In that sense, they are quite typical for what I have seen from the vintage thus far. The wines show the forward richness of a warm, dry year but not the excess opulence or size that can accompany vintages with these characteristics. Rocca gave the 2022s a bit less time on the skins and a shorter time in oak in order to preserve as much freshness as possible. I also had a chance to revisit the 2021 Barbarescos, which are every bit as special as they were last year. Rocca gave his 2021 crus 35 days on the skins, with submerged cap maceration, followed by 18 months in cask. Barbaresco gets most of the attention here, but the entry-level wines are every bit as good.

For us, 2020 was a drier and warmer year than 2021. Consequently, we had lower yields,” Marco Rocca explained." Harvest started during the first week of October, whereas in 2021 we started a week later." In 2021, the crus saw 35 days on the skins, with submerged cap maceration. The 2020s saw shorter time on the skins, 12-15 days for the straight Barbaresco and 28-30 for the crus, which were also bottled with a bit less time in cask. In tasting, the 2020s have closed down a ton, which is probably a positive for the long term. These remain some of the most exciting wines in Barbaresco. Fans of classically built wines who have not tasted La Ca’ Nova yet owe it to themselves to do so.