2021 Albino Rocca Barbaresco, Piedmont

The Albino Rocca 2021 Barbaresco is a big surprise. This wine is fresh and bright, showing enormous focus and purity on the bouquet. There is impressive complexity too with crushed limestone, blue flower and bright cassis. I have not tasted this wine in a while and wonder where they've been hiding this beauty. Fruit comes from Meruzzano, Cottà and the youngest vines in Ronchi. Production is 13,000 bottles.

94 points Monica Larner robertparker.com

Albino Rocca Barbaresco is a beautifully crafted, traditional yet polished expression of Nebbiolo from one of the most respected family-run estates in Barbaresco. Located just outside the town of Barbaresco itself, the Rocca family has been producing wine for generations, with the late Angelo Rocca having brought the estate to prominence through a combination of innovation and deep respect for the region’s history. Today, the estate is run by his daughters—Daniela, Monica, and Paola Rocca—along with winemaker Carlo Castellengo, who together carry forward the legacy with quiet confidence and meticulous care.

The fruit for the Albino Rocca Barbaresco comes from several prized cru vineyards, including Ronchi, Ovello, and Montersino, each contributing a different facet to the wine’s character. These vineyards sit on classic Langhe soils—calcareous marl with sandstone—providing the ideal environment for Nebbiolo to express perfume, structure, and minerality. Vines are farmed sustainably with great attention to detail, and harvest is done by hand to ensure only the best fruit is selected.

Fermentation takes place in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts, followed by ageing in large Austrian and German oak casks for about 20 to 24 months. The result is a wine that honours Barbaresco tradition, showcasing finesse and purity rather than overt power or oak influence.

In the glass, it opens with textbook Nebbiolo aromas—rose petals, sour cherry, wild raspberry and orange peel—layered with forest floor, dried herbs, anise and a hint of tar. On the palate, it is medium-bodied and finely structured, with bright acidity and polished tannins that frame the fruit without overwhelming it. There is a savoury core and a mineral undertow that give the wine depth and length, finishing with poise and persistence.

This Barbaresco is an elegant partner for dishes like slow-braised beef cheek, truffle risotto, duck with cherry glaze, or aged pecorino. It’s also excellent with game meats, mushroom ragù, or tagliatelle with wild boar.

Albino Rocca Barbaresco is a favourite among critics and Barbaresco enthusiasts for its precision, site transparency and age-worthiness. It offers serious pedigree with approachability, showing beautifully within a few years of release but continuing to evolve gracefully for 10 to 15 years in the cellar.