2021 Albino Rocca Barbera dAlba Superiore Gepin, Piedmont

“The 2021 Barbera d'Alba Superiore Gepin offers a compelling mix of dark cherry/plum fruit, along with hints of mocha, spice and leather that add complexity. Bright acids pull it all together nicely. The 2021 spent a year in cask. It's a gorgeous wine and also a fine example of the house style at Albino Rocca today.”

91 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous

The name of this wine comes from the previous owner, Gepin, who tended these parcels of Barbera in the great Crus of Ronchi (Barbaresco) and Cottà (Neive). These old vines were planted between 1950 and 1974, and the wine is raised in large Austrian casks and bottled unfiltered. This is a very smart wine: ripe, pure and pulpy, with intensity and length seldom found in regular Barbera d’Alba DOC (where the best sites are often reserved for Nebbiolo). It’s textural and rich in fruit, with a finish that’s as fresh as a daisy. From an outstanding year, it’s a perfectly balanced, medium-bodied red and a benchmark example of Barbera. Daniela Rocca tells us the family are still enjoying wines from their cellar that are 40 years old. And yet, the wine is so inviting today. 2021 delivers again.