Rocca Giovanni Dolcetto D'Alba Vigna Sant' Anna 2020
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2022-
Wilfred
Wong
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Wilfred
Wong
In Piedmont, Rocca Giovanni is a three-generation, family run winery that cultivates their estate with care, passion and authenticity. They respect the traditions and land, use only eco-friendly treatments in the vineyard and adhere to a sustainable and organic winemaking philosophy. Their impressive range of small production wines include Chardonnay, Barbera, Nebbiolo & several top rated Barolo’s. Rocca Giovanni’s winery consists of 22 hectares of vineyards located in the municipality of Monforte d'Alba Piedmont, a small village which is part of the eleven communes of Barolo of ancient origin which owes its fame to its beauty as well as its great wines.
For three generations, the Rocca family has cultivated their estate with care, passion and authenticity. Over the years the family transitioned from grape growers to producers. The patriarch Giovanni manages the winery with his wife Caterina and the help of oenologist Piero Ballario. Joined by their daughter Federica and son Maurizio the winery now produces about 80,000 bottles a year. From the beginning the company puts into practice a simple philosophy based on respect for tradition of the land and the winery using eco-friendly products for the treatments in the vineyard and a natural winemaking that reflects the lifestyle of the Rocca family. Thanks to the vineyard position (south-east), the successful exposure of the vineyards and the favorable microclimate of the Langhe; each harvest allows the winery to produce consistently excellent results.
An easy drinking red with soft fruity flavors—but catchy tannins, Dolcetto is often enjoyed in its native Piedmont on a casual weekday night, or for apertivo (the canonical Piedmontese pre-dinner appetizer hour). Somm Secret—In most of Piedmont, easy-ripening Dolcetto is relegated to the secondary sites—the best of which are reserved for the king variety: Nebbiolo. However, in the Dogliani zone it is the star of the show, and makes a more serious style of Dolcetto, many of which can improve with cellar time.
An historic village situated right in between the famous regions of Barolo and Barbaresco, Alba is also the name for the larger wine region surrounding the village.
In a sense, “Alba” is a catch-all phrase, and includes the declassified Nebbiolo wines made in Barolo and Barbaresco, as well as the Nebbiolo grown just outside of these regions’ borders. In fact, Nebbiolo d’Alba is a softer, less tannic and more fruit-forward wine ready to drink within just a couple years of bottling. It is a great place to start if you want to begin to understand the grape. Likewise, the even broader category of Langhe Nebbiolo offers approachable and value-driven options as well.
Barbera, planted alongside Nebbiolo in the surrounding hills, and referred to as Barbera d’Alba, takes on a more powerful and concentrated personality compared to its counterparts in Asti.
Dolcetto is ubiquitous here and, known as Dolcetto d'Alba, can be found casually served alongside antipasti on the tables of Alba’s cafes and wine bars.
Not surprisingly, given its location, Alba is recognized as one of Italy’s premiere culinary destinations and is the home of the fall truffle fair, which attracts visitors from worldwide every year.