The Rocca's don't make much Barbera, but going by this bottle, they probably should! No oak here, bottled early in order to keep everything vibrant and fresh. The wine is crammed to the brim with fleshy dark plums, blueberries, violet and subtle herbs. A touch of tar and pepper on the finish combine with some refreshing acidity to keep things perky.

To appreciate the wines of Albino Rocca it’s helpful to understand the back story to the producer. Early on, in the 1940s, Albino Rocca’s grandfather, Giacomo, paved the way by turning the family vineyard in Barbaresco into a well-regarded source of fruit for local winemakers. Inspired by the wines that were made from his fruit, Giacomo began to ferment a little wine himself. Now the Rocca family have collected more amazing vineyards and they are no longer selling their fruit or wines just locally, but throughout the world. Initially focussed on Nebbiolo, Barbaresco’s greatest expression, they have added in Barbera and Dolcetto into their annual bottlings also. In the vineyards they have been reducing the use of herbicides and pesticides with leanings towards organics, whilst also improving winemaking methods and how the wines are aged. The preference is for huge oak barrels which maintain the purity of fruit and help keep the expression of the fruit and the vineyard focussed.