Always a crowd-pleaser, the Bruno Rocca 2021 Barbaresco Rabajà is especially defined by its mineral nuances that are chalky, powdery and refined. This wine wears that mineral mantel like a champion, and I can't say that many Nebbiolos pull it off as well as this. The Rabajà also shows expertly worked tannins that are glossy, polished and firm. This site sits at 250 to 300 meters in elevation on tuffaceous clay and limestone soils. The vines are 55 years old (and 6,000 bottles were made).

Bruno Rocca and his children, Luisa and Francesco, are launching a new Barbaresco from the Marcorino MGA in Neive. Looking through our database, I only see two other wineries that have produced a single-vineyard wine from that site: Cantina del Glicine and Cascina delle Rose. The site is south-facing and generally sees a later maturation cycle and harvest. The Rocca family farms a small 0.86-hectare plot with vines that were planted in 1963. The vines were propagated with cuttings collected from a historic vineyard in Bernino (in Barbaresco) as a way of protecting the genetic biodiversity of the area. These vines tend to naturally produce low yields and live long lives.

I will say, separately, that two of the five samples here had cork taint. I had second bottles to taste, and hopefully it was just a matter of bad luck, but I thought it was worth mentioning regardless.
Published: Jun 19, 2025