Rocche Costamagna Barbera d’Alba Superiore ‘Rocche delle Rocche’ 2020

Rocche Costamagna Barbera d’Alba Superiore ‘Rocche delle Rocche’ is made from Barbera grapes sourced from a single vineyard in Verduno, within the subzone of ‘Neirane’. The wine is aged for 10 months in French oak and is full of deep cherry and dark strawberry fruit along with wonderfully integrated oak notes of chocolate, vanilla and sweet spice. A real treat.

Rocche Costamagna is located within the town of La Morra itself and is run today by Alessandro Locatelli. Alessandro is a direct descendant of the winery’s founder, Francesco Antonio Costamagna, who started it in the early 1800s. The first record of the winery comes from 1841 when Francesco’s son, Luigi, was granted permission to sell “the wines produced from his own vineyards in La Morra”. The vineyards and winery were given a massive overhaul in the 1970s by Alessandro’s parents, Claudio and Giorgio. Claudio also created the “La Ca dj’Armis” (The Friends’ House), which is a cultural centre bringing together local art, history, books and gastronomy. Together, they provided the foundations for Alessandro to build on and the platform to create the wines we know today.

Alessandro has created a style of wine which we fell in love with. The wines could be described as traditional, with an emphasis on elegance and charm rather than being muscular and oaky. They drink well in their youth and are characterised by vibrant red fruit and subtle complex oak notes. The wines are aged in large, Slovenian oak barrels, except for the Barbera, which is put into small French barriques. The wines have a real sense of place and highlight the attraction of Nebbiolo at its finest.