SOLD OUT! The 2016 La Ca’ Nova Barbaresco is a beautifully pure expression of Nebbiolo. From the truly marvelous 2016 vintage, you won’t find a better 2016 Barbaresco or Barolo in this price range. I was fortunate enough to snag 60 bottles. Act quick on this one because it won’t last long.
Pietro Rocca quietly crafts some of the purest and most traditional Barbarescos out there. And he does it without any modern technology, relying instead on his instincts and intuition. In Vintage 2016, he produced some of the finest wines of his career.
2016 La Ca’ Nova Barbaresco
“ONE OF THE GREAT NEBBIOLO DEALS OF ALL TIME.” – JS
95 points Wine Enthusiast – Cellar Selection, 92 points Vinous Media
SOLD OUT
This is the kind of wine that gets me super excited. In today’s wine landscape, finding good Barbaresco and Barolo for less than $50 is hard. And finding a 95 point-rated one in that price range is next to impossible. But I managed to do just that. In the early 1970’s, Pietro Roca began making and bottling his family’s Barbarescos. Prior to this, the family sold their grapes to a who’s who of top Barbaresco estates. But Angelo knew this wasn’t the way forward. With holdings in two of Barbaresco’s top curs, Montestefano and Montefico, Pietro knew the future was in bottling his own wines. Good call Pietro!
Today, La Ca’ Nova remains a family affair. Pietro and his two sons Marco (an enologist) and Ivan (an agronomist) tend the vineyards and make the wines. Their philosophy is simple — produce wines that are representative of their land, their heritage, and the noble Nebbiolo grape. The trio is doing a great job. They farm organically, they ferment with wild and native yeasts, they age in un-toasted and neutral Austrian oak barrels, and they bottle with minimal fining and filtration. The resulting wines are traditional Barbarescos with finesse and structure.
In case you hadn’t heard, Vintage 2016 is a great one in the Piemonte. Antonio Galloni of Vinous Media called it a “truly magnificent vintage.” He went on to call 2016 a “historic vintage” that “may very well put Barbaresco on the map big time. As I traveled from producer to producer, I experienced that sense of excitement and energy I always feel when in the presence of important vintages and wines.” Galloni doesn’t mess around and his reports are about as foolproof as they come.
Let’s get to some tasting notes/reviews shall we? Galloni called the 2016 La Ca’ Nova “a jewel of a wine” that “expresses everything that makes Nebbiolo so special.” He wrapped up by saying this “gorgeous, classically built Barbaresco has so much to offer.” Sounds like he liked it huh? Not to be outdone, Wine Enthusiast said this one possessed notes of “game, new leather, humid forest floor and ripe berry,” going on to call it a “knockout.” Both Galloni and Wine Enthusiast recommended drinking from 2021 through 2041.
So what do I think about the wine? After enjoying a bottle this past Saturday with mushroom risotto, I can confirm that this stuff is magnificent. It’s certainly youthful, but after a 2 hour decant, it came out of its shell. I’ll probably have another bottle or 2 over the next few years with big, hearty meals, but I’m going to tuck 3 to 6 bottles away in my wine locker because I know this is going to get even better.
I know 40 bucks isn’t cheap, but in the world of top-flight Barbaresco, that’s a ridiculously low price. And being that Table Wine is the only place you’ll find this wine in Western North Carolina, it’s going to go fast. Get some, drink some, cellar some……enjoy!
Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville