2021 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione
Market price
Buying options
Tasting notes
The Brovia 2021 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione takes us back to, again, one of my favorite sites in the appellation. I go crazy for wines from this MGA. This expression is extremely nuanced and delicate, especially at first. The wine builds intensity later. Finely stitched aromas of fruit, minerals and blue flower make for a classical Nebbiolo. It shows good power and structure at the back. You should age it longer than most. Fermentation starts off in cement, and the wine is racked into French and Slavonian oak casks (40 hectoliters) for aging. The Rocche di Castiglione vineyard is distinguished by its high presence of sand. This 1.6-hectare plot sits at 300 to 350 meters in elevation with southeastern exposures. The vineyard is extremely steep and, with the loose soils, is challenging to farm. Diano sandstone and Sant'Agata Fossili Marl put these soils on the "younger" side of the Barolo geological spectrum. This wine will be released in September 2025, with 5,000 bottles.
Critic scores
Average Score
Walter Speller, jancisrobinson.com
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
A saturated red hue, the 2021 Barolo Rocche Di Castiglione is complex and compelling on the nose and draws inward with notes of mocha, mint, cherry liqueur, fresh leather, and baked earth. The palate exhibits a focused energy and purity, complemented by refined tannins, refreshing acidity, and a ripe, medium-bodied frame. It’s a lovely wine that will only improve over the next 15 or more years. It feels the most complete of the wines presented by Brovia and takes the slight edge above the rest.
High-toned. Racy and lively. Much more impressive than the Villero 2021 from this producer. Racy and energetic. (JR)
Castiglione Falletto. Bottled mid July 2024. Lustrous mid crimson. Very slow to open up in the glass – at first, only showing minerally, earthy notes and the merest suggestion of morocco leather. Still embryonic, with a core of raspberry fruit that is slow to unfurl. Really terroir-driven with a real sense of minerality and lush acidity. The youthful, chewy, gripping tannins support the juicy yet still-shy fruit on the finish. This will need lots of time, but will be well worth it. Impressive balance and the tannins sink into the fruit at the very end of a long finish. (WS)