96 points Kerin O'Keefe: The 2020 Rocche di Castiglione from Brovia is gorgeous. Embodying the finesse the site is celebrated for, it boasts enticing scents of wild rose, iris, perfumed berry and botanical herb. Sleek and elegant, the smooth palate offers juicy red cherry, crushed strawberry and star anise set against lithe, refined tannins. Fresh acidity keeps it well balanced. Reflecting the forward nature of the vintage, this is already closing in on the start of its drinking window but will offer years of pleasure.
95 Points Vinous: The 2020 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione is a sexy, racy wine. Pliant and deep, the 2020 is a great example of this site. Soft contours wrap around a core of dark red fruit, kirsch, spice, menthol, new leather and licorice. Time in the glass brings out the wine's stunning inner perfume, that most Rocche of signatures. Deep and layered, with exceptional balance, the 2020 is a striking, captivating wine that captures the best the vintage had to offer.
This splendid site in Castiglione Falletto, the fabled “Rocche,” gives us a window onto the elegant, feminine side of Barolo. Always the most aromatic and sensual of the crus from Brovia, the Rocche dei Brovia carries its weight with a ballerina-like delicacy on top of tannins that are sweet and silky. A seductress that tempts you to the table with its near-athletic versatility, the Rocche is the one member of this special quartet of crus that will charm you from the outset. The unique qualities of this “cru” result from the sandy soil composition that is in stark contrast to the terrain that underlies its neighboring “crus” in Castiglione Falletto. The Brovia parcel (1.5 hectares) of this vineyard faces southeast and sits at 350 meters altitude. The vines were planted in 1966. The wine ferments for at least 3 weeks and then is racked into large oak barrels of French origin for an aging period of no less than two years before it is bottled (unfiltered). Annual production is on the order of 5,500 bottles of which 1,200 bottles (plus 60 magnums) are exported to the USA.
