It’s that wonderful time of the year: The air is crisp, the leaves are changing, and our limited allocation of the Brovia Barolo Crus has arrived! It’s a glorious annual tradition now to offer these benchmark studies in Piedmont as a collector pack, since, quite frankly, we never get enough of one for a stand-alone offer. So, get ready for a one-stop master class on the terroir of Castiglione Falletto, where the Brovia family has continuously produced wine for more than 150 years. And this year we have a special bonus along with the three iconic crus (“Rocche di Castiglione” and “Villero,” in Castiglione Falletto, and “Ca’Mia,” Brovia’s parcel of the “Brea” cru in Serralunga d’Alba) the exceptional “Classico,” which is Brovia’s ultra-traditional snapshot of the vintage. The pro move is to grab two of the four packs so you can check in on the crus in five years, and again in 10 or 15 years, and enjoy the “Classico” while you wait. But given how limited these are, you’ll have to act very fast to make that plan a reality!
Today, the estate is run by fourth-generation sisters, Cristina and Elena Brovia, along with Elena’s husband, Alex Sanchez. The family’s pride is its enviable collection of top vineyard sites, all of them organically farmed and most located in the village of Castiglione Falletto: Perhaps the best-known is “Villero,” a southwest-facing cru known for powerful, brooding wines, but there’s also the well-known “Rocche” and “Garblèt Sué” (a.k.a. “Bricco Fiasco”) sites. In the village of Serralunga, the Brovias farm a piece of the “Brea” vineyard, called “Ca’Mia,” and the family bottles their four individual “crus” separately and releases them as the estate’s premium-priced, top wines. Unfortunately the “Garblèt Sué” was ravaged by hail in 2019, so there was none made, which is why we have just the three crus and the iconic “Classico” today.
These are all resolutely “traditional” Barolos, aged in large oak casks (most of them French now, rather than Slavonian) and structured for long, graceful aging. Yet while the Brovias are very much in the elite company of classicists like Bartolo Mascarello, Giacomo Conterno, and Bruno Giacosa, their wines have never shot up as dramatically in price as those others, though that is starting to change! At the same time, each of the cru wines in this four-pack are exceedingly rare, making the value proposition here that much more impressive, and given their value the “Classico” really is a bonus, as it retails for about $75 but is valued at just $45 in the four pack.
2019 was, as we’ve now made abundantly clear, a stupendous vintage in Piedmont. Brovia, of course, did exceptionally well, Antonio Galloni calls them “a strong set of 2019s,” but cautions that they will need time. We totally agree. Make sure to give these 2019s a healthy one-hour-plus decant if consuming now; otherwise, be assured they all have at least 20 years of positive evolution ahead—so pick your spots! Here’s a look at the vineyards:
“Rocche di Castiglione,” is arguably the most finessed and approachable of the three wines, hailing from a site that faces southeast and sits at an altitude of about 350 meters. The 1.5 hectare Brovia site has a sandier composition than many sites in Castiglione Falletto, which may account for its more refined tannins. Only about 1,200 bottles are exported to the US each vintage.
“Ca’Mia,” is the Brovia family’s parcel of the “Brea” vineyard in Serralunga d’Alba, their only cru holding in that village. It has a similar elevation and aspect to that of “Rocche,” but its limestone-rich soils deliver a broader, darker style of wine. It may be the ‘biggest’ Barolo in the group, with an annual production of about 3,500 bottles (of which 1,200 make it to the US).
“Villero” is arguably the most important cru in Castiglione Falletto, thanks not only to this powerfully structured beauty from Brovia but from Vietti’s similarly long-lived benchmark from the site. Facing southwest, with soils combining marl and sandstone, this is the vineyard that produces the wines with the most longevity and breed—truly operatic Baroli for the most special occasions.
“Classico,” is a blend of the younger vines from the above vineyards, made with the same exacting methods and attention to terroir transparency. It is a perfect snapshot of the vintage in Castiglione Falletto writ large, and can be enjoyed on the younger side, though it will also greatly benefit from a few years in the cellar.
Take your time and savor every sip—this is the very top of the Barolo pyramid. Cheers!
