La Ca’ Növa Barbaresco 2019

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

About La Ca’ Növa

Marco’s vineyards are located in the commune of Barbaresco and include the prestigious crus of Monetefico and Montestefano, two of the best sites that are often referred to as being ‘baroloesque’ owing to their backbone and ageing capability. Located on the Eastern side of the commune and separated by a few hundred metres, Montestefano is a few hundred metres south of Montefico and was the first to be bottled as a single vineyard wine, by the legendary Beppe Colla (of Poderi Colla) in 1961.

This estate has been making outstanding, terroir-driven Barbarescos for generations. Pietro Rocca, the family’s smiling and modest patriarch, is a fourth generation “vignaiolo,” grape-grower. In the early 1970s, he began making and bottling Barbarescos himself.

Today Pietro is joined by his sons Marco, an enologist, and Ivan, an agronomist who tends to the vineyards.

La Ca’ Nova has been one of the hottest wineries in all of Piedmont over these last few years. Readers will find two superb vintages in the 2019s and 2018s. The 2019s are sensational, while the 2018s are a testament to what was possible in a much more challenging vintage. The 2019s saw very long ferments of up to 55 days including submerged cap maceration. Malos proceeded quickly. As a result, some were done in tank and others finished in cask. “Two-thousand eighteen saw slow ripening until mid-September, then everything happened very fast. In 2019, on the other hand, we had a much more even ripening profile,” Marco Rocca explained. “Skins were thinner in 2018. We saw them starting to degrade in the tanks pretty quickly, so we took the wines off the skins earlier. We gave the crus 16-17 months in barrel instead of 20-22, which is more typical for us and what we did in 2019.” Stated simply, I can’t recommend these wines highly enough, especially for readers who enjoy deep, classically structured Barbarescos.

Antonio Galloni, Vinous

In the Vineyard

Montestefano, which produces famously-structured Barbarescos, the Roccas own prime parcels situated at 270 m above sea level with full southern exposures. And in Motefico, which has a similar altitude, with southern and southeastern exposure, and marl soil, the Roccas own the Bric Mentina vineyard. Local legend has it that Montefico was once owned by Domizio Cavazza, the founding father of Barbaresco.

La Ca’Nova Barbaresco D.O.C.G. “Montefico Vigna Bric Mentina”Vine Age: Average 30 years old. Soil: Calcareous limestone with sandy veins

La Ca’Nova Barbaresco D.O.C.G. “Montestefano” Age: Average 35 years old. Soil: Calcareous limestone with sandy veins

La Ca’Nova Barbaresco D.O.C.G.Age: Average 20 years old. Soil: Limestone rich in calcium with sandy veins

In the Winery

The firm adopts a strictly hands off approach in the winery, using only wild and native yeasts for fermentation which occurs primarily in steel tanks and three wooden conical bats, but with no temperature control. Just before fermentation is complete, the process continues with the antique tradition known as steccatura, whereby wooden planks keep the cap submerged in the tank. For the single-vineyard bottlings, fermentation and maceration generally take twenty-five to thirty days.

After fermentation, the Barbarescos are aged in 30 hectoliter casks. Instead of Slovenian oak, Pietro prefers Austrian oak: They are untoasted and neutral, and are the best-quality barrels I have ever seen. In fourteen years, not one has ever leaked a drop. Pietro recounts that eschewing barriques a decade ago was very difficult, especially since his children were pushing him to switch over. Now they’re glad we didn’t because these days there is a strong interest in traditionally crafted wines, but it was a battle for a few years, he says. The wines are unfiltered, and, though quintessential Barbarescos with finesse and structure, they are also extremely well priced.

Montestefano typically combines elegance and richness with a firm structure whilst Montefico is more austere with bracing tannins. The viticulture is sustainable and the wines are all made the same way, with 20-25 days of skin contact and aging for 20 months in large neutral botti.

The 2019 Vintage

In short it’s looking good. The early indicators from the Langhe Neb’s, Dolcetto and Barbera are all very positive. We should see a more classic year with excellent flavour and tannin maturity combined with freshness and good acidities.

Vintage report of Consorzio di Tutela Barolo, Barbaresco, Alba Langhe e Dogliani

Unlike last year, which was particularly precocious, the 2019 vintage will be remembered for its decidedly more conventional course. The year in the vineyard began slowly due to the winter season lasting until February. This resulted in a delay in the arrival of spring, which brought about a period of rain and low temperatures until the middle of March. Nevertheless, plant growth resumed as per normal, and though it was slowed down initially by abundant rain in April, this also allowed a considerable amount of water to accumulate in the soil, compensating for the minimal rainfall during the winter. The changeable weather with mild average temperatures continued throughout May, confirming a delay of around two weeks compared to the growth patterns that had been seen over the previous few years, but in line with more traditional development. The high temperatures during June combined with the availability of water in the soil to create the conditions for rapid plant growth, which required vinegrowers to take great care over containing any plant protection issues. The hottest period in the season was recorded between the last week in June and the first in July, followed by days on which milder temperatures alternated with rain. The second heatwave of the summer was recorded at the end of July, ending in storms which did not damage the vines even though they were intense at times; the remainder of the summer season was marked by a mild climate, with regular, sporadic rainfall that proved challenging for vignerons in terms of plant health. September began with the only hail recorded in the Langa, when considerable damage was caused in limited areas hit during the most violent storm of the season on the 5th of the month. We can say that the damage was substantial, but fortunately fairly localized to two areas on the hills around Alba, missing most of the Barolo, Barbaresco and Dogliani growing areas.

The harvest began around mid-September with the white wine grape varieties, then continued without interruption with the Dolcetto, Barbera and finally Nebbiolo. We have seen a slight drop in production for all varietals, and as a result for all appellations, benefitting quality and balance. The white wines are showing good levels of alcohol, and slightly higher acidity than the average over recent years, which should however guarantee long, fresh aromas. The dolcetto grapes – mostly picked around September 17th – are showing very well in terms of phenols and sugar accumulation, and the acid profile also suggests potential of great elegance, with pinnacles of excellence in the area around Dogliani. Along with nebbiolo, barbera is maybe the varietal that most reveals the difference vineyard aspect can make, so the peaks of heat during the summer that accompanied temperatures otherwise within the norm for our growing area allowed the barbera to reach excellent phenolic levels at harvest-time, with slightly less alcoholic potential than last year and substantial acidity. The nebbiolo grapes were picked in the second half of October, and analysis parameters show them to be “classic”: in other words, with good sugar levels and an excellent polyphenol profile, which should ensure wines with good structure and excellent ageing potential. Worthy of note in particular is the high accumulation of anthocyanins, so the wines can be expected to have excellent color, especially considering the varietal’s genetic properties. In conclusion, in the winery the vintage can be said to be traditional, with a quality production despite a slight drop in quantity compared to last year.

Where in the World is La Ca’ Növa?

La Ca’ Növa is based in the Commune of Barbaresco, Barbaresco, Piedmont.

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