Winemaker Notes
A cuirassier. Fleshy, extremely focused. Here Serralunga d’Alba is present with signs of licorice, spices and dark fruits. Cherry, currant and blueberry melt harmoniously together. Velvety and sweetly ripe, with splendidly integrated tannins. San Rocco gives an impression of great power, austerity, with an incredible aging potential. Pure complexity. A strong character. Monumental.
Professional Ratings
-
Decanter
San Rocco typically produces Barolo with a darker character compared to the other MGAs of Serralunga. Here, black cherry and blackberry are joined by mint and chocolate, with an intense menthol depth. The attack is dense and full, followed by austere tannins, refreshing acidity, plenty of mid-palate weight and a thick finish. Its sternness dominates the aftertaste, which seems to be less expressive than expected. There's good potential for ageing here.
-
James Suckling
I like the focused aromas of red-berries and sea shell-like minerals, which are starting to latch onto the very fine but chewy tannins on the medium-bodied palate.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
With fruit from Serralunga d'Alba, the 2018 Barolo San Rocco offers a mix of fruit, floral and earthy aromas. These are some of the cornerstones of fine Nebbiolo, and this vintage does a good job of balancing out these various elements. The San Rocco is more accessible and can be enjoyed in the medium-term if you don't want to wait.
-
Wine Spectator
This red delivers a combination of bright cherry and berry fruit, flowers, grass, tar and tobacco aligned with a solid structure. Fresh and detailed on the finish, where fruit, licorice and earth accents linger. Best from 2025.
Responsible for some of the most elegant and age-worthy wines in the world, Nebbiolo, named for the ubiquitous autumnal fog (called nebbia in Italian), is the star variety of northern Italy’s Piedmont region. Grown throughout the area, as well as in the neighboring Valle d’Aosta and Valtellina, it reaches its highest potential in the Piedmontese villages of Barolo, Barbaresco and Roero. Outside of Italy, growers are still very much in the experimentation stage but some success has been achieved in parts of California. Somm Secret—If you’re new to Nebbiolo, start with a charming, wallet-friendly, early-drinking Langhe Nebbiolo or Nebbiolo d'Alba.
