Winemaker Notes
Giovanni Rosso Barolo shows sharp, floral notes. Notes of cherry in alcohol, star anise and raspberry hints. Fine and elegant body, neat tannins and long finish.
Pair with fresh pasta dishes, grilled fish with sauces, lamb skewers, red and white meats.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A forthright Barolo with intense aromas of fruit, sweet spices, dried cherries, licorice, smoke, woodland, tobacco and mint. Firm, austere and full-bodied, it shows fruit definition with blood oranges nuances, good fruit concentration, crisp acidity and a stern yet balanced finish not without juiciness. Amazing, polished finish. Drinkable now, but best from 2026.
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Wine Enthusiast
Sweet dark cherries and crushed spices mingle with hints of vanilla root and licorice, creating a nostalgic soda shop vibe. The palate flows with generous waves of ripe fruit, while fine-grained tannins provide enough structure to keep things interesting without getting in the way of pure drinking pleasure. A Barolo that exemplifies the the time, drinks well now but will age gracefully. Drink Now - 2040.
Editors' Choice -
Jeb Dunnuck
A transparent ruby hue, the 2021 Barolo is fermented in cement and aged in large casks before blending prior to bottling. Aromas of red cherries, strawberries, sweet spice, tangerine, and dried earth emerge from the glass. Medium-bodied, it offers elegant structure with fine tannins and balanced acidity, finishing with more grip than its initial approachability suggests. Drink 2026-2038.
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Wine Spectator
On the austere side, this red reveals cherry, raspberry and cranberry flavors. Eucalyptus, tar and sanguine accents add depth as the assertive tannins flex on the finish. Lively and focused. Be patient. Best from 2029 through 2047.
We are a small, family-owned producer in the heart of the Barolo commune of Serralunga d'Alba. We make only red wines, and our passion is for Barolo and its great grape, Nebbiolo.
Since the 1890's the Rosso family has farmed vineyards in Serralunga d'Alba, notably the Crus of Cerretta, La Serra, Broglio, Meriame, Sorano, Costa Bella, Lirano & Damiano. During the early 1980's Giovanni Rosso restructured the vineyards with the aim of growing the best fruit.
Giovanni's son, Davide, studied Oenology and gained invaluable experience in France. In 2001 Davide, then 27 years old, took charge of the vinification & affinamento/elevage of the wines with one goal in mind: "Wine should be a perfect copy of its terroir"... in this case from the slopes of Serralunga d'Alba, among the finest soils in the world.
The Giovanni Rosso cantina (winery) is located in the hamlet of Baudana, just a couple of kilometres north of Serralunga d'Alba village. A traditional family cascina, or farmhouse, it houses the fermentation, ageing, bottling and labeling facilities as well as the offices.
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.
The center of the production of the world’s most exclusive and age-worthy red wines made from Nebbiolo, the Barolo wine region includes five core townships: La Morra, Monforte d’Alba, Serralunga d’Alba, Castiglione Falletto and the Barolo village itself, as well as a few outlying villages. The landscape of Barolo, characterized by prominent and castle-topped hills, is full of history and romance centered on the Nebbiolo grape. Its wines, with the signature “tar and roses” aromas, have a deceptively light garnet color but full presence on the palate and plenty of tannins and acidity. In a well-made Barolo wine, one can expect to find complexity and good evolution with notes of, for example, strawberry, cherry, plum, leather, truffle, anise, fresh and dried herbs, tobacco and violets.
There are two predominant soil types here, which distinguish Barolo from the lesser surrounding areas. Compact and fertile Tortonian sandy marls define the vineyards farthest west and at higher elevations. Typically the Barolo wines coming from this side, from La Morra and Barolo, can be approachable relatively early on in their evolution and represent the “feminine” side of Barolo, often closer in style to Barbaresco with elegant perfume and fresh fruit.
On the eastern side of the Barolo wine region, Helvetian soils of compressed sandstone and chalks are less fertile, producing wines with intense body, power and structured tannins. This more “masculine” style comes from Monforte d’Alba and Serralunga d’Alba. The township of Castiglione Falletto covers a spine with both soil types.
The best Barolo wines need 10-15 years before they are ready to drink, and can further age for several decades.