Winemaker Notes
If Bric del Fiasc is the king of the Paolo Scavino cellars, Rocche dell'Annunziata is the queen: a riserva always of great elegance. A wine that is enticing, complex and extremely fine. Produced only in the best vintages, the fruit comes from old vines planted in 1942 and since, have been meticulously cared for in a traditional way.
Opulent aroma, with big blackberry, earth and spice and a hint of cigar box. Full-bodied and muscular, with a core of ripe fruit and silky tannins. Never ending finish.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 Barolo Rocche dell'Annunziata Riserva was released in January of 2019, and once again it looks to be a top prize. Licorice and flowers dominate the bouquet, and its beautiful red fruit is generous throughout. This wine has always been a beauty and consistently has had a high price tag to reflect that quality, going back to the first vintages of the 1990s. It has regularly sold for about $200 every year for the last decade. These vines are old, some of them very old (reaching the ripe age of 60 years old in 1990s, when many of them were replanted with carefully selected clones), producing an elegance and concentration that brings intensity and a high standard of aromas. This Barolo without a doubt shows its pedigree and a quality of noble perfumes that demonstrate characteristics of the greatest Nebbiolo vintages, all delivered with excellent concentration. The magic lingers on the palate, right up to the finish.
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James Suckling
Aromas of white truffles and dried red cherries here with an earthy nuance that makes for a complex and compelling nose. The palate has a deep and dense shape and delivers a wide array of rich cherry and plum flavors. Some handy spice here, too. Drink or hold.
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Wine Spectator
This is high-strung and linear, showing precision to its cherry, strawberry, graphite, tobacco and grassy aromas and flavors. Firms up, yet exhibits finesse and complexity on the lingering aftertaste. Still needs time in the bottle, or decant a few hours before enjoying.
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Wine Enthusiast
Violet, iris, exotic spice and menthol aromas lead the way on this fragrant red. The firmly structured palate boasts elegance and tension, delivering cranberry, pomegranate, licorice and white pepper set against tightly knit, fine-grained tannins and bright acidity. It’s still youthfully austere and will be even better after several more years of aging.
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Decanter
Scavino bought a 0.5ha parcel in this celebrated La Morra vineyard in 1990 and liked the wine so much he decided to produce it solely as a riserva. It’s deep in colour and the cherry-scented nose is still reserved. Suave and very concentrated, its tannins are polished yet give a firm grip and structure. There’s also a spicy, peppery character and a finish that’s complex and long.
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Vinous
The 2013 Barolo Riserva Rocche dell'Annunziata is powerful and dense in the glass. Readers will have to be patient, as the 2013 is going to need a few years to soften. When I think of Rocche dell'Annunziata, I think of Barolos built on perfume and elegance. I don't see much of that here, at least in the early going. This is an especially extracted style. Hints of red plum, mocha, wild flowers and spice add nuance over time, but the 2013 is not ready yet to show all of its cards.
Rating: 93+
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.