The Roncaglia property's absolute pinnacle wine, from southerly exposed vines at 240 to 280 meters above sea level and then popped into French oak to age 12 to 14 months. Ruby with garnet hues, its classic bouquet of dried rose petals, cherry, chocolate, tobacco and spice is followed by a complex, flavorful, fleshy palate with sweet tannins, especially fine balance and a lingering, harmonious finish.
Nebiollo is know as the King of Wines in Italy, and here we are given proof of why. This has everything you want a Barbaresco to have, subtlety, structure, effortless meatiness and enough earth to remind you of the beauty that comes from spending that bit extra on your bottle for the night.
The Colla family has a rich history of winemaking in Piedmont, dating back to 1703. Beppe Colla steered the Prunotto winery to stardom and was one of the founding fathers of the Alba DOCs in the 1960s. Younger brother Tino joined with Beppe’s daughter Federica to establish Poderi Colla (literally, the Colla farms), made up of: Cascine Drago in Alba, heart of the Langhe appellation; Tenuta Roncaglia, eight hectares of the historic Barbaresco cru; and Tenuta Dardi Le Rose, seven hectares of the renowned Barolo Bussia cru in Monforte.
Federica’s words perfectly summarise the Colla philosophy: “Our wines are not ‘high-tech’. They are man-made, with a strong human element, outstanding natural concentration thanks to terroir and fruit and very well balanced components”.
The range features, from Roncaglia: soft and elegant single vineyard Dolcetto; concentrated old vine Barbera, full of dark cherry and plum fruit; and a silky, perfumed Barbaresco brimming with red fruits, rose and sweet spices. Nebbiolo d’Alba, from Cascine Drago, is a stand-out for the variety, well-structured with gamey and raspberry hints and excellent balance.
Antonio Galloni says the 2011 is “simply dazzling. Freshly cut roses, dark cherries, spices and minerals are just some of the nuances that explode from the glass in this big, dramatic Barbaresco. The wine possesses gorgeous depth, expressive inner perfume and fabulous intensity. This is firing on all cylinders today, and it is hugely impressive.” Bravo Pietro.
