Roccheviberti "Rocche di Castiglione" Barolo, Piedmont, Italy 2018

FROM THE PIEDMONT GUY

THE WINE: Despite its diminutive acreage, Rocche di Castiglione ranks among the most revered vineyards in the entire Barolo zone. Situated at an elevation of 300-350 meters, this cru or MGA (Menzione Geografica Aggiuntiva) is divided into a number of small, steep vineyard properties and forms a long narrow strip along the side of a dramatic hillside with east-southeast exposure. This vineyard stretches 1.5 kilometers
long while measuring only 60-70 meters wide, extending along a cliff (“rocche”) that plunges as much as 150 meters to the Perno River. This terrain consists primarily of sandy soils over a foundation of tuff, geological characteristics that lend the wines of Rocche high-toned aromatics, fine tannins, precision, and distinctive elegance. Here, Roccheviberti’s vines are planted exclusively to Nebbiolo and boast an average age of 50 years. Claudio’s annual production of Barolo Rocche di Castiglione amounts to 6,000 bottles.

THE PRODUCER: With elite holdings in the heralded Barolo village of Castiglione Falletto, Claudio Viberti’s family has painstakingly tended the vine since 1946. Claudio, a third-generation vigneron, has taken this winery to new heights since the release of his first vintage in 2003. His old-vine Barolo bottling from the heart of a legendary cru, Rocche di Castiglione, now commands a cult following. In 2014, Claudio went one step further by vinifying a cru Barolo from Bricco Boschis, thereby disrupting what had previously been considered a monopole. Minuscule production, unwavering commitment to organic farming practices, and unbridled talent in the cellar combine to make Roccheviberti a rising star in the Langhe.

Roccheviberti is located in the commune of Castiglione Falletto. The Viberti family are, first and foremost, passionate grapegrowers who have been producing wine for three generations. Claudio Viberti’s grandfather, Cesare, purchased his first parcel in the famed Rocche di Castiglione vineyard in the 1940s, followed by a parcel of Bricco Boschis in the 1950s. For decades, he sold his coveted fruit to the historic
wineries of the region, becoming a revered expert in the terroir of Castiglione Falletto.

He passed this heritage on to his son, Giovanni, also a highly respected grower. In 2002, Claudio came on board and not only began bottling under the Roccheviberti label but also refined many of the farming practices, eliminating all chemicals and herbicides while drastically lowering yields. Today, Claudio tends 4.5 hectaresof vines. Roccheviberti works exclusively with indigenous varieties, including Nebbiolo, Barbera, and Dolcetto, all of which are farmed organically and harvested by hand. Remarkable for their quality, these grapes hail from some of Barolo’s most renowned vineyards.

Judiciously applying new technologies to time-honored, traditional winemaking, Claudio crafts sublime Baroli. Employing long macerations of up to 40 days, he leaves his wines to ferment spontaneously on their natural yeasts such that zero residual sugar is ultimately reached. Claudio uses unique stainless-steel tanks that trap CO2—a natural byproduct of fermentation—in order to release it through targeted jets that gently break apart the cap of skins, reintegrating the cap into the fermenting wine beneath the surface. This system allows for a gentle extraction of color and tannin. After completing malolactic fermentation in steel tanks, each of Claudio’s Barolo bottlings ages for at least 25 months in 25-hectoliter French-oak casks, resulting in extremely elegant yet concentrated wines of serious age-worthines.