Cascina delle Rose

Why Cascina delle Rose is Essential

I have this indelible impression of what Barbaresco can be, and that vision was shaped by my first taste of the region’s wines back in 2012: roses and violets, cherries and raspberries, star anise, earthiness and beauty, grace and poise. As so often happens, when you become familiar with a place’s wines, you lose some of that initial luster in your memory. Scrutiny and technical details can take all the fun and intrigue out of wine.

Thankfully, the wines of Cascina delle Rose restore my vision of Barbaresco. I can relax and simply savor its beauty, no matter how hot or cold the vintage was.

Established by the Rizzolio family in 1948, and estate bottled for the first time in 1992 when Giovanna Rizzolio assumed leadership of the winery, Cascina delle Rose has long been a pioneer. At the time, female winemakers were exceedingly rare in Piedmont, but Giovanna soon made her mark with wines from the Tre Stelle and Rio Sordo crus. Now under the guidance of her son, Riccardo Sobrino, the estate continues to build its reputation.

There is something very, very Burgundian about the easy grace and subtlety of Cascina delle Rose's wines. There are three Barbaresco, all from single-vineyards: the aforementioned cru, and a new endeavor in the Neive sector from Marcorino. These wines dash across the palate like a ballroom dancer, offering all of those pretty details that make Barbaresco so special, even in an age of water stress, drought and extreme heat. The Rizzolio-Sobrino family appears to be more than capable of handling what nature has thrown at them in recent vintages, and I think it makes them stand apart.

Don’t ignore the Dolcetto d’Alba and Barbera d’Alba either. They are top ambassadors of Piedmont’s exceptional grape diversity.

Wines to Seek Out

Cascina delle Rose produces three individual cru Barbaresco wines, two Barbera, a Dolcetto, a Langhe Nebbiolo and a single Arneis of very limited quantity. The Barbaresco wines spend nearly two years in Slavonian oak casks, and the family prefers to age them in bottle for a few extra months than is required before release. These wines are in limited supply and highly sought-after, so you’ll have to do some hunting. One of the best ways to understand this estate is to stay at their agriturismo and schedule a tasting directly with them.

Riccardo Sobrino is soft-spoken but he has a lot to say: in other words, his wines are exactly like him. There is an easy demeanor to them, yet incredible depth and complexity.

Cascina delle Rose “A Elizabeth” Dolcetto d’Alba

The estate’s Dolcetto is named after an American guest of the family’s inn, whose regular visits made her a close personal friend. What an honor it must be to have one of Piedmont’s most delicately beautiful Dolcetto bearing your name. Generous with its aromas of violets and blueberries, and sculpted with precise acidity and viscosity, this Dolcetto achieves fine wine status, but can accompany the humblest of occasions as well.

Cascina delle Rose “Donna Elena” Barbera d’Alba

Like “A Elizabeth,” Cascina delle Rose’s “Donna Elena” shows that Piedmont’s “other grapes” can achieve finesse and complexity, too. This Barbera brings a full berry patch of aromas, and that bottomless quality on the nose is certainly a seductive promise. But it’s how the wine delivers on the palate that feels most memorable: silky, sleek, mineral ... these aren’t words I usually use for this grape. Given how Barbera has often gone awry with climate change, “Donna Elena” feels like a beacon in the storm.

Cascina delle Rose Barbaresco Marcorino

Until 2015, Cascina delle Rose’s Nebbiolo vines were limited to their “backyard:” walk a few steps left out of the cellar and your are in the Rio Sordo cru (pictured below), walk a few steps to the right and you are in Tre Stelle. This plot lies in the Marcorino MGA, right up against the beautiful hilltop village of Neive. The climate is quite different as the Tanaro River does not come into play as much, and the soil is sandier.

This latter attribute makes all the difference, as this wine is beautifully taut and mineral, a trait that seems to define most wines produced in sandy soils. There is also a lifted quality to the aromas which I feel makes them easier to interpret. Barbaresco’s classic aromatic tones are here — cherry, rose, black licorice, potting soil — but they’re complemented by something else that feels mysterious and evocative of the outdoors. “Tea and juniper” was my reference point, but its up to you to find this wine and make sense of it yourself. Less than 2,000 bottles of this wine are made.

Cascina delle Rose Barbaresco Tre Stelle

In terms of production, this is the Barbaresco you’ll have the easiest time finding, but even then, 8,000 bottles is not a lot. What you’ll find here is a happy middle ground between Marcorino’s lifted quality and Rio Sordo’s sternness. Classic Barbaresco aromas are supported by wonderful juiciness and silky, fine-grained tannins, even in youth. This wine has substantially acidity but zero volatility.

Cascina delle Rose Barbaresco Rio Sordo

On average, a little more than 3,000 bottles are made annually of the Barbaresco Rio Sordo. Again, this is a Barbaresco to suit a Burgundy lover: it is artful, graceful, wonderfully elegant, but it conveys a more earthy, tertiary tone than the Tre Stelle or the Marcorino. All of these wines have a great capacity to age, but this is the one that has me wondering the most, what will you be like in 15-20 years?