Aurelio Settimo, the Essence of Barolo Rocche dell'Annunziata

Once again Vinitaly, and once again a vertical tasting that I would not hesitate to call astounding. That's how it happened that, wandering among the stands, I stopped at the Aurelio Settimo winery. There I met Tiziana, the founder's daughter, who took the reins of the estate after her father's passing.

I reached the stand above all because I wanted to better understand Barolo as an expression of Rocche dell'Annunziata, an important frazione of the municipality of La Morra, as well as one of the Grand Cru sites of the entire Barolo appellation. And Aurelio Settimo could only be my reference winery for this important terroir. Tiziana takes me at my word and pulls out every bottle of Barolo Rocche dell'Annunziata she brought to the fair. And so, between a quip and a comment, starting around nine-thirty in the morning with the current vintage (2012), we travel back in time, lining up no fewer than seven vintages.

The estate manages fewer than seven hectares of vineyard, of which nearly six are planted to Nebbiolo da Barolo. More than half of these are located in Rocche dell'Annunziata, right around the winery. The soil consists of sedimentary rock composed of clay, sand and limestone known as Marne di Sant'Agata, and the vineyard faces south-southwest at an altitude of approximately 300 meters above sea level.

But beyond the extraordinary terroir that allows for the production of one of the most prestigious Barolo wines in the entire denomination, what strikes me is the company philosophy that has never changed, not even through the generational handover. The estate's focus is on paying the utmost attention to quality without altering the personality of Nebbiolo, in full respect of tradition.

Here is how it went.

Barolo Rocche dell'Annunziata 2012 – tank sample - 14.5%

Harvested in early October, it spent 20 months in large barrels. The child of a great, warm vintage, this Barolo – not yet on the market – immediately impresses with its beautiful, intense garnet color. Complex aromas, with an opening of violet and red fruit, where raspberry and blueberry stand out. Then earthy notes of undergrowth with a finish of liquorice. On the palate it impresses with its marked freshness but also with its dense and refined tannins, in a context where the hard components understandably dominate the soft ones, despite the 14.5 degrees of alcohol. A long finish on lingering notes of liquorice.

Barolo Rocche dell'Annunziata 2011 – 14.5%

Harvest between the end of September and early October, at the close of a warm vintage, lacking in abundant rainfall and demanding from an agronomic standpoint. It spent 18 months in barrels. Bright garnet in color, on the nose it shows a wide olfactory spectrum. A spiced opening, above all of nutmeg and cinnamon. Then the typical notes of violet, tobacco, undergrowth, and a fruitiness of raspberry and wild strawberry jam. It closes on mentholated sensations. Full and elegant on the palate, with tannins of excellent quality, very enveloping. Magnificent persistence, lasting and balsamic.

Barolo Rocche dell'Annunziata 2010 – 14%

Harvest at the end of September, after a start to summer marked by abundant rainfall that then recovered to reach full phenolic and sugar maturity. It spent 18 months in barrel. Intense garnet with orange reflections, it expresses a varied bouquet of aromas composed of raspberry and plum jam, floral hints of violet and rose, and an evident sweet spiciness. Then deep notes of Kentucky tobacco and a finish of eucalyptus. Broad on the palate, with great concentration and silky-smooth tannins almost entirely integrated into the whole. A wine moving toward balance that closes with a long mineral trail.

Barolo Rocche dell'Annunziata 2009 – 14%

The 2009 vintage was characterized by a delay in vegetative development, though a recovery in phenolic ripeness was subsequently observed. Overall the vintage had a rather irregular climatic pattern with harvest in early October. The wine spent 24 months in barrel and three years in bottle. Bright garnet in color, with beautiful transparency. Balsamic suggestions combine with fruity notes of blueberry and sour cherry jam, sweet spices and undergrowth, in an olfactory picture of fine complexity. Rather tannic and of great structure, it closes with a long mentholated and mineral trail.

Barolo Rocche dell'Annunziata 2008 – 13.5%

The grapes were harvested in mid-October, after a complicated vintage that nonetheless saw an excellent recovery in technical and phenolic ripeness. It spent two years in barrel and a full four years in bottle. Full garnet in color with a beautiful sheen, on the nose it expresses earthy notes, mushrooms, undergrowth. Then a dark, jammy fruitiness seasoned with spicy wafts of nutmeg and tobacco. Great freshness, with tannins softened by a glyceric roundness, in a sample that is already nearly in balance. A decidedly long finish with balsamic retro-olfactory returns.

Barolo Rocche 2005 – 14%

A vintage with an anomalous progression, with an unusual alternation of mild and cool temperatures from bud break to fruit set, and inconsistent heat during summer. Harvest in early October; the wine spent two years in barrel. Garnet in color with an orange rim, the nose is immediately characterized by tertiary notes of leather and sweet tobacco. Gradually, notes of red fruit jam and also floral hints of dried violet emerge. Broad on the palate, with a tannin now perfectly integrated into the whole in a context of substantial balance. A persistent finish of liquorice. The Barolo was called simply Rocche up through the 2006 vintage.

Barolo Rocche Riserva 2004 – 14%

A finally normal vintage after two extremely difficult ones in 2002 and 2003. A long and tranquil harvest in the month of October. The wine, being a Riserva, spent 36 months in large barrel. Bright garnet in color, an olfactory range of rare breadth, with ethereal and tertiary notes of goudron and coffee-roasted tones, pepper, leather, liquorice and cherry in spirit. Full of vigor on the palate, with tannins now perfectly integrated and a vivid acidity. An extremely long finish on mineral notes.

What more can I add? I take my leave of the hostess, thanking her for her kindness and for the opportunity she offered me. And with a clearer picture of the Grand Cru Rocche dell'Annunziata.