2021 Cascina delle Rose Barbaresco Rio Sordo

Cascina delle Rose has been quietly making some of the most compelling wines in Barbaresco for decades - without fanfare, without compromise. The Rio Sordo cru is where it all began for them, and it remains the beating heart of the estate. It’s a steep, rugged site with serious pedigree, and in a year like 2021 - cool, slow, beautifully balanced - it shows off everything Nebbiolo can be.

This is the bolder, more brooding side of the Cascina delle Rose lineup. There’s a dark, savoury core here - black cherry, spice, dried rose, a bit of undergrowth - and tannins that are firm but beautifully integrated. It’s powerful but not pushy, with that trademark lift and elegance they nail year after year. There’s no small oak, no heavy-handed winemaking - just long maceration, old Slavonian botti, and time.

It’s a wine that speaks softly but carries real weight. If you love Barbaresco with structure and soul, this one’s worth getting to know.

96+ points
"Structured and gritty, with etched mineral notes recalling pencil shavings and crushed rock. A core of delicate berry, wild cherry and blue flower creates an elegant, streamlined effect. Finishes with fine, silky texture. A 3,800-bottle release."
- Monica Larner (The Wine Advocate)

95+ points
"Blackberry, dark cherry, and spice with earthy black tea. Denser and more powerful than Tre Stelle, with stony tannins and a dark, spiced finish. Less finesse, more grunt—The Rolling Stones to Tre Stelle's Beatles. Time will be kind."
- Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)