{"title":"Brovia","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"brovia-barolo-rocche-di-castiglione-2022","title":"Brovia Barolo Rocche di Castiglione 2022","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Land\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBarolo is usually described as a landscape of clay and marl, which makes Rocche di Castiglione the outlier. The soil here is sand, loose and free-draining, on the steep eastern face of the Castiglione Falletto ridge where the hill falls away toward the valley. Brovia farms 1.5 hectares in the middle of it, planted in 1966, facing southeast at 350 meters. That exposure does more work than it sounds like it should. The vines take morning sun and are out of the hardest afternoon heat, so sugar accumulates slowly and the aromatics survive. Sand holds almost no water, which forces the roots deep. That combination is why Rocche has always been the perfumed, fine-boned cru of Castiglione Falletto rather than the muscular one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Wine\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e100% Nebbiolo, hand-picked, fermented with indigenous yeasts in old glass-lined concrete with roughly a month of maceration on the skins, then 18 months in large Slavonian botti and another 18 in French oak casks, bottled unfiltered. Long skin contact in neutral vessels, with no small barrels anywhere in the cellar, lets the sand speak instead of the wood. 2022 was the driest Piedmontese season in roughly seven decades, about 311 millimeters of rain between April and October, with yields down 20 to 45 percent. Rain at the end of September brought the balance back, pulling potential alcohol down by nearly a degree. Rose petal, red cherry, crushed mint and white pepper over a chalky core, with silky, finely drawn tannins and a long mineral finish.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe People\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrovia was founded in 1863 and went quiet in 1932 when Antonio Brovia died young. Production restarted in 1953 under his sons Giacinto, an enologist, and Raffaele, an agronomist, which is where the old Fratelli Brovia label comes from. Their daughters Elena and Cristina joined in the 1980s, Elena in the vineyards and Cristina in the cellar. When the barrique and short-maceration wave swept Barolo in the 1990s, Brovia did not move, and kept long macerations and large casks through the entire modernist period. Alex Sanchez, Elena's husband, arrived from Barcelona in 2001 having never tasted Barolo, learned the cellar under Giacinto, and runs the estate with her today. The vineyards are farmed organically, yields are held around 35 to 40 hectoliters per hectare against a legal ceiling of 54, and only vines over 40 years old go into the cru bottlings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFood Pairing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is the Brovia cru for savory rather than heavy. Tajarin with butter, sage and a shaving of white truffle is the classic, and the reason the wine exists. Veal braised slowly with rosemary and a little stock meets the silky tannin without fighting it. Roast duck breast, skin crisped, with a cherry and balsamic reduction picks up the red fruit head-on. Or a wedge of aged Castelmagno with walnuts and honey, the salt sharpening that chalky finish. Rocche di Castiglione is the bottle for the night you want Barolo perfume more than Barolo muscle.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Natural","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51443382321375,"sku":null,"price":168.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P9230385.jpg?v=1790224667"},{"product_id":"brovia-barolo-garblet-sue-2022","title":"Brovia Barolo Garblet Sue 2022","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Land\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGarblet Sue is not an official Barolo cru. It is a named parcel inside the Fiasco vineyard in Castiglione Falletto, known locally as Altenasso, and Brovia's holding there runs to just 0.7 hectares planted in 1970 and 1979. The site sits low on the slope at roughly 250 meters, the warmest of the family's four Barolo parcels, facing south to southwest across three distinct sections. The soil is sand mixed with clay-limestone marl, but richer and less free-draining than the ground higher up in Fiasco proper. In most vintages that extra water-holding capacity makes Garblet Sue the rounder, quicker-drinking Brovia. In a drought year it is an outright advantage, and 2022 was exactly that.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Wine\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e100% Nebbiolo, fermented with indigenous yeasts in old glass-lined concrete for about a month on the skins, then 18 months in large Slavonian botti and 18 more in French oak casks, bottled unfiltered. Around 2,500 bottles are made, the rarest of the four Brovia Barolo crus. The 2022 season was the driest Piedmont had recorded in roughly 70 years, about 311 millimeters of rain between April and October, with yields down 20 to 45 percent. Berries came in small, thick-skinned and short on pulp, and rain at the end of September pulled potential alcohol back and restored lift. The wine is black cherry and wild rose with dark spice, iron, dried herbs and crushed autumn leaves, medium-full in body with fine, firm tannins, vivid acidity and a savory finish that keeps going.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe People\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrovia was founded in 1863, interrupted in 1932, and restarted in 1953 by brothers Giacinto and Raffaele. Elena and Cristina Brovia, Giacinto's daughters, joined in the 1980s, and Elena's husband Alex Sanchez came into the cellar in 2001. What makes the estate worth paying attention to is a decision about method. All four Barolos are made identically, same fermentation, same maceration, same aging regime, so the only variable between them is the dirt. That is unusual, and it is why Brovia bottles are the standard reference set for anyone learning what Castiglione Falletto and Serralunga actually taste like. The farming is organic, yields sit around 35 to 40 hectoliters per hectare against a legal ceiling of 54, and Nebbiolo vines under 20 years old are sold off entirely rather than bottled.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFood Pairing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGarblet Sue drinks earlier than its siblings, which makes it the weeknight Barolo in a lineup where that phrase usually does not apply. Grilled salsiccia di Bra with braised lentils and a spoon of mustard is close to ideal, the fat and salt softening the tannin immediately. Porcini sauteed in butter and garlic over soft polenta picks up the moss and dried-leaf side of the wine. Roast pork loin rubbed with fennel seed and black pepper works against the dark spice. Or a bowl of ragu with pappardelle on a Tuesday. This is the Barolo you open without waiting for an occasion to justify it.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Natural","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51443382419679,"sku":null,"price":145.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P9230384.jpg?v=1790224667"},{"product_id":"brovia-barolo-villero-2022","title":"Brovia Barolo Villero 2022","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Land\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCastiglione Falletto has a reputation for the most aromatic and openly charming Barolos in the zone. Villero is the site that argues with that. It sits on the western flank of the commune's ridge in a broad natural amphitheater, and where Rocche is sand, Villero is grey marl with clay and sand mixed through, a heavier soil that holds water and builds structure. Brovia works 1.5 hectares here at 340 meters with a southwest exposure, planted in 1961 and among the family's oldest holdings. Southwest means long afternoon light, which in most years pushes ripeness further than anywhere else on the hill. Villero is the Castiglione Falletto cru that behaves like Serralunga, and the one the family treats as its benchmark.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Wine\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e100% Nebbiolo, hand-harvested and fermented with indigenous yeasts in old glass-lined concrete, three weeks or more on the skins, then at least two years in large Slavonian botti and an unfiltered bottling. The long maceration is the point. On a clay-heavy site it pulls a broad, firm tannic frame that needs big neutral casks rather than new wood to stay in proportion. 2022 was the driest Piedmontese season in roughly 70 years, about 311 millimeters of rain from April through October, with yields off 20 to 45 percent. Rain at the end of September restored freshness and kept alcohol in check. Black cherry and plum, rose, tar and a balsamic, spiced edge, then a full body with firm, polished tannins and real acidity carrying a long finish. Decant it now or leave it five years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe People\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Brovia family has grown grapes in Castiglione Falletto since 1863. The estate stopped in 1932 and restarted in 1953 under brothers Giacinto and Raffaele Brovia, an enologist and an agronomist. Giacinto's daughters Elena and Cristina came in during the 1980s. Through the 1990s, when most of Barolo was shortening macerations and buying French barriques, Brovia stayed with long skin contact and large casks, and never had to walk that decision back. Alex Sanchez joined in 2001 after marrying Elena. He came from Barcelona with no winemaking background, and the bottle that first showed him what Barolo could do was a Villero. The vineyards are farmed organically, with vine density around 4,200 plants per hectare and yields held well under the legal maximum.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFood Pairing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVillero has the tannin for the Piedmontese table at its most serious. Brasato al Barolo, beef shoulder braised for hours in the same wine with carrot, celery and bay, works because the wine's structure meets rendered collagen head-on. Agnolotti del plin in a roast veal jus, tiny and rich, gives the tar and rose something concentrated to sit against. Bollito misto with salsa verde brings salt and acid that sharpen the finish. Or aged Parmigiano, 36 months, broken into shards at the end of the meal. This is the bottle you put on the table when the meal took all afternoon.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Natural","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51443383173343,"sku":null,"price":168.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P9230383.jpg?v=1790224667"},{"product_id":"brovia-barolo-brea-vigna-ca-mia-2022","title":"Brovia Barolo Brea Vigna Ca' Mia 2022","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Land\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery other Barolo Brovia makes comes from Castiglione Falletto. Brea is the exception, and the family crossed a commune line to get it. The vineyard sits in Serralunga d'Alba, the zone's narrow eastern valley and the address most associated with tannin, structure and slow development. Brovia's parcel, called Vigna Ca' Mia, runs to one hectare planted in 1955, the oldest fruit on the estate, on clay and limestone at around 350 meters with a southeast to south exposure. Serralunga's soils are poorer and more compact than the sand and marl across the valley, and vines work harder for less. That is the point, and it is why Serralunga held up best in the drought of 2022.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Wine\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e100% Nebbiolo, fermented with indigenous yeasts in old glass-lined concrete with roughly a month on the skins, then 18 months in large Slavonian botti and 18 in French oak casks, bottled unfiltered. Around 3,500 bottles are made. The family nicknamed it Il Ruffiano, the charmer, for the way it smells rather than the way it drinks. 2022 was the driest Piedmontese season in roughly 70 years, about 311 millimeters of rain from April through October, with yields down 20 to 45 percent. Harvest in Serralunga began September 25, and rain at the end of the month pulled potential alcohol back and restored lift. Dark cherry and rose over moss, truffle and forest underbrush, then a full body with firm, gripping tannins and bright acidity. Tightly wound now. Give it a long decant or five years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe People\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGiacinto Brovia founded the estate in 1863. It stopped in 1932 with the early death of Antonio Brovia and resumed in 1953 under his sons Giacinto and Raffaele, an enologist and an agronomist. Elena and Cristina joined in the 1980s. Alex Sanchez, Elena's husband, arrived from Barcelona in 2001 with no wine background and learned the cellar directly from Giacinto, who died in 2014. Through the 1990s, when barriques were reshaping Barolo, Brovia never changed course, and now reads as one of the zone's steadiest traditionalist references. The vineyards are farmed organically. Nebbiolo vines under 20 years old are sold off, those between 20 and 40 go into the estate Barolo, and only vines past 40 make it into a cru. The 1955 planting here clears that bar by three decades.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFood Pairing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSerralunga tannin wants fat and time. Brasato di manzo, beef braised for four hours in red wine with onion, carrot and clove, is the pairing this wine was raised on. A roasted guinea hen stuffed with thyme and lemon, pan juices spooned over, gives the truffle and underbrush side something to work with. Risotto al tartufo, finished with butter and Parmigiano, doubles down on the wine's forest aromatics. Or a slow-braised beef cheek over polenta. Brea Vigna Ca' Mia is the bottle you buy two of, drink one in January and forget the other for a decade.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Natural","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51443383206111,"sku":null,"price":168.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P9230382.jpg?v=1790224667"}],"url":"https:\/\/danverwinemerchant.com\/collections\/brovia.oembed","provider":"Denver Wine Merchant","version":"1.0","type":"link"}