2022 La Ca' Növa "Montefico Vigna Bric Mentina" Barbaresco DOCG

100% organic Nebbiolo. The family used to sell their fruit to Gaja! Entirely hand-harvested from 30 year old vines at the Montefico vineyard at 290 meters above sea level. This bottling is softer than the Montestefano and more suited to earlier drinking. 22 day fermentation in stainless steel tank with pumping over 2-4 times a day. Aged 18 months in 3000L oak casks, then aged 10 months in bottle. 7,000 bottles produced.

94 points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "The beautiful Montefico hillside in Barbaresco is one of my absolute favorite crus in the entire region and the Rocca family owns the entirely of a subplot here called Bric Mentina, which sits at the top of the vineyard. Montefico lies right on the boundary between Barbaresco and Neive, with the superb vineyard of Gallina lying directly across the border from it. The inherent elegance of Montefico is readily apparent here on the beautiful bouquet, offering up scents of red and black cherries, pigeon, anise, woodsmoke, a gorgeous touch of savory elements, complex soil tones, red curry, fresh oregano and a floral topnote redolent of violets. On the palate the wine is deep, pure and full-bodied, with a stunning core of fruit, great soil signature, ripe, firm and chewy tannins, great focus and balance, tangy acids and a very, very long, nascently complex and extremely promising finish. As this is a 2022 Barbaresco, plenty of patience will be required before it softens up, but the wine is going to be magnificent once it is ready to drink. 2045-2100. (May/Jun 2025)"

93 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "Just bottled, the 2022 Barbaresco Montefico Vigna Bric Mentina melds together the energy and freshness typical of this site with an extra kick of fruit from the warm, dry year. Bright acids and persistent tannins call for cellaring. Drink: 2025-2034. (Oct 2024)"