Matteo Correggia farms the sandy hills of Roero, on the left bank of the Tanaro, where Nebbiolo ripens to something rounder and more perfumed than it does across the river in Barolo. Rocche Ampsej is a single-site Riserva from the 2016 vintage, and the estate bottles it only in years it considers worth the wait.
- Nebbiolo, the grape of Barolo and Barbaresco.
- Roero Riserva DOCG, Piedmont, north Italy.
- 2016, a classic and long-lived vintage in Piedmont.
- 14% abv, dry, high tannin, high acidity.
- Medium-bodied, with a long liquorice finish.
How it is made
Roero Riserva DOCG rules require a minimum of four years before release, at least one of them in wood, which is longer than plain Roero and close to what Barolo asks. The soils here are the tell: Roero's hills are younger and sandier than the Langhe's, laid down when the sea still covered this corner of Piedmont. Sand gives Nebbiolo a lighter frame and a more open perfume than the clay and limestone marls to the south.
How it tastes
Tar and dried roses first, then red cherry, with the firm, grippy tannins Nebbiolo is known for and the high acidity that keeps it lifted. There is liquorice on the finish. It is a wine that opens slowly and keeps changing in the glass.
Where it comes from
Roero sits north of Alba, separated from the Barolo zone by the Tanaro river. The two areas share the grape and little else. Roero was granted its own DOCG in 2004, and the Riserva category exists only for Nebbiolo that has spent the extra time in the cellar.
Good to know
Nebbiolo is one of the most tannic red grapes in the world and also one of the palest, which is why a young Roero or Barolo can look like a light Burgundy in the glass and taste like something much bigger. The name Rocche refers to the steep, eroded ridges that run through this part of Roero.
