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.

The 2022 Barbaresco Montefico Vigna Bric Mentina is bright and focused, with fine balance, especially for the year. Sage, mint, chalk, white pepper and orange peel give the Montefico its characteristic upper register. Vineyard signatures are very much present, even if somewhat attenuated in this vintage. This small-scale Montefico is a delight, but probably best suited for medium-term drinking. -- Antonio Galloni