Rocche Costamagna Barbera d’Alba is a superb wine with typically invigorating bright cherry and plum fruit on the nose. The wine has amazing spice notes of mocha and liquorice along with fresh green herbs and almonds. This is a fantastic wine to drink on its own or enjoy with cold meats and pasta dishes.

Rocche Costamagna is located within the town of La Morra itself and is run today by Alessandro Locatelli. Alessandro is a direct descendant of the winery’s founder, Francesco Antonio Costamagna, who started it in the early 1800s. The first record of the winery comes from 1841 when Francesco’s son, Luigi, was granted permission to sell “the wines produced from his own vineyards in La Morra”. The vineyards and winery were given a massive overhaul in the 1970s by Alessandro’s parents, Claudio and Giorgio. Claudio also created the “La Ca dj’Armis” (The Friends’ House), which is a cultural centre bringing together local art, history, books and gastronomy. Together, they provided the foundations for Alessandro to build on and the platform to create the wines we know today.

Alessandro has created a style of wine which we fell in love with. The wines could be described as traditional, with an emphasis on elegance and charm rather than being muscular and oaky. They drink well in their youth and are characterised by vibrant red fruit and subtle complex oak notes. The wines are aged in large, Slovenian oak barrels, except for the Barbera, which is put into small French barriques. The wines have a real sense of place and highlight the attraction of Nebbiolo at its finest.