“Brovia is one of Piedmont’s historic families. Giacinto Brovia worked 60 harvests until his passing last summer [of 2014], a testament to the firmly held values of a local culture where farming and winemaking is a way of life rather than a job. Today, the estate is run by Brovia's daughters, Elena and Cristina, and Elena’s husband, Alex Sánchez. The Brovia wines have often been outstanding, but over the last two decades or so, quality and consistency have both surged, placing this small, family-run estate in the upper echelon of Barolo producers. Brovia bottles single-vineyard Barolo from Rocche di Castiglione, Villero and Garblèt Sué, all in Castiglione Falletto, and Brea in Serralunga, plus a straight Barolo that is made mostly from young vine Brea fruit. In my view, the Rocche di Castiglione remains Brovia's flagship Barolo, although Brea has come on very strong since it was added to the range in the mid 1990s. Barolos from Rocche are distinguished by their floral aromatics, precise fruit and silky, polished tannins, all qualities that often give them early accessibility, but without sacrificing longevity. Stylistically, Rocche di Castiglione can be compared with Bricco Rocche, which sits just above, and also Monprivato, for its ability to produce deceptively mid-weight yet age-worthy Barolo .... The estate has moved towards less intervention in the vineyards. Leaf thinning, once common, is a thing of the past. In a small departure from previous practices, today the Brovia Barolos are aged in a combination of both Slavonian and French oak casks, while up until vintage 2008 the single-vineyard Barolos were aged exclusively in French oak casks .... |
