A mid-weight, charming blend of parcels in Ovello, Cole, and Loreto. It’s a red-toned, fruit-forward entry-level wine that offers incredible value, though its 2022 grippiness suggests it benefits from a quick decant.
2022 La Ca’ Nova Barbaresco
91 PTS
— Orazio Campoli, April 2026
About the Producer
La Ca’ Nova is a small, traditional family estate in Barbaresco, and an insider’s address for lovers of classic Piedmont. The Rocca family has farmed here for generations with a commitment to minimal intervention, and the winemaking is classically oriented: fermentation in stainless steel, aging in large Slavonian oak barrels, and patience.
The range is built around two of the appellation’s great crus. Montefico, from the Vigna Bric Mentina, is the more precise and lifted of the two: rose petal, cinnamon, white pepper and a chalky, saline texture, with racing tension in top years. Montestefano, often described as Barbaresco’s answer to Barolo, is darker and more powerful — black cherry, plum, licorice and formidable tannins that reward cellaring. The Barbaresco blends parcels in Ovello, Cole and Loreto into a red-fruited, mid-weight wine that is one of the best-value introductions to the appellation.
Vintage matters here. The 2019s marry energy and depth; the 2020s are open and in a good drinking window; the 2021s are the high point, with the Montestefano among the finest Barbarescos of the year; and in 2022 both crus stayed bright and focused despite the heat. The wines can seem restrained in youth but open into real depth and persistence.
Vintage Context
2022 Vintage Released 2025
★★★★☆
A "nail-biter" vintage defined by extreme drought and record heat. Despite the stress, the wines are a surprise: they are unexpectedly fresh, succulent, and approachable. While they lack the monolithic structure of 2021, they offer charming fruit (raspberry, red mulberry) and refined, "cotton-like" tannins. A triumph of vineyard management over extreme weather.