Albino Rocca 2019 Angelo Barbaresco DOCG Piedmont Italy
95 Points James Suckling | Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri
Albino Rocca 2019 Angelo Barbaresco DOCG is a special, traditionally crafted Barbaresco created by the Rocca family as a tribute to their father, Angelo Rocca, and his lifelong passion for Nebbiolo.
First produced with the 2013 vintage, Angelo brings together 100% Nebbiolo from several of the family's important vineyards in Barbaresco and San Rocco Seno d'Elvio, including sites between Ronchi and Ovello in Barbaresco and Montersino in San Rocco Seno d'Elvio. Rather than expressing a single cru, Angelo captures a broader interpretation of the family's Barbaresco terroir.
The outstanding 2019 vintage earned 95 points from James Suckling and Tre Bicchieri from Gambero Rosso, making this a particularly compelling vintage of one of Albino Rocca's most meaningful wines.
Tasting Notes
The 2019 Albino Rocca Angelo Barbaresco opens with an elegant floral bouquet accompanied by cherry, strawberry and citrus peel.
On the palate, it is medium-bodied but structured, with concentrated red fruit wrapped around firm, youthful tannins. Floral and citrus characteristics bring freshness and lift, while the wine's traditional long maceration contributes depth, texture and a savory quality.
James Suckling awarded the wine 95 points, noting its floral character, cherries, strawberries and citrus peel alongside a firm, chewy structure. His review recommends giving the wine additional bottle age and suggests drinking from 2028.
This is classic Nebbiolo built for patience: aromatic and elegant on the surface, yet with substantial structure underneath.
95 Points — James Suckling
The 2019 Barbaresco Angelo received 95 points from James Suckling, who found a floral and red-fruited wine displaying cherry, strawberry and citrus peel, with a firm structure that should soften and develop with additional bottle age.
Tre Bicchieri — Gambero Rosso
The 2019 Angelo was also awarded Tre Bicchieri (Three Glasses) by Gambero Rosso, the guide's highest recognition.
For MyWinePlus, I would feature both accolades prominently because they come from two very different but complementary sources: an internationally recognized critic and one of Italy's best-known wine guides.
Angelo — A Tribute to Angelo Rocca
The story behind this Barbaresco is particularly meaningful.
Beginning with the 2013 vintage, the Rocca family created Angelo to honor their father. The estate describes Angelo Rocca as a winemaker defined by passion, energy and an innovative spirit, but one who remained deeply committed to the purity and elegance of Barbaresco.
Angelo joined the family business in the 1960s and expanded its vineyard holdings beyond Barbaresco into Neive and San Rocco Seno d'Elvio. He also progressively reduced vineyard treatments, eliminated herbicides and continued refining the family's winemaking and aging techniques.
In the late 1980s, he began separately vinifying important crus such as Bric Ronchi and Vigna Loreto. Beginning in 2004, he expanded the use of large 20-hectoliter oak casks for Barbaresco, believing they allowed Nebbiolo's personality and elegance to emerge more clearly.
Barbaresco Angelo is therefore more than a tribute in name—it was conceived to embody Angelo Rocca's philosophy of Nebbiolo and Barbaresco.
A Blend of Important Barbaresco Vineyards
Unlike Albino Rocca's vineyard-designated Barbarescos such as Cottà or Ovello Vigna Loreto, Angelo is deliberately a blend of Nebbiolo from multiple sites.
The fruit comes from vineyards between Ronchi and Ovello in the commune of Barbaresco and Montersino in San Rocco Seno d'Elvio (Alba), with exposures ranging from southeast to southwest.
This gives Angelo a different purpose from a single-vineyard Barbaresco. Rather than showcasing one precise MGA, it brings together several terroirs to create a more complete expression of the family's vineyards and the style Angelo Rocca helped develop.
Traditional Submerged-Cap Vinification
The winemaking is another important distinction.
The Nebbiolo undergoes long maceration with traditional submerged-cap fermentation in an oak vat. Albino Rocca specifically identifies this technique as integral to Angelo's traditional, rich style.
The wine is subsequently matured for approximately 20 months in oak casks, followed by around nine months of bottle refinement before release.
This extended, traditional approach emphasizes Nebbiolo's structure and aromatic complexity while allowing the individual vineyard components to become integrated into a harmonious whole.
About Albino Rocca
Albino Rocca is a multigenerational family winery deeply rooted in Barbaresco. The estate's winemaking activities began in the 1950s, although the family traces its viticultural experience to the nineteenth century.
Today, the family farms nearly 20 hectares, with Nebbiolo vineyards in three of Barbaresco's four production communes: Barbaresco, Neive and San Rocco Seno d'Elvio (Alba).
Its range includes some of the estate's most important vineyard expressions—Cottà, Ronchi, Ovello Vigna Loreto and Montersino—alongside Angelo, which occupies a distinctive place as the family's tribute wine.
Food Pairing
The structure, acidity and savory complexity of the 2019 Angelo make it a natural companion to the cuisine of Piedmont.
Pair it with braised beef, Brasato al Barolo, osso buco, roasted lamb, duck, wild boar ragù, porcini mushrooms, tajarin with truffles, mushroom risotto or aged Piedmontese cheeses.
Because the 2019 remains relatively youthful and structured, I would give it an hour or more in a decanter if opening it now.
Wine Details
Producer: Albino Rocca
Vintage: 2019
Wine: Angelo
Appellation: Barbaresco DOCG
Region: Piedmont
Country: Italy
Grape: 100% Nebbiolo
Vineyards: Sites between Ronchi and Ovello in Barbaresco and Montersino in San Rocco Seno d'Elvio
Exposure: Southeast to southwest
Vinification: Long maceration with submerged-cap fermentation in oak vat
Maturation: Approximately 20 months in oak casks
Bottle Aging: Approximately 9 months
Rating: 95 Points — James Suckling
Award: Tre Bicchieri — Gambero Rosso
Bottle Size: 750ml
Why You'll Love It
What makes Albino Rocca Angelo particularly interesting is that it tells a different story from the estate's individual cru Barbarescos.
Cottà and Ovello Vigna Loreto express individual vineyards. Angelo brings several important Nebbiolo sites together to express the winemaking philosophy of Angelo Rocca himself.
The combination of 100% Nebbiolo, Ronchi/Ovello/Montersino fruit, traditional submerged-cap vinification, large-cask aging and significant bottle refinement creates a Barbaresco with both pedigree and a meaningful family story.
And in 2019, that combination resulted in a wine recognized with 95 points from James Suckling and Tre Bicchieri from Gambero Rosso.
