Poderi Colla, Barbaresco “Roncaglie” Supply

Poderi Colla, Barbaresco “Roncaglie”

All the iconic wines we offer on this site, and we’ve never offered Poderi Colla’s “Roncaglie” Barbaresco? How is that possible? It’s arguably one of the region’s most important single-vineyard bottlings, produced by one of Piedmont wine’s founding families. Try as we might, we can’t be everywhere, I guess, but today’s 2017 is a fantastic way to atone for our oversight—it’s a flat-out stunner with the kind of quiet power and persistence that characterizes the best Barbaresco wines.

Further, despite its “Grand Cru” vineyard source and noble lineage, it remains one of the greatest pound-for-pound values out there. As enjoyable as it is right now (given ample air, of course), I’d want to be the guy who dusts a bottle off in about 5-7 years’ time and looks like an absolute genius for grabbing it at $65. Who wouldn’t want to be that guy or gal? We don’t have an infinite amount, so act fast!

The story of this wine must obviously start with Beppe Colla, who, before passing away in 2019, amassed more than 50 vintages worth of experience in Barolo and Barbaresco. He was the longtime owner/winemaker at the Prunotto estate in Barolo, and a guiding force in the mapping of vineyards and the codification of the Barolo DOCG in the 1960s. Not long after selling Prunotto to Antinori, Beppe and his younger brother, Tino, acquired several properties around Alba and consolidated them under the “Poderi Colla” umbrella. The Barbaresco property is called Tenuta Roncaglia, which, as its name indicates, sits atop the Roncaglie cru in the town of Barbaresco. The Collas are the largest landholder in this large, southwest-facing cru, although some newer players (including Vietti) have acquired their own parcels there. But the Colla bottling from Roncaglie is the clear Gold Standard; alongside Tino Colla these days are Beppe’s daughter, Federica, and Tino’s son, Pietro, who has been the head winemaker for many years now.

It’s a pretty straightforward and traditional technical spec sheet on today’s 2017: it’s the product of a more “classic” vintage (which typically means more taut, structured young wines than those produced in hotter years), sourced from old vines in the limestone marl soils of Roncaglie. Maceration on skins during fermentation last for about 14 days (shorter than the months-long macerations of yore), and the wine is aged 14 months in the large, Slavonian oak botti that have come to symbolize old-school Nebbiolo from Barbaresco/Barolo. Right now, the wine is sinewy, perfumed, and a little shy at first, but just wait a few minutes. The wine’s balance, complexity, and age-worthy structure would be obvious to even the most novice wine lover.

In the glass, the 2017 “Roncaglie” shines a deep garnet red in the glass moving to a pink/orange rim, with a rich core of cherry, plum, and red currant fruit supported by scents of violet, rose, white pepper, leather, tobacco, graphite, and wintry spice. It has the lithe, muscular structure Barbaresco is famous for, with fine-grained tannins and a lot of crushed-stone minerality driving the finish. Decant it 30-60 minutes before serving at 60 degrees in Burgundy stems and watch it unfold over the course of a great meal. This is the second wine I’ve written up recently that I wish I had handy back on Thanksgiving, but not to worry—there are plenty of occasions over the next 15+ years where it will fit in just fine. Don’t sleep on this one!