THE UNKNOWN CORNER OF BARBARESCO
SAN ROCCO SENO d’ELVIO WITH A DEEPER LOOK INTO THE MGA ROCCHE MASSALUPO
When we talk about the main Barbaresco villages we usually mention 3 and then there’s the little hamlet of Alba called San Rocco Seno d’Elvio. The name comes from two sources. The first part of this very long name is coming from the patron saint, San Rocco who played an important role fighting against the plague in the 1600s. Seno d’Elvio is the name of the creek flowing at the bottom of this valley which was actually named after a short-lived emperor born in the area named Publius Helvius Pertinax Augustus. He only reigned for 90 days in 193!
Hazelnuts cover the hills and it is a bit cooler site with lower elevations down in a valley. It doesn’t have the mitigation of the Tanaro river like the town of Barbaresco, the open sunny hills of Neive or the altitude of Treiso, but as the climate is changing and these lower cooler sites can be seen as an advantage for an easier drinking, open and fresher style of Barbaresco that wine consumers are looking for. Vineyards like these have become more impressive through the years!.
There are only 4 MGA crus in San Rocco, one fully inside, Rocche Massalupo which I have fallen in love with thanks to Manuel Marinacci’s Barbaresco. Another important winery in this area is, Adriano Marco & Vittorio who have paved the way for making this part of Barbaresco more well-known. Their wines are also fantastic!
ROCCHE MASSALUPO SOIL
There is a good mix grey marls and sand, common components in the Langhe soils. This combination tends to give you good drainage and minerality. It is part of the Lequio formation (the older soils seen in the Eastern areas of the Barolo area like Serralunga). The calcareous marls and sand generally give the wines a certain elegance and lift while a bit of clay and limestone give the Nebbiolo structure but in a very fine way. There is a quiet excellence to the wines given the mixed soils.
POSITION
As you can see from the maps below, Rocche Massalupo is right on the border of Alba village and Rizzi MGA in Treiso village on the other side. It is located in a valley with mostly Western exposures, some being North and some South like Marinaccci’s plot. Only 52% of the MGA cru is planted with vines (according to Barbaresco MGA by Enogea) compared to historical crus like Rabaja which are planted with 85%! The altitude is quite low and can range from 200-300 m (655-985 ft).
ROCCHE MASSALUPO – FUN FACTS:
You probably are not familiar with the vineyard Rocche Massalupo because only 5 wineries label their Barbaresco with this single vineyard.
Nearby you can find a striking geological feature called the Rock of the 7 Brothers which is an erosional formation / ravine which is connected to a local legend. The cliffs are visual evidence of this Lequio Formation made up of grey marls and compact sands. The legend has it that the mother of 7 sons from Treiso begged her farming sons to take the day off for a religious holiday but they kept on plowing the land anyway. Because they disobeyed her, the ground opened up swallowing the brothers and their oxen!
MANUEL MARINACCI
We have featured Marinacci‘s wines in our Barolo Wine Club selections ranging from the light and easy Langhe Nebbiolo to the Barbaresco Rocche Massalupo 2020. Various vintages can be found on our website too if you are interested in tasting wines from this unique area of Barbaresco. Find the wines here!
