Rosavica Benotti
Priocca, Roero, Piemonte, Italy
Rosavica Benotti is a tiny, family run farm located in the south-east part of the Roero zone of Piedmont, just north of Alba. The winery is headed by Ermanno Cordero, a rising star of the Roero, who graduated with a degree in enology from the University of Alba. Ermanno is also a technical consultant and looks after paperwork for wineries such as Bartolo Mascarello. Parents Rosavica and Antonio are still active in the vineyards, while Ermanno enlists the help of his brother Ignazio in the cellar. The estate, founded in 1955 but only bottling since 2015, is named for Ermanno’s mother and is a classic mixed farm that produces peaches and hazelnuts as well as wine grapes. The three hectares of vineyards are split into eight plots, and in Priocca alone, there are seven small sites consisting of sandy soils with marl. The production is tiny, varying between 12k and 18k bottles annually, split between four wines. The family grows only Dolcetto, Barbera and Nebbiolo, which are typical of the Roero area.
While other producers in the zone try to recreate the powerful wines of nearby Barolo and Barbaresco, Ermanno leans into the differences in the soils, which are sandier than in the southern part of Langhe. As a result, the wines have a little less body but very pretty aromas, producing wines that are both juicy and savory, a style that is eminently drinkable with a surprising amount complexity. The purity of the wine is key here; there is no filtering, clarifications, or selected yeast. They vinify only their own grapes and practice sustainable and organic agriculture, avoiding the use of herbicide.
Unsurprisingly for a winery of this size, there is no website. Please follow the link here for a short video of Ermanno discussing Rosavica Benotti.
Our Selections
Rosavica Benotti Langhe Dolcetto DOC 2022
100% Dolcetto from two tiny parcels, Bric in Priocca and Bertinetto in Priocca, totaling a mere 0.3 hectares on clay-limestone with veins of sand and located at 270m of altitude. The process for winemaking here is, as in the best classic wineries, rather simple. After harvest, the grapes are brought to their small cellar where they are de-stemmed and go into cement tanks for an 8–10-day natural fermentation, racked once, and left in cement for four months. The wine is then bottled without filtration. The Dolcetto is juicy and bright and nicely polished; soft yet balanced on the palate.
Rosavica Benotti Langhe Barbera DOC 2021
100% Barbera from two different parcels, Pianas in Priocca and Pometo in Priocca, totaling only half a hectare on clay-limestone with veins of sand and located at between 240m and 290m of altitude. The process for winemaking here is, as in the best classic wineries, rather simple. After harvest, the grapes are brought to their small cellar where they are de-stemmed and go into cement tanks for an 8–10-day natural fermentation, racked once, and left in cement for four months. The wine is then bottled without filtration. The Barbera has wonderfully bright, brambly and crunchy red fruits with a lifted palate and good acidity. This is oh, so easy to drink.
Rosavica Benotti Langhe Nebbiolo DOC 2022
100% Nebbiolo from 1.4 hectares of vineyards spread across three plots: Bric in Priocca, Sabbione in Priocca, and San Michele in Govone. The vineyards consist of sandy soils as well as clay-limestone with veins of sand and located at 270m of altitude. The process for winemaking here is, as in the best classic wineries, rather simple. After harvest, the grapes are brought to their small cellar where they are de-stemmed and go into cement tanks for an 8–10-day natural fermentation, racked once, and left in cement for four months. The wine is then bottled without filtration. The Nebbiolo is light in color with notes of tart cherries, cedar, violets and herbs. The palate is beautifully balanced and supple with just enough tannins to give structure.
Rosavica Benotti Roero Nebbiolo DOCG 2020
The Roero is from one single plot on a steep vineyard that is worked only by hand. The Serra dei Costa in Priocca vineyard, located a mere five miles from Neive in Barbaresco, consists of rich, sandy soils at 290 meters of altitude and consisting entirely of old vines Nebbiolo. The sea was here in ancient times and the sandy soils give more elegance and aromatic complexity than power. Unlike the Langhe wines, the Roero DOCG sees a different fermentation and elevage. The grapes are de-stemmed, followed by fermentation in cement and maceration under submerged cap for 25-30 days. The wine is then aged for one year in 2nd and 3rd pass 225L barriques. This a beautifully textured wine with lots of bright fruit and a gentle oak influence. This is not Barolo or Barbaresco but a singular expression of Roero Nebbiolo that is simply stunning.
14.35% Alc |5.53 TA | 3.56 pH | 75 mg/l of free sulphur