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Giovanni Rosso

Piedmont

Although the Rosso family has been tending vines in Serralunga d’Alba for more than a century, Azienda Agricola Giovanni Rosso has only been a label since 1995, when Davide Rosso took the helm. Davide is a conscientious man who studied at Domaine Jean Grivot and Domaine Denis Mortet. This Burgundian training is evident in his vines, which are grown organically with no pesticides or herbicides. His wines reflect terroir first and foremost. And what terroir! Grapes come from the famed Crus of La Serra, Cerretta, Broglio, Meriame, Sorano, Costa Bella, Lirano, and Damiano.

In July of 2016, Davide purchased a small vineyard of decades-old vines on the northern slope of Mount Etna. He plans to vinify small lots of indigenous varietal Nerello Mascalese (a bit like Nebbiolo, but with thicker skin to withstand the Sicilian sun). As Wine Spectator’s Robert Camuto reported, “Rosso won’t be the first Piemontese to make wine on Etna; Piedmont enologists have been consulting there for years. But he is being heralded — and largely welcomed — as the first high-profile Barolista to expand here.”

Fermentation occurs with wild yeasts in cement tanks without temperature control; wines age in 5000 litre French oak barrels. This is a departure from tradition, which would see these made of Slovenian oak. Although a young winery, Giovanni Rosso has quickly proven to be one of the best in the region.

In 2022, the winery was assessed by Equalitas, and awarded the status of “Sustainable Winery”.

“Managed by Davide Rosso, son of the late Giovanni Rosso, this winery has become a shining star over the past ten years. If you believe that Barolo needs a decade or so to become drinkable, you need to taste the offerings of Giovanni Rosso, as these are among the most approachable Barolos from Serralunga d’Alba. This is another traditional producer, maturing his wines in large casks; that combined with fruit from several excellent sites in Serralunga, are the keys to the high quality of these wines. […] While these wines are more approachable upon release than many Barolo from Serralunga, make no mistake; they age well, often with peak drinking at 15-20 years of age.”
Tom Hyland on Giovanni Rosso, Forbes, March 2020

“Founded in 1890, the estate has recently become one of the brightest emerging stars in Barolo. Owner Davide Rosso studied winemaking in France and is taking the wines to a new level: all his wine speak clearly of Serralunga … Rosso’s first vintage (2011) of his Tommasso Canale Cuvée from the Vigna Rionda Cru will also be released soon. This is sparking great excitement among Barolo aficionados as the Cru is considered by many to be Barolo’s greatest.”
 – Decanter, April 2015

Giovanni Rosso Wines