“These remain some of the most exciting wines in Barbaresco.”
—Antonio Galloni, Vinous

For years, producers of Barolo and Barbaresco split into two camps: the modernists and the traditionalists. This dichotomy did consumers no good, as only a small handful of producers managed to rise above the debate to actually produce world class wines.

Now, something new has emerged in Piedmont. There is a class of producers who don’t worry about where they fall on that spectrum, but instead focus on fruit purity, freshness, terroir expression, and on Henri Jayer’s old rule that for a wine to be truly great, it must be great both when it is young and when it is old. We're now in the midst of a golden age in Piedmont, thanks to such producers and a recent string of excellent vintages.

Marco Rocca’s Ca’ Nova, in Barbaresco, epitomizes this trend. When we first tasted their wines, from the difficult 2012 vintage, it was pure epiphany. Since then, we have gone through many vintages, some great (2016s) and some not so great (2014s). But Ca’ Nova has consistently produced thrilling wines in this new style.

Like all of Piedmont’s best producers, Ca’ Nova produces thoroughly delicious drinking wines: everyday table wines from Dolcetto, Barbera and Nebbiolo, the kind of wines that the Piedmontese actually drink, rather than export. They represent the best category of easy-drinking weeknight dinner wines from anywhere in the world, that directly reflect the soul of Piedmont. They take the lightness and purity of his Barbarescos, and then dial them both up a notch.

These also happen to be fantastic transition wines as we move from hot weather into something a little cooler. Now’s the time to check these out:

La Ca'Nova, Dolcetto D'Alba, 2023 $21.99

La Ca'Nova, Barbera D'Alba "Loreto", 2022 $25.99

La Ca'Nova, Langhe Nebbiolo, 2022 $27.99