Rocche Dei Manzoni Piedmont Happy Hour Wine Tasting with Special Guest Gabriele Pezzuto

"Old wine and friends improve with age."

Italian Proverb quotes


We have a lot of old friends and old wine here at the Wine Watch.  Nebbiolo is my favorite grape varietal and Barolo and Barbaresco are 100% Nebbiolo so whenever one of our friends are in town from the Piedmont we schedule a date to drink some of my favorite varietal. 
Barolo is one of the world’s most age worthy wines, but there is very little of these older vintage wines available on the open market today.   I like to compare these Italian treasures to the great wines of Burgundy, another region that has to deal with harsh conditions with a varietal that is very finicky. Nebbiolo like Pinot Noir only produces great wines in the a few areas of the world.   
We have one of my favorite producers of Barolo in town on Tuesday, February 25th  with Gabriele Pezzuto from Rocche Dei Manzoni in town to showcase some of the new releases from this landmark winery from the Piedmont.  We also have a few older vintages from this producer that we will showcase to show the aging potential of these great wines. 
As always, we have an incredible collection of Barolo in the store and everything is on SALE for this week!
The fee for this tasting is $95 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com. 

Rocche Dei Manzoni Piedmont Happy Hour Wine Tasting
with Special Guest Gabriele Pezzuto
Tuesday, February 25, 2025
6:00 PM

2010 Valentino Brut Zero Vino Spumante Piedmont
2023 Rocche dei Manzoni Langhe Bianco Tataya
2022 Rocche dei Manzoni Dolcetto D'Alba La Matinera
2019 Rocche dei Manzoni Barolo Classico
2018 Rocche Dei Manzoni Barolo Big D Big
2018 Rocche Dei Manzoni Barolo Vigna d'la Roul
2010 Pianpolvere Bussia Soprano Riserva Barolo

Menu
Charcuterie and Cheese Selections
Mushroom Asiago and Fig Flatbread
Seared Asian Tuna Skewers with Djon Honey Dipping Sauce
Truffle Mushroom Sliders
Crispy Panko Chicken Bites with Ancho BBQ

The fee for this tasting is $95 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com. 

A bit about Gabriele Pezzuto:
Assistant to Rodolfo Migliorini, owner and head winemaker
Gabriele works closely with Rodolfo at the winery in Monforte d’Alba, and oversees all the communication to the international markets.
Since Rodolfo does not speak English, Gabriele leverages his multilingualism to help make sure the philosophy and messaging of Rocche dei Manzoni are communicated accurately and faithfully.
He will be traveling directly from the winery in Italy to Florida, and will be staying in the country for only a few days, coming specially for this exciting tasting event. This is a rare opportunity to taste through a wide selection of the wines Rocche dei Manzoni produces, to get to better know the unique house style of this historic Italian winery, and to talk directly with Gabriele about what it’s like to work with the Migliorini family to continue the legacy of the winery’s founder, Valentino.

A bit about Rocche dei Manzoni

eated in the Manzoni Soprani area of Monforte d’Alba, Rocche dei Manzoni was originally established in the 1700’s.  In 1974, Valentino Migliorini, who, along with his wife, was already the owner and promoter of a Michelin-starred restaurant, decided to buy a farmhouse in Monforte d'Alba in the Langhe. Working with the strength of his winemaking experience and his innate ability to stay ahead of the times, in 1976, Valentino created the first Langhe blended wine: Bricco Manzoni, a blend of Nebbiolo and Barbera grapes. But he decided to go even further and, a couple of years later, in 1978, he began producing sparkling wine using the traditional method and introduced the use of small oak barrels for the aging of red wines. Migliorini was the first to import the small oak barrels to the Langhe, and in a short time these numbered 300 units.

By 1982 the small oak barrels were used for all vinification and, in 1999, the first 10-year reserve Barolo was produced. Experimentation has marked the entire production of Rocche dei Manzoni and, together with attention to detail, it has led the winery to become a great interpreter of Piedmontese red wines and opened the way for the traditional method of sparkling wine production in the Langhe. It would take other producers more than thirty years to try their hand at sparkling wine production.

The Rocche dei Manzoni winery is presently under the direction of Rodolfo Migliorini, Valentino's son and great admirer of the Langhe. Rodolfo completed his education abroad through various experiences that allowed him to engage in realities outside of Piedmont. His cultural baggage, already well oriented by lessons learned from his father, was further expanded by the time he spent in other places. His decision to return to the winery and subsequently take over the leadership was thus the expression of his desire to continue the journey undertaken by Valentino with serious devotion.

All the wines from Rocche dei Manzoni in the store on SALE!!

2010 Valentino Brut Zero Vino Spumante Piedmont
Price: $97.50                    Your Price: $85.80
Rocche dei Manzoni was the first winery in the 70s to make a metodo classico sparkling wine in the Langhe, so it’s appropriate that we begin the tasting with this stunning example of Italian bubbles. 100% chardonnay, minimum of ten years aging on the lees.
"The 2010 Brut Zero Valentino, 100% Chardonnay, is one of the best editions I have tasted in some time of Roche dei Manzoni's flagship sparkling wine. Rich and ample, the 2010 offers up an exotic mix of apricot, white flowers, chamomile and a kiss of French oak. Even with no dosage, the 2010 is a pretty rich, heady wine. I suspect that is a combination of extended time on the lees and the inherent auality of the vintage. Superb. - By Antonio Galloni on November 2022"

2023 Rocche dei Manzoni, Langhe Bianco Tataya
Price: $31.75                    Your Price: $27.94
A blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc
fresh, with floral notes reminiscent of the white flowers of acacia and hawthorn, white-fleshed fruit, golden apple, medlar and with hints of almond and partly of exotic fruit given by the Sauvignon, with a light aroma
On the palate the Tataya has good freshness and pleasantness with a nice balance between the fresh notes and the fullness of the taste, white flowers and fresh fruit are still found with a pleasant flavor, these characteristics make it a wine particularly suitable for appetizers, fish dishes and light first courses

2022 Rocche dei Manzoni Dolcetto D'Alba La Matinera
Price: $35.25                    Your Price: $31.02
A beautifully clean and fruit-forward win with pronounced tenants. Does not see any barrel aging, so this is one of the purest ...

2021 Rocche dei Manzoni Barbera d'Alba La Cresta
Price: $51.00                    Your Price: $44.88
blood orange, confectionery, floral notes, licorice, wild fru

2019 Rocche dei Manzoni Barolo Classico
Price: $95.00                    Your Price: $83.60
A softer, slightly more easy-going Barolo, that is easily drinkable young, yet will still give drinkers a sense of the house style.

2018 Rocche Dei Manzoni Barolo Big D Big
Price: $155.00                 Your Price: $136.40
"The 2018 Barolo Big 'd Big is a powerful, wild wine. Kirsch, sweet oak, spice, white chocolate and mint are front and center. Deceptive in its first impression, the 2018 packs a pretty substantial punch. As with all of these Barolos, the oak imprint is strong, and yet there is so much material here. - By Antonio Galloni on November 2022”

2018 Rocche Dei Manzoni Barolo Vigna d'la Roul DOCG
Price: $155.00                 Your Price: $136.40
The Barolo Bricco San Pietro "Vigna d'la Roul" of Rocche dei Manzoni winery is produced from grapes grown on the Bricco San Pietro in Monforte d'Alba and the name relates to the oak tree "roul" in the middle of the vineyard.  It is the strongest most age worthy red wine they produce and it spends a year of aging in bottle after three years of aging in barriques.  A bright ruby red color with garnet tones, on the nose there is a strong bouquet of red berry fruit, vanilla spice, and dark chocolate along with hints of white truffle like earth.  A big and chewy wine on the palate with intense tannins and a long persistent finish touting floral notes and exotic spices on the finish.  Finish 50+  Most Excellent

2010 Rocche Dei Manzoni Barolo Vigna d'la Roul DOCG
Price: $202.50                 Your Price: $178.20
(92 Points) Iron, smoke and a host of ferrous notes open up in the 2010 Barolo Vigna d’la Roul. Rich, powerful and structured to the core, the 2010 is a wine that needs time, and lots of it. Tobacco, dried flowers, underbrush, licorice and red fruit are framed by large-scaled, imposing tannins. This is another enormous Barolo from Rocche dei Manzoni. The Vigna d’la Roul emerges from parcels in Manzoni Soprana, where the winery itself is. (AG) Vinous

2012 Rocche Dei Manzoni Barolo Vigna d'la Roul DOCG
Price: $135.00                 Your Price: $118.80
From a cooler vintage the 2012 expresses a fresher rendition of this wine with notes of black cherry, dried flower, bay leaf and dark chocolate. The acidity is prominent but perfectly balanced.

2008 Podere Rocche dei Manzoni Vigna Cappella di Santo Stefano Barolo
Price: $129.00                 Your Price: $113.52       Quantity in Stock: 17
The 2008 Barolo Vigna Cappella di S. Stefano saturates the palate with layers of intensely perfumed dark red fruit. Flowers, mint and licorice appear later, adding considerable complexity. The Cappella di S. Stefano is suave, seductive and totally impeccable. Dazzling, expressive aromatics are a constant thread that is woven throughout. This is all polish and finesse, despite the full-bodied style.

2010 Pianpolvere Bussia Soprano Riserva Barolo
Price: $255.75                 Your Price: $225.06       Quantity in Stock: 3
(96 Points) The 2010 Barolo Riserva Bussia from Pianpolvere Soprano is a flat-out stunner. It is also the first Barolo I have tasted under Roche dei Manzoni's stewardship of this historic Monforte estate that takes me back to the wines of Ferruccio Fenocchio prior to his passing. Rose petal, mint, kirsch, spice and blood orange are some of the many notes that shape this exquisite, classically translucent Barolo. Medium in body and supremely refined, the 2010 is utterly beguiling. I can't wait to taste it with bottle age.  Vinous Media

2012 Rocche dei Manzoni, Barolo Vigna Madonna Assunta La Villa Riserva
Price: $372.00                 Your Price: $327.36
Medium bright garnet red with orange rim. Intense aroma of wild raspberries, strawberries, sour cherry and notes of undergrowth on the nose, tobacco and dark chocolate echo. Fresh and juicy on the palate, with an elegant finish and gripping tannins, long finish." - 94/100, Falstaff

A brief History of Barolo





Barolo has a long history of wine production, the area was named some 400 years ago and probably came from the Celtic brolio or brol, meaning "wood" or "orchard".   The region of Barolo encompasses approximately 3,000 acres of vines situated southwest of the town of Alba, in all or part of 11 communes.  First is La Morra, with nearly one-third of the total acreage.  Following in decreasing order are Serralunga d’alba, Monforte d’Alba, Barolo, and Castiglione Falletto, and parts of six other villages.  One of the most famous and most sought after vineyards in Barolo is Cannubi. 


There are two main valleys in the Barolo production zone: the Barolo Valley to the west, and the Serralunga Valley to the east.  La Morra and Barolo itself are the major villages in the western valley, which also encompasses Cherasco, Novello, Roddi d’Alba, Castiglione Falletto and Monforte are the major towns;  Diano d’Alba and Grinzane Cavour are also included in this district.  There are distinct characteristics that are indigenous to the wines of various area:  the wines of Serralunga Valley have suggestions of licorice and tar, the Barolos of Serralunga itself display camphor and mint; those from Castiglione Falleto have a pronounced licorice characteristic as well as nuances of spice, mint, dried peaches, and prunes; those from Monforte recall spices, mint hazelnuts, and almonds.  The wines from the Barolo Valley bring up underbrush and truffle, as well as licorice.  Those wines from the village of Barolo have less of a licorice character but more suggestions of underbrush, truffles, and mint.  The wines of la Morra, especially those from the slopes, combine nuances of white truffle, mint, tobacco, spices, cherries, and blackberries and those from Cannubi display motes of white truffles, underbrush, raspberries, and black cherries.