Rocche dei Manzoni, Barolo Vigna d'la Roul 1998

Rocche dei Manzoni Barolo Vigna d’la Roul 1998 is a single-vineyard Barolo from Monforte d’Alba that captures the balance between power, elegance, and long-lived complexity. Sourced from a south-west facing cru with optimal exposure, this mature Nebbiolo now shows the full charm of an aged Barolo while retaining impressive structure and freshness. A classic 1998, it reflects a warm, steady growing season that delivered ripe fruit, refined tannins, and exceptional aging potential.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, this 1998 Barolo shows a garnet core gently fading to brick-orange at the rim, a textbook appearance for a well-cellared, mature Nebbiolo. The nose is beautifully evolved and deeply expressive: dried roses, violets, and sour cherry interwoven with notes of liquorice, forest floor, truffle, leather, and a subtle balsamic lift. Hints of tobacco, dried herbs, and earthy minerality speak clearly of Monforte d’Alba. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied yet remarkably silk-textured, with ripe red cherry, dried plum, and cranberry layered over sweet spices and savoury undertones. Tannins are firm but velvety and well integrated, supporting the wine rather than dominating it, while the acidity keeps everything poised and vibrant. The finish is long and persistent, with lingering notes of rose petal, balsam, and mineral-driven firmness. At this stage it is fully open and in its prime drinking window, with capacity to hold and subtly evolve for several more years under excellent cellaring conditions.

Production
Vigna d’la Roul is a south-west facing single vineyard in Monforte d’Alba, rooted in calcareous marl and clay soils that give Nebbiolo both its pronounced tannic backbone and its hallmark mineral character. The 100% Nebbiolo grapes are traditionally grown and carefully harvested by hand to ensure only perfectly ripe bunches reach the cellar. Rocche dei Manzoni vinified this Barolo in a classic style with a long maceration on the skins to maximise colour, tannin, and aromatic extraction, followed by approximately 36 months of maturation in a combination of large French oak casks and a proportion of new barriques. After cask aging, the wine spent additional years resting in bottle before release, allowing its bouquet and structure to harmonise into the complex, layered profile it shows today.

Food & Serving
This mature Barolo is an outstanding partner for rich, flavourful dishes: think braised beef, ossobuco, game birds, slow-cooked lamb, and dishes featuring porcini mushrooms or truffle. It works beautifully with aged hard cheeses such as Parmigiano Reggiano or mature Pecorino, as well as risotto with mushrooms or truffle. Serve at around 18 °C, and given its age and sediment, decant gently for 2–3 hours before serving to allow the wine to fully unfurl and to clarify the aromas and texture.

Producer
Rocche dei Manzoni, founded in the 1970s in Monforte d’Alba, is widely regarded as one of the key modernising forces in Barolo, combining deep respect for traditional Nebbiolo with a precise, quality-driven approach in the vineyard and cellar. Based in the heart of Piemonte’s Langhe hills, the estate was among the early adopters of meticulous single-vineyard bottlings, showcasing the unique character of individual crus such as Vigna d’la Roul. Over the decades, Rocche dei Manzoni has gained a strong reputation for structured, long-lived Barolos that marry terroir transparency with refined oak handling, earning recognition both within the Barolo DOCG and on the international fine wine stage.

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