Giovanni Rosso: 8 Best Wines To Buy (2024) Vineyards, Winemaking

by Elaine Lau

Giovanni Rosso is a family-owned wine producer in the heart of the Barolo wine region of Piedmont, Italy. Since the 1890s, the Rosso family has produced brilliant red wines driven by a passion for Nebbiolo grapes.

The Giovanni Rosso red wines are acclaimed for their vibrant acidity, pleasant tannins, and for perfectly reflecting their terroir.

In this article, we'll look at the Giovanni Rosso winery, its stunning vineyards, and artful winemaking, along with the eight best wines you can buy today.

Giovanni Rosso: A Quick Intro to the Family-owned Winery

Giovanni Rosso is an acclaimed, family-owned winery with a 12-hectare estate in the eastern side of the Barolo wine region in Piedmont, Italy.

The winery is a traditional family farmhouse that houses the fermentation, aging, bottling, and labeling of the wines produced.

Despite owning the Barolo farmed vineyards since the1890’s, the Rosso family have only been making wine under their label since 1995.

In 2001, Giovanni’s son Davide Rosso took charge of the vinification and elevage of the wines after studying oenology and finishing several apprenticeships in Burgundy.

Davide believes that a wine should be a perfect copy of its terroir, which in this case comes from limestone-rich La Serra and clay-rich Cerreta regions.

The family is passionate about making exceptional red wines using indigenous Nebbiolo grapes.

Now, let's look at the best Giovanni Rosso wines you should try today.

8 Magnificent Giovanni Rosso Wines to Buy Today

Here are the eight best bottles of Giovanni Rosso red wine to get your hands on right away:

2016 Ester Canale Poderi dell'Antica Vigna Rionda ($419)
1974 Canale Aldo & Figlio Podere dell'Antica Vigna Rionda ($461)
2017 Ester Canale Rosso Langhe Nebbiolo ($145)
2005 Giovanni Rosso Barolo La Serra ($131)
1999 Giovanni Rosso Cerretta ($124)
2010 Giovanni Rosso Barolo del Comune di Serralunga d'Alba DOCG ($64)
2004 Giovanni Rosso Barolo DOCG ($84)
2016 Giovanni Rosso Etna Rosso ($43)

1. 2016 Ester Canale Poderi dell'Antica Vigna Rionda ($419)

Giovanni Rosso Rionda Ester Canale is a textbook Barolo red wine that boosts the aromas of rose petals and forest berry. It has lush flavors of juicy marasca cherry, raspberry compote, licorice, and menthol. A mix of tannins and bright acidity make this red wine well-balanced.

2. 1974 Canale Aldo & Figlio Podere dell'Antica Vigna Rionda ($461)

Clayey aromas back this dark-colored Barolo Vigna red wine. The big flavors are dominated by notes of creamy vanilla, tobacco, and smoke.

3. 2017 Ester Canale Rosso Langhe Nebbiolo ($145)

This medium-bodied dry wine sports bright acidity and strong tannins. It has a dominant taste of fresh fruit, raspberry, cherry, bay leaf, and licorice.

4. 2005 Giovanni Rosso Barolo La Serra ($131)

This silky red wine has a pronounced nose of violet, wild berries, rose, mint, and balsamic hints. On the palate, it has vibrant acidity, with flavors of cherry fruit and star anise mixed with earthy and leather tones.

5. 1999 Giovanni Rosso Cerretta ($124)

This elegant Barolo wine has prominent flavors of pepper, cherry fruit, and subtle hints of oak, chocolate, tobacco, and tea. The pleasant acidity and round tannins make this 1999 vintage a great wine.

6. 2010 Giovanni Rosso Barolo del Comune di Serralunga d'Alba DOCG ($64)

This red wine has a prominent nose of cherry fruit and tar. The pleasant aromas are combined with a palate of strawberries, tea, tar, licorice, and a hint of vanilla.

7. 2004 Giovanni Rosso Barolo DOCG ($84)

This mighty Barolo wine leaves a velvety finish on the palate, with prominent flavors of black cherry, plum, strawberry, mint, and fine black tea. It has a complex nose that’s earthy, floral, and spicy.

8. 2016 Giovanni Rosso Etna Rosso ($43)

This clear ruby wine has dominant flavors of red fruit, black cherry, cedar, tobacco, and toasty oak. It has a pleasant nose of new leather, with hints of tobacco and floral notes.

A Few Interesting Facts About Giovanni Rosso Wines (Alcohol Content, Food Pairings, Aging)

Let's get some more insight into Giovanni Rosso wines:

How much alcohol does a bottle of Giovanni Rosso Wine have?

A bottle of Giovanni Rosso red wine has around 13-16% ABV.

What food pairs best with Giovanni Rosso Wines?

Since Giovanni Rosso wines have round tannins and bright acidity, they pair best with flavourful dishes such as rib-eye steak, chicken stew, cottage pie, veal chops, and roasted goose.

What is the aging potential of a Giovanni Rosso Wine?

Giovanni Rosso wines have great cellaring potential and can be aged for 10 to 20 years. Aging these tannic reds allows the tannins to soften and make this great wine more drinkable.

Here are a few more interesting facts about the iconic Giovanni Rosso winery.

The Brilliant Vineyards and Viticulture of Giovanni Rosso

The Giovanni Rosso estate consists of 12 different plots of vineyard land in Serralunga and the Valle del Mondo vineyard in the Roddino commune.

These vineyard lands include historically important regions, including La Serra, Broglio, Damiano, Vigna Rionda, Costa Bella, Cerretta, and Sorano. The soil types in these iconic regions vary from limestone and sand to calcareous clay and marl.

In terms of viticulture, the Rosso family practices organic wine farming. They refrain from using any artificial chemical treatments, including fertilizers, insecticides, and weed-killers.

The winery also carries out green harvesting, including manual harvesting, pruning, and tilling of the vineyard soil. The winery also allows plant growth between vine rows to encourage soil health and improve diversity in the vineyards.

Giovanni Rosso Winemaking: An Art Perfected Over the Years

Despite being a young winery, Giovanni Rosso has quickly proven to be one of the best in the Barolo wine regions of Italy.

The winery’s artful winemaking practice has evolved to perfection over the years. Fermentation is carried out with wild yeasts. This process takes place in cement tanks and without any temperature control. The red wines are then aged in big, 5000-liter French oak barrels.

The aging in the French oak barrels is a departure from the traditional method of using Slavonian. The use of French oak barrels adds a more intense flavor to the red wine.

Add a Stunning Bottle of Giovanni Rosso Wine to Your Collection!

Giovanni Rosso is an acclaimed producer of elegant Barolo red wines. The wines offer a brilliant sipping experience and are a treat for any wine enthusiast. The balanced fruit and floral, combined with the defining acidity and round tannins, leave you wanting more!

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