Orlando Rocca | Monforte d’Alba, Piedmont

When we visited Orlando in 2024, we couldn’t quite believe what we found. A handful of barrels, all he could secure. A single stainless-steel fermenter wrapped in tarpaulin, with a plug-in heater tucked inside to guide fermentation through the cold Langhe winter. No grand cellar and no polished tasting room. Just passion, focus, and Nebbiolo quietly becoming Barolo in the hills of Monforte. What makes it even more remarkable: his first vintage, 2020, was made when he was just sixteen.

Orlando Rocca grew up here. Barolo was never a career decision, it was simply life. Vineyard work, harvest rhythms, long days in the cellar. He absorbed it before he ever thought to question it, and that grounding shows in his wines. There’s no ego, no theatre - just a deep respect for the land that raised him.

He honed his craft at the renowned Domenico Clerico estate, his late uncle, one of the finest names of modern Barolo. There, he gained technical precision and wisdom. But what excites us most is what he’s building now, on his own terms.

Orlando works with parcels in Bussia, one of Monforte d’Alba’s most important crus. In the wrong hands, Bussia can tip toward weight and excess, but in his, it retains vitality, and his wines carry a tonne of depth, without heaviness. Dark cherry, wild herbs, crushed rose. Tannins that are firm yet composed. Structured, certainly - but never forced.

There is something compelling about a young grower starting this way. No marketing machine., and no inflated production. Just a few barrels and an uncompromising drive to get it right.

We’re backing Orlando early because the direction is clear. The raw materials are exceptional. The discipline is there and the hunger is unmistakable. He isn’t trying to reinvent Barolo. He’s earning his place within it. We’re proud to be supporting him on this inspiring journey.