The Brezza Family has been making wine and farming vineyards in Barolo since 1885. Enzo is the fourth generation of the family to lead the estate, where they have an enviable holding of vineyards in Barolo including the Cru sites of Castellero, Sarmassa and the famous Cannubi. As a matter of fact, it was Enzo who (along with his cousin, Maria Teresa Mascarello) lead an effort against the expansion of the Cannubi vineyard, which would have diluted the quality of the name by extending the boundaries to non-traditional sites. Their advocacy allowed the vineyard to keep its traditional delimitation on the sandy soils of the east-facing hillside vineyard, thus preserving the esteemed name of Cannubi and its legendary quality.

All of Brezza’s grapes are grown organically and hand-harvested. In the cellar, only native yeasts are used for fermentation and the wines undergo long macerations and extended aging in large Slavonian oak botti. All of their Barolos are made with the same vinification techniques in order to showcase the differences of terroir in each vintage. Enzo may be firmly rooted in tradition, but his knowledge as an oenologist allows him to craft traditional wines that are clean, precise and among the best in Barolo.

Along with Cannubi, Sarmassa is considered to be one of the best vineyard sites in Barolo, known for producing big, bold and expansive wines. In the glass, the wine displays a mid-ruby color with an orange tinge to the rim. The nose is brooding and deep with rich, ripe fruit. On the palate, the wine is powerful with masses of tannin, a firm underlying acidity and deep concentration of dark cherry, blue raspberry, roses and earth. This is a full-bodied, hugely structured and dense wine that will age for an extremely long time. An exceptional and classic expression of Sarmassa.