The History of a "Grand Cru"

The Rocche dell’Annunziata is one of the most important hills cultivated of the Barolo region – indeed in the world. This Cru is the most important part of the territory once known as Marcenasco and already documented in 1194, when it belonged to the Benedictine Abbey of San Martino in La Morra. In the last few decades the Cru’s boundaries were gradually enlarged – leading to some heated discussions – especially in the eastern part, looking towards La Morra itself. As a result, ‘Rocche dell’Annunziata’ has become a pretty large Crus in the Barolo region, covering about 30 hectares (74 acres), including all the parcels up to the hamlet of Boiolo in the west, and to the road from Annunziata village to La Morra. The importance of this Cru is shown by how many great producers have vines here: Lorenzo Accomasso, Erbaluna, Rocche Costamagna, Franco Molino, Mario Gagliasso, Paolo Scavino, Roberto Voerzio, Bartolo Mascarello, Aurelio Settimo, Renato Ratti, Renato Corino, Mauro Veglio, Andrea Oberto, Fratelli Revello, plus other private owners who do not wish it to be known that they have vines there, since they do not bottle and label under their own name, or simply sell grapes.