Bricco Ambrogio
BREE-koh am-BRO-joh
Roddi's sole MGA and one of Barolo's smallest crus, delivering supple, floral Nebbiolo with an early-ripening warmth all its own.
Bricco Ambrogio is Roddi's only MGA in the Barolo DOCG, a tiny south-southeast-facing cru at 250 meters elevation. Its hot microclimate and Marne di Sant'Agata Fossili soils produce Barolo with softer tannins, ripe fruit, and open floral character. Notable producers include Bruna Grimaldi, Paolo Scavino, and Lodali.
Location and Setting
Bricco Ambrogio sits on the southernmost portion of Roddi, a commune that contributes just one MGA to the Barolo DOCG map. At 250 meters elevation, the vineyard faces south-southeast, capturing substantial sun throughout the growing season. This orientation, combined with a notably hot microclimate, sets Bricco Ambrogio apart from cooler, higher-elevation sites in the appellation and consistently brings harvest forward earlier than many neighboring crus.
- Commune: Roddi, southern Barolo DOCG
- Elevation: 250 meters above sea level
- Aspect: south-southeast, maximizing sun exposure
- Smallest category of Barolo crus by total area
- Only MGA (Menzione Geografica Aggiuntiva) located in the commune of Roddi
- Elevation: 250 meters, with a south-southeast aspect
- Soils: grey-blue marls with limestone and medium clay content, classified as Marne di Sant'Agata Fossili formation
- Hot microclimate produces an early harvest period relative to many other Barolo crus
- Bruna Grimaldi acquired vineyard holdings here in 2006; Paolo Scavino produced a first vintage in 2002
- One of the smallest crus in the entire Barolo DOCG
- Exclusively planted with Nebbiolo
Soils and Geology
The vineyard sits on the Marne di Sant'Agata Fossili geological formation, the same Tortonian-era marl sequence found across much of the Serralunga side of Barolo, though here expressed with its own character. The soils are grey-blue marls with limestone and a medium quantity of clay, with only rare sand content. This composition provides good structure and mineral definition while the clay fraction contributes to the vineyard's moisture retention during warm growing seasons.
- Formation: Marne di Sant'Agata Fossili
- Dominant material: grey-blue marls with limestone
- Clay: medium quantity; sand: rare
- Soil structure supports vine stress management in the warm microclimate
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Barolo from Bricco Ambrogio expresses a warmer, more open side of Nebbiolo. The wines are known for supple tannins, generous floral aromatics, and perfumes that lean toward ripe fruits and spices rather than the austere, iron-tinged profiles found in cooler or higher-elevation sites. The hot microclimate accelerates phenolic maturity, resulting in wines that are approachable in style without sacrificing the structural integrity expected from the DOCG. The combination of elegant aromatics and soft tannins makes Bricco Ambrogio a distinctive expression within Roddi and the broader Barolo landscape.
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See it in the WineShopNotable Producers
Three producers have established reputations for Bricco Ambrogio Barolo. Bruna Grimaldi acquired her holdings in the cru in 2006 and has become closely associated with the site. Paolo Scavino, one of Barolo's most recognized estates, produced their first vintage from this MGA in 2002, an early benchmark for the cru. Lodali rounds out the principal names working with fruit from this vineyard. Given the small total area of the cru, production volumes across all producers remain limited.
- Bruna Grimaldi: acquired holdings 2006
- Paolo Scavino: first vintage 2002
- Lodali: established producer in the cru
- Limited total production given the cru's small size
Supple and floral Barolo with softer tannins; open perfumes of ripe red and dark fruit, rose, violet, warm spice, and a lifted, elegant structure typical of a hot south-southeast microclimate.
- Bruna Grimaldi Barolo Bricco Ambrogio$55-75Grimaldi's estate-grown expression directly reflects the warm, floral character of this small Roddi MGA.
- Paolo Scavino Barolo Bricco Ambrogio$70-90Scavino's benchmark bottling dates to 2002, among the earliest single-vineyard releases from this cru.
- Lodali Barolo Bricco Ambrogio$45-65Lodali offers an accessible entry point into this rare, small-production Roddi MGA.
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- Bricco Ambrogio is the only MGA in the commune of Roddi within the Barolo DOCG.
- Soils belong to the Marne di Sant'Agata Fossili formation: grey-blue marls, limestone, medium clay, rare sand.
- The south-southeast aspect and hot microclimate create an early harvest window and produce Barolo with softer tannins and riper aromatic profiles.
- Paolo Scavino's first vintage here was 2002; Bruna Grimaldi acquired the vineyard in 2006.
- Style is floral and supple, contrasting with the more structured, tannic profiles from cooler Barolo sites such as Serralunga d'Alba.
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