Barolo

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For the Italian comune, see Barolo, Piedmont.
Barolo, like most nebbiolo-based wines, is known for its light color and lack of opacity.

Barolo (

Piedmont. It is made from the nebbiolo grape and is often described as one of Italy's greatest wines.[1]

The zone of production extends into the communes of Barolo, Castiglione Falletto, Serralunga d'Alba and parts of the communes of Cherasco, Diano d'Alba, Grinzane Cavour, La Morra, Monforte d'Alba, Novello, Roddi, Verduno, all in the province of Cuneo, south-west of Alba. Although production codes have always stipulated that vineyards must be located on hillsides, the most recent revision of the production code released in 2010 goes further, categorically excluding valley floors, humid and flat areas, areas without sufficient sunlight, and areas with full-on northern exposures.[2]

Barolo is often described as having the aromas of tar and roses, and the wines are noted for their ability to age and usually take on a rust red tinge as they mature. Barolo needs to be aged for at least 36 months after the harvest before release, of which at least 18 months must be in wood.[2] When subjected to aging of at least five years before release, the wine can be labeled as Riserva.[3]

In the past, Barolo wines tended to be rich in

aged in large, wooden casks for years. In order to appeal to more modern international tastes, those that prefer fruitier, earlier-drinking wine styles, several producers began to cut fermentation times to a maximum of ten days and age the wine in new French oak barriques (small barrels). "Traditionalists" have argued that the wines produced in this way are not recognizable as Barolo and taste more of new oak than of wine. The controversies between traditionalists and modernists have been called the "Barolo wars".[1]

History

Risorgimento
, Count Cavour played a significant role in the development of modern-day Barolo

Until recently it was believed that up to the mid-19th century, Barolo was a

dry, making the first modern Barolo. This new, "dry" red wine soon became a favourite among the nobility of Turin and the ruling House of Savoy, giving rise to the popular description of Barolo as "the wine of kings, the king of wines".[3]

The idea that Barolo was once a sweet wine and that it took a French oenologist to turn it into a dry wine has been recently challenged, based on new research, by

Carlo Alberto and Cavour were already following Staglieno's guidelines and both were producing dry wines.[2] This revised version of the history of Barolo was positively accepted by other experts.[5][6]

By the mid-20th century, wine production in the Barolo zone was dominated by large

DOCG status. Along with Barbaresco and Brunello di Montalcino, Barolo was one of the first Italian wine regions to attain this designation.[7]

The Barolo wars

In the 1970s and 1980s, trends in the worldwide market favoured fruitier, less tannic wines that could be consumed at a younger age. A group of Barolo producers, led by the house of Ceretto, Paolo Cordero di Montezemolo, Elio Altare, and Renato Ratti, started making more modern, international styles of Barolos by using shorter periods for

decanting wine), but the fruit would also fade and become oxidized. The decline in fruit would no longer be able to balance the remaining harsh tannins, leaving a bitter, astringent wine with withered fruit. To counter this change, some producers would blend in other grape varieties such as Arneis and Barbera to add colour, fruit or softness to the wine.[3]

The use of small French oak barrique barrels is a winemaking technique associated with "modernist" Barolo producers

Advances in

canopy management and yield control have led to riper grapes being harvested earlier with more developed tannins in the grape skins. As of 2015, winemaking for both traditionalist and modernist Barolo producers includes strict hygiene controls and the use of some modern winemaking equipment such as temperature-control fermentation vessels. Rather than fall into one hardline camp or the other, many producers take a middle-ground approach that utilizes some modernist techniques along with traditional winemaking. In general, the traditional approach to nebbiolo involves long maceration periods of 20 to 30 days and the use of older large botti-size barrels. The modern approach to nebbiolo utilizes shorter maceration periods of 7 to 10 days and cooler fermentation temperatures between 28–30 °C (82–86 °F) that preserve fruit flavours and aromas. Towards the end of the fermentation period, winemakers often heat the cellars to encourage the start of malolactic fermentation, which softens some of nebbiolo's harsh acidity. Modern winemakers tend to favour smaller barrels of new oak that need only a couple of years to soften the tannic grip of the wines. While new oak imparts notes of vanilla, it has the potential to cover up the characteristic rose notes of nebbiolo.[10]

Climate and geography

Vineyards in commune of Serralunga d'Alba

The Barolo zone is located 3 km (1.9 mi) southwest of the

tributaries - the Tallòria dell'Annunziata and Tallòria di Castiglione - that split the region into three main zones. To the west of the Tallòria dell'Annunziata is the commune of Barolo and La Morra. To the east of the Tallòria di Castiglione is the commune of Serralunga d'Alba located on one of the highest hilltops in the Barolo zone. Separated by a narrow valley to the west is the commune Monforte d'Alba located in the Monforte hills. Further upstream north, located in the v-shape spur between the two tributaries is the commune of Castiglione Falletto.[11]

Located among the

acidity.[7] In Jan 2007 Filippo Bartolotta indicated how a vertical tasting of Barolo, from 1985 to the present "showcased Barolo's longevity, intense aromatics, freshness, silk-and-cashmere tannins and also highlighted the considerable contrast between production zones".[12]

Being dependent on a grape that is slow to ripen,

phenolic compounds such as tannins. To empirically link this to anthropogenic global warming is speculative. More likely, better vineyard management and winemaking techniques have contributed to a string of successful vintages for Barolo in the last 20 years.[7]

Wine region

Vineyards in the commune of Barolo
Nebbiolo vineyard on the slopes of the Cannubi hill

The present-day Barolo zone is located a little over 11 km (6.8 mi) southwest of Alba. While it is nearly 3 times the size of the nearby Barbaresco zone, it is still relatively small and is only 8.0 km (5 mi) wide at its widest point.[7] In 1896, the Italian Ministry of Agriculture demarcated the Barolo production zone to include the communes of Barolo, La Morra, Castiglione Falletto, Serralunga d'Alba and the northern half of Monforte d'Alba. In 1909, the Agricultural Commission of Alba added the commune of Grinzane Cavour and parts of Novello and Verduno to the zone. When the region was designated as a Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) in 1966, parts of Cherasco, Diano d'Alba and Roddi were included with this delimitation of the Barolo zone staying unchanged through the zones promotion to DOCG in 1980. Despite these additions, over 87% of Barolo is produced in the original five communes of Barolo, La Morra, Castiglione Falletto, Serralunga d'Alba and Monforte d'Alba with Barolo and Castiglione Falletto considered the "heart" or unofficial "classico" areas of the zone.[3] In addition to restrictions on yield and alcohol levels, to be labelled DOCG, a Barolo must be aged at least three years (a minimum of 38 months from November 1 the year of harvest), of which a minimum 18 months in wooden barrels. For wines labelled Barolo Riserva, five years of total ageing is required (a minimum of 62 months from November 1 the year of harvest), again with a minimum of 18 months in barrel.[13]

The Barolo zone can be broadly divided into two valleys. The Serralunga Valley to the east includes the communes of Castiglione Falletto, Monforte d'Alba and Serralunga d'Alba. Planted with soils higher in sand, limestone, iron, phosphorus and potassium, the wines of Serralunga Valley tend to be austere and powerful and require significant ageing (at least 12–15 years) to develop. The Central Valley to the west includes the communes of Barolo and La Morra with soils higher in clay, manganese and magnesium oxide. This region tends to produce wines with more perfumed aromas and velvety textures. These wines tend to be less tannic and full-bodied than those from the Serralunga Valley and can require less ageing (8 to 10 years).[7] The most widely planted and productive region of the Barolo zone is La Morra, which is responsible for nearly a third of all wine labelled as Barolo and produces twice as much wine as the next leading zone of Serralunga d'Alba.[11]

The "crus" of Barolo

Since the late 19th century, efforts have been made to identify which vineyards in the Barolo zones produce the highest quality wine. Inspired by the prestige and high prices charged for

Grand cru bottlings of Burgundy wine, Barolo producers began separating their holdings into individual vineyard lots and labelling
the wines with these single-vineyard designations. The practice became so extensive that some producers were doing single-vineyard bottlings and charging high prices on all their holdings, regardless of whether the particular vineyard quality merited such a practice.

Led by prominent wine critic Luigi Veronelli, there was a push to have the vineyards of Barolo classified according to the quality of their produce. Winemaker Renato Ratti conducted an extensive study of the soils, geography and produce of vineyards throughout the area and mapped out individual plots based on their quality potential. The "Ratti Map" is still widely used by producers and negociants today.[8] While there is no official designation of cru vineyard in the Barolo zone, both oral tradition and the history of high prices paid by negociants have elevated some vineyards to "cru" status in Barolo. In the commune of Barolo, the Cannubi and Sarmassa are considered "cru" class as well as the Brunate vineyard shared with the commune of La Morra. Also in La Morra is the highly esteemed Cerequio and Rocche vineyards. In Castiglione Falletto is the Monprivato and Villero vineyards. The commune of Serralunga d'Alba is home to the esteemed vineyards of Lazzarito and Vigna Rionda while the commune of Monforte d'Alba is home to the Bussia, Ginestra and Santo Stefano di Perno vineyards.[3]

Below is a list of some the traditional "crus" of Barolo (divided by commune):

Barolo  
Bricco Viole Brunate Cannubi Cannubi Boschis Rue
San Lorenzo Sarmassa Via Nuova
Castiglione Falletto
Bricco Rocche Fiasc Mariondino Monprivato Parussi (or Parusso) Pira
Rivera Villero
La Morra
Arborina Brunate Cerequio Gattera Giachini
Marcenasco Rocche dell'Annunziata
Monforte d'Alba
Bussia Cicala Colonnello Dardi Ginestra
Mosconi Munie Romirasco Santo Stefano
Serralunga d'Alba
Falletto Francia La Serra Marenca Marenca-Rivette
Margheria Ornato Parafada Vigna Rionda

In 2010 the Barolo Consorzio introduced the Menzioni Geografiche Aggiuntive (additional geographic mentions) also known as MGA or subzones, after the Barbaresco Consorzio introduced them in 2007. 181 MGA were officially delimited, of which 170 were vineyard areas and 11 were village designations.[2] Following the introductions of MGA for Barolo (and Barbaresco) the term Vigna (Italian for vineyard) can be used on labels after its respective MGA and only if the vineyard is within one of the approved official geographic mentions.[2]

Grape and wines

A glass of Barolo from Piedmont

Barolo wine is produced from the nebbiolo

bud and later varieties to ripen with harvest taking place in mid to late October. In some vintages, other Piedmontese producers are able to pick and complete fermentation of their Barbera and Dolcetto plantings before Barolo producers have even begun their harvest.[10] According to DOCG regulations, Barolos are to be composed of 100% nebbiolo. Historically producers would blend other grapes such as Barbera and today there is speculation that modern Barolo producers may be blending in Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah but there has been no conclusive proof of this practice.[citation needed] In the 1990s producers in the Barolo zone petitioned that the required nebbiolo content be lowered from 100% to 90% but this petition was eventually defeated.[3]

Barolos tend to be rich, deeply concentrated

ABV). Excessive extraction from prolonged maceration periods and oak aging can give the wines an over-extracted bitterness.[3]

Within the different communes of the Barolo zone, stylistic differences emerge due to differences in

spur between the two valleys with overlapping soil types. This region tends to produce wines with the elegance and aromatics of the Barolo commune and the structure of wines from Serralunga d'Alba.[3]

Barolo Chinato

Nebbiolo

In the Piedmont region, old Barolo wine is used to make an after-dinner

iris flowers, mint and vanilla. The resulting beverage is very aromatic and smooth.[9]

Production

A string of favourable vintages in the late 1990s led to an increase of price for Barolos and, in turn, led to increased plantings. Between 1990 and 2004 there was a 47% increase in nebbiolo plantings in the Barolo zone with 1,734 ha (4,285 acres) under vine. The production subsequently increased from 7 million bottles in the mid-1990s to 10.25 million bottles in the mid-2000s. In the rush to increase plantings some of the less ideal sites previously used by Barbera and Dolcetto were gobbled up. It remains to be seen if these sites will be able to adequately ripen nebbiolo enough to produce quality Barolo that justifies the high price of the wine. Some experts are predicting a market correction similar to what was seen in the 1980s when a backlog of vintages caused prices to stabilize.[3]

Food pairing

A glass of Barolo with the characteristic brick colour hue around the rim

A big, powerful,

matched with foods of similar weight. Paired with light dishes low in protein, such as steamed vegetables, a Barolo will overwhelm the food; its tannins will react with the proteins on the tongue and sides of the mouth, accentuating the bitterness and drying the palate.[14] In Piedmont, the wines are often paired with meat dishes, heavy pastas and rich risotti; the tannins bind to the food proteins and come across as softer.[9]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Teague, Lettie, Food & Wine (September 2007). "Is Barolo Still Italy's Greatest Wine?".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^
    ISBN 9780520273269
  3. ^
    ISBN 0-19-860990-6
  4. ISBN 0-671-68702-6
  5. ^ Speller, Walter, JancisRobinson.com (January 2015). "Debunking Barolo Myths".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ McCarthy, Ed, WineReviewOnline.com (September 2014). "A Great, New Book on Barolo and Barbaresco". Archived from the original on 2015-09-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^
    ISBN 0-7645-5355-0
  8. ^
    ISBN 978-3-8331-4611-4
  9. ^
    ISBN 1-56305-434-5
  10. ^
    ISBN 0-15-100714-4
  11. ^
    ISBN 1-84000-332-4
  12. ^ F. Bartolotta Langhe Lasting pg 42-48, Decanter 2007
  13. ^ "Disciplinare di produzione DOCG Barolo" (PDF). regione.piemonte.it. Regione Piemonte. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  14. ISBN 978-0-520-24377-4

Further reading

External links
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