Barolo - King of Piedmont Wines

Barolo wine, like most Nebbiolo based wines, is known for its light color and lack of opacity.

Barolo is a red Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) wine produced in the northern Italian region of Piedmont (Piemonte Italia). It's comes from the Nebbiolo grape and is often credited as one of Italy's greatest wines.

Barolo Production area

The area for production extends into Le Langhe (La Langa) communes of Barolo, Castiglione Falletto, Serralunga d'Alba and parts of the communes of Grinzane Cavour, Cherasco, La Morra, Diano d'Alba, Monforte d'Alba, Novello, Roddi, Verduno, all in the province of Cuneo, just south-west of the piedmont city of Alba. Only vineyards planted in primarily calcareous-clay soils in the hills with suitable slopes and orientations are considered suitable for Barolo production. 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.

When subjected to ageing of at least five years before release, the wine can be labeled a Riserva.

The Barolo Wars

In the past Barolos often used to be very rich on tannin, taking more than 10 years for the wine to soften and ready for drinking. Fermenting wine sat on the grape skins for at least three weeks extracting huge amounts of tannins and was then aged in large, wooden casks for years. In order to appeal to more modern international tastes, which preferred fruitier, more accessible wine styles, several producers began to cut fermentation times to a maximum of ten days and age the wine in new French barriques (small oak barrels). "Traditionalists" have argued that the wines produced in this way are not recognisable as Barolo and taste more of new oak than of wine. The controversies between traditionalists and modernists have been called the "Barolo wars".

Camillo Benso, conte di Cavour, played a significant role in the development of modern day Barolo.

Prior to the mid 19th century, Barolo was a sweet wine. The fact that the Nebbiolo grape ripens late in October meant that temperatures would be steadily dropping by harvest. By November and December, temperatures in the Piedmont region would be cold enough to halt fermentation, leaving a significant amount of residual sugar left in the wine. In the mid 19th century, Camillo Benso, conte di Cavour, the mayor of Grinzane Cavour invited the French enologist Louis Oudart to the Barolo region to improve the winemaking techniques of the local producers. Using techniques focusing on improving the hygiene of the cellar, Oudart was able to ferment the Nebbiolo must completely dry, making the first modern Barolo. This new, "dry" red wine soon became a favourite among the nobility of Turin (Torino) and the ruling House of Savoy, giving rise to the popular description of Barolo as '"the wine of kings, the king of wines".

In 1980 the region of Barolo was elevated to DOCG status. Along with Barbaresco and Brunello di Montalcino, Barolo was one of the first Italian wine regions to attain this designation.

A New Age for Barolo Wines

In the 1970s & 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 maceration (days as opposed to weeks) and fermentation (usually 48-72 hours or at most 8-10 days), less time ageing in new small oak barrels and an extended period of bottle ageing prior to release. By using modern technology, including specialised tanks that allow the wine to be pumped out from underneath the cap of skins and then pumped over, they found ways to maximise colour extraction and minimise harsh tannins. Prior to this "modernist" movement, Nebbiolo was often harvested slightly unripe and at high yields which left the grapes with harsh green tannins that had not had time to fully polymerise. To maximise colour extraction, producers would subject the wine to extended periods of maceration, taking up to several weeks, and then several years ageing in large oak casks to soften the wine. Through the long slow process of oxidation, the perception of tannins would lessen (such as occurs when decanting wine), but the fruit would also fade and become oxidised. 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.

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

Advances in viticulture has helped bridge the gap between modern and traditional producers. Better canopy management and yield control have led to riper grapes being harvested earlier with more developed tannins in the grape skins. Today's winemaking for both traditionalist and modernist Barolo producers include strict hygiene controls and the use of some modern winemaking equipment such as temperature control fermentation vessels. Modern Barolo makers tend to favour smaller barrels of new oak that need only a couple 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.

The Barolo zone is located 3 kms southwest of the Barbaresco zone with only the vineyards of Diano d'Alba planted with Dolcetto between the two Nebbiolo strong holds. Compared to the Barbaresco zone, the Barolo zone is cooler and located on higher elevations, rising nearly 50 meters above Barbaresco. The harvest of the late ripening Nebbiolo grape usually takes place in early to mid October though some producers are experimenting with viticultural techniques that allow for an earlier harvest in late September. At harvest time, rains and downy mildew are two of the main hazards to worry about, along with early spring hail damage earlier in the growing season. Like most of south central and southeastern Piedmont, the zone experiences a continental climate tempered by the Tanaro river and its 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.

Barolo and Global Warming

Being dependent on a grape that is slow to ripen, global warming has had a beneficial influence on the Barolo zone. The increase temperatures of summer followed by mild autumns that promote misty fog that keeps the grapes from burning has helped to increase sugar levels and more ripeness of phenolic compounds such as tannins. In addition to better vineyard management and winemaking techniques, this has contributed to a string of successful vintages for Barolo in the last 20 years.

The present day Barolo zone is located 11km southwest of Alba. While it is nearly 3 times the size of the nearby Barbaresco zone, it is still relatively small and is only 5 miles (8 km) wide at it widest point. 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. In addition to restrictions on yield and alcohol levels, to be labeled DOCG, a Barolo must have at least two years ageing in oak and at least one year ageing in the bottle prior to release. For wines labeled Barolo Riserva, five years of total ageing is required with at least three of those years in oak.

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). The most widely planted and productive region of the Barolo zone is La Morra which is responsible for nearly a third of all wine labeled as Barolo and produces twice as much wine as the next leading zone of Serralunga d'Alba.

Since the late 19th century, efforts have been made to identify which vineyards in the Barolo zones produces the highest quality of wine. Inspired by the prestige and high prices charged for Grand cru bottling 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 bottling 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. 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 has elevated some vineyards to "cru" status in Barolo. In the commune of Barolo the Cannubi and Sarmazza 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 Cerequi 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.

The Taste

Barolos tend to be rich, deeply concentrated full bodied wines with pronounced tannins and acidity. The wines are almost always lightly coloured varying from ruby to garnet in their youth to more brick and orange hues as they age. Barolos are never opaque. Barolos have the potential for a wide range of complex and exotic aromas with tar and roses being common notes. Other aromas associated with Barolos include camphor, chocolate, dried fruit, damsons, eucalyptus, leather, liquorice, mint, mulberries, plum, spice, strawberries and tobacco.

Buying Barolo Wines

If you are visiting Piemonte (Piedmont) and the Langhe why not visit a Barolo wine producer? You have the opportunity to taste their wines and buy direct. You will also be treated to tour of the production and get to ask lots of silly questions!

We can recommend: Aurelio Settimo, La Morra, Piemonte