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The Piedmont Series - Barolo DOCG

Written By: Dylan York on Friday, July 11, 2008

Bend a knee for Barolo, one of wine's most respected varietals.

Out of all the wines that are produced in northwest Italy, none have a greater reputation than the "Wine of Kings and King of Wines" - the Barolo. No other wine in the world has fully expressed the power and elegance of the Nebbiolo grape like Barolo has. As far back as the Middle Ages, Barolo has been on the tables of many great kings and noblemen. Louis XIV was even said to admire the fine wine along with other gems from Burgundy and Bordeaux. The wine was immensely popular with the nobles of the nearby capital of Turin, and it was also accepted by the ruling House of Savoy as the wine of choice. If you recall my last article on Barbaresco, you will remember that Barolo was not always a dry and complex wine. Up until the 1840s, Barolo contained enough residual sugar that it was considered a sweet wine. The cellars that held the wine would start to get cold around the months of November and December so the juice would stop fermenting and a significant amount of residual sugar would be left in the wine. This problem was later solved by French oenologist Louis Oudart, and by the late 19th century Barolo was transformed into the great wine we now know.

Today the Nebbiolo grapes that produce Barolo are grown on over 3,000 acres of land that stretches throughout ten regions of Piedmont. The important thing to consider when it comes to Barolo is what side of the valley floor you are on. The valley floor or the Alba-Barolo road separates two distinctly different soil types that all produce Barolo. Think of it as a Right and Left bank comparison as found in Bordeaux. The right side of the road contains the areas of Roddi, Verduno, La Morra, Novello, and Cherasco. The soil content of this area is made up of calcareous marls that are compact, fresher and more fertile. This is the same type of soil that Barbaresco is produced from. Wines produced from the right side of the road are typically fruity and more aromatic and do not age as long as wines from the left side of the divide. The left side contains the areas of Diano D'Alba, Grinzane Cavour, Serralunga, Castiglione Falletto, and Monforte d'Alba. The soil composition is made up of compressed sandstone which is less compact and fertile so the grapes undergo more stress to produce fruit. (Important Note: poor soil equals better wine.) Wines from these regions are highly structured with ample tannins and acidity that make them age incredibly well. Wines from both sides of the valley floor still undergo the same aging process. DOCG law requires standard Barolo to be aged two years in oak, one year in bottle and Riserva Barolo is aged three years in barrel, one year in bottle.

The next level of great Barolo lies in the single-vineyard and estate bottled wines often made by small boutique producers. Famous sites like Cannubi, Cannubi Boschis, Sarmazza and Brunate, which are around the village of Barolo always carry a great deal of weight when it comes to quality Barolo. There is one single-vineyard in particular that is shared between Brunate and La Morro called "a la Bourguignonne" of which I had the pleasure of drinking a bottle of 1963 and 1967, and I never saw the wine or vineyard again. I am not sure if it is still produced, but if anyone knows of a producer that still makes one, I would love to know.

The Piedmont is filled with many talented winemakers who share a love for tradition and quality so in that respect there are many great producers of Barolo. However there is a split between winemakers who produce wines for the old and new world palate. Some of my favorites old world producers are Sandrone, Aldo Conterno, and Bruno Giacosa. These producers seem to make consistent wines according to traditional taste profiles which tend to be dry and complex. There are a number of producers who make fruit driven "American Market Barolo" for example Marchesi di Barolo. But at the end of the day whatever Barolo you choose to drink, as long as you enjoy it, that is all that counts.

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