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Barolo lies just south-west of Alba in Italy's north-western Piedmont region. Granted its DOCG classification in 1980, it is considered one of the finest and longest-lived wines, often referred to as 'the king of wines and the wine of kings'. Until the mid-1800s Barolo wines were sweet, containing a substantial quantity of residual sugar, but their modern form is unquestionably dry and decidedly tannic.
Wine production is strictly limited to the vineyards located on steep hills around the towns of Barolo, La Morra, Castiglione Falletto, Serralunga d'Alba and Monforte d'Alba, and the sub-zones Diano d’Alba, Grinzane Cavour, Novello, Cherasco, Roddi and Verduno. The soils and microclimates vary between these communes, resulting in different styles of wines. In La Morra and Barolo the soil is Tortonian, a particularly fertile limestone-rich marl which leads to a ruby-colored wine that is more aromatic, soft and elegant when young. La Morra is considered the most perfumed and graceful of the Barolos, as well as the most supple and easiest to drink. Wines from Barolo are a little more complex and broader in texture.
In Castiglione-Falleto, Serralunga d’Alba and Monforte, the vines are grown on Helvetian soil which is chalky, loose and less fertile with some sandstone and limestone. This leads to a brick-colored wine which is more intense, bigger in structure and requires a longer time to age. Serralunga d’Alba is well structured, long lived and the most tannic of the five, while Castiglione-Falleto is renowned for its full-bodied, rich nature and good balance and aromas. Monforte D'Alba offers rich, concentrated characteristics and a serious intensity.
Despite the different characteristics of these wines due to the varied terroir, they do display similar traits. These include a garnet color, powerful structure, firm tannins and high levels of acidity and alcohol, with the capacity to age for many years. They are also characterized by their unmistakable aromas of tar and roses. Made from pure Nebbiolo (the name is thought to come from nebbia, Italian for fog, which frequently occurs during harvest time in Piedmont), Barolo is required to spend at least three years ageing, of which two must be spent in wood and one in bottle. For the added designation of riserva, the ageing time increases to five years. As the tannins soften over time, the complexity shows through with hints of earth, truffles and dark chocolate.
Generally, Nebbiolo grapes ripen later here in Barolo than in Barbaresco, which leads to a bigger, more structured wine with firmer tannins. Traditional Barolos still require at least ten years ageing to tame the fierce tannins – however, there is now an abundance of more international styles being made where fermentation times have been reduced from three weeks to a maximum of ten days, and the wine is aged in new French barriques (small oak barrels) instead of large wooden casks. This has resulted in a fruitier and more accessible style that requires less time to age. Traditionalists believe this to have made the classic character of Barolo unrecognizable, and there remains much division between the modernists and the traditionalists; this is often referred to as the 'Barolo wars'.
Not only is Barolo defined by its various sub-communes, there are also vineyards which have been given 'cru' status, similar to those found in Burgundy (although there is no actual official designation for these single vineyards). They were classified based on their quality, potential and terroir, and the esteemed winemaker Renato Ratti played a significant role in introducing this practice. The Ratti Map, named after him, is still used today to explain all the criteria required of a cru vineyard. In Barolo, these comprise: Cannubi, Sarmazza and Brunate in the commune of Barolo; Brunate also falls into the commune of La Morra, which also has the highly esteemed Cerequi and Rocche vineyards. In Castiglione Falletto, the Monprivato and Villero vineyards lead the way and in Serralunga d'Alba, Lazzarito and Vigna Rionda rank the highest. Monforte d'Alba is home to the Bussia, Ginestra and Santo Stefano di Perno sites.
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