Great Barolo

This way to Barolo

Barolo is not just a good Italian red wine, it's a great one.  For years, it was fashionable, even necessary, for some marketers to call Barolo, "Italy's Cabernet Sauvignon."

But, Piemonte winemakers knew better.  Nebbiolo was their red grape, and in the Piemonte (Piedmont in English) region of northern Italy, Nebbiolo makes better red wine than Cabernet Sauvignon.  The name Piemonte means "at the foot of the mountains."

In fact, Nebbiolo is believed by many to be Italy's best red variety, better than the ubiquitous Sangiovese of Chianti and the lesser known Aglianico, the grape of Taurasi.

The classic description for Nebbiolo is tar and roses, plus dark cherries and herbs with a clear licorice note, supported by firm tannin and crisp acidity. 

That inviting combination of varietal characteristics is common in a small tier of vineyards in Italy's northern Langhe. Most of the south facing vineyards are scattered along the rolling hills, up to 1,000 feet, at the base of the Italian Alps. 

Although there is more Barbera planted in Piemonte, the wines of Barolo and Barbaresco are the stars of the region. Gattinara, made from Nebbiolo, is a major wine outside of the Langhe, but plantings of Nebbiolo are small in Gattinara, by comparison to Barolo.

Modern Barolo is fermented on the skins and seeds, following a maceration of up to three weeks, with a minimum alcohol of 13%. Traditional aging is in large oak casks, with modern maturation in French oak cellar barriques. 

Required aging of Barolo is a minimum of 38 months, at least 18 months in barrel.  Riserva wines are aged for a minimum of 62 months, 18 months in barrel. 

Barolo is at its best from vineyards in these five leading townships: Barolo, Castiglione Faletto, La Morra, Montforte d'Alba and Serralunga d'Alba.  Soils in these areas are composed of clay marl, containing some limestone.

Among the best Barolo producers are: Bruno Giacosa, Elio Grasso, Giacomo Conterno, Vietti, Franco Fiorina, Mascarello, Paulo Scavino, Oddero, Azelia, Ceretto, Barale Fratelli.

Barolo vintages available today include the highly rated 2020, and also 2021, 2016, 2010 and 2009.  Wines from all of these vintages are expected to mature 20+ years or longer.  The 2025 harvest is expected to be special.

Wine prices, like everything else, have been going up. Barolo has always been expensive, especially from elite producers like Ceretto, Giacosa and Vietti.  At the low end, Barolo prices hover around $50.  Mid range  prices are $80 to $100.  From there, prices soar to as much as $700 for Riservas from recent highly rated vintages. 

Well aged Barolo is best with beef.  Lighter styles are good with salami and seasoned sausages.  Well-aged Barolo pairs nicely with bollito misto, a blend of meats in a garlic sauce.  A favorite dish in Piemonte is brasato al Barolo, a piece of beef marinated and cooked in Barolo.   

Castelmagno cheese

When the last piece of brasato is gone, finish off the remaining Barolo with a piece of Piemontese cheese like Castelmagno, or Testun al Barolo, made with Barolo.  Also good with Barolo is aged hard Parmigiano-Reggiano and semi-soft Fontina, a good match with younger Barolo.    

 

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