"Barolo the Great" by Renato Ratti (1985)
Barolo is the great Italian wine, an historical wine by dint of its origin and age-old and world-wide appreciation. It is also a superior wine on account of its exceptional longevity, its ability to "gain and remain" throughout time. It's a fascinating wine thanks to the characteristics conferred to it by the land where it is made and to the peculiarities of its "never-the-same" vintages. It may be deemed an elegant wine on account of its balanced structure and its ability to remain unchanged in class and behavior through time.
Noble and generous, the glory of Piedmont, Barolo is the absolute master of the table.
Garnet red in color, it has a wide-ranging bouquet in which one may encounter rose and almond, a bit of mint, and a mix of spices along with a near miraculous series of sensations that start from an ever-present original fruitiness yielding to complex perceptions reminiscent of truffles, woodland growth, and, on occasion, even tobacco... perceptions which in turn, are confirmed by full and vibrant flavor with elegant, smooth tones of soft velvet that lead to a gradual impression recalling black licorice. It conquers the palate with the conviction of strength, harmony and fullness and holds its sway at length.
As with all the wines of the world presently deemed "great," Barolo had its productive typology established, with the definition of its typical characteristics, at the beginning of the 1800's. The merit belongs to a lady, the Marchioness Victurine Colbert Falletti of Barolo, descendant of the great Colbert of France, who, married to the local lord, called for a French enologist, Oudart, to look after the family cellars. The enologist was a master of the technique that had already been in vogue in France, principally in Bordeaux, and modified the wine from semi-sweet to dry, suitable for aging, properly graded in alcoholic content and fruity.
Barolo has an average alcoholic content ranging between 13 and 14 percent. It is dry, with a fair gradation of tannins, moderately acidic, with a generous quantity of glycerins and mineral salts, among which phosphorous and iron. It offers a rich complexity of scents and trace scents, and a marked, grape derivative fragrance.
With the passing of time, the moderate acidity confers upon the ruby red color, garnet and orange hued reflections; the initial fragrance transforms into fruitiness; the scents intensify and become ethereal; in tandem, the tannins and glycerins allow for a sensation of velvety smoothness; the alcohol confers warmth and strength. Prevailing over all, is the balanced contribution of each single element which endows the wine with longevity, steady refinement through time, and undiminished solidity, while allowing the taster to revel in a serene conquest of nose and palate by a proudly dominating Barolo.
The grape
Barolo derives its origin from the Nebbiolo grape variety. One of the oldest grapes of Piedmont, the 14th Century "Nubiola," has weakened through the centuries as a varietal force, giving forth instead a great many sub-varieties.
These sub-varieties are markedly conditioned by the land, and take on diverse morphological aspects, for the most part, in rapport with the nature of the ground where it is grown. The Nebbiolo vine, in fact, is extremely sensitive to the soil, to such a degree that in a great preponderance of cases, the wines derived from it take on the geographical names of their places of origin.
Lampia, Michet (from "micot," the word in dialect for "small bread roll"), and Rosè are the officially catalogued sub-varieties. But the list could go on with a great many other names: St. Luigi, Rossi... up to and including Bolla, which was eschewed for being over-productive.
The vine is cultivated with the "Guyot" system, (one root shaft with 12 to 14 buds. The vegetative development is quite strong, though the first buds are barren) and the production per hectare varies on an average between 50 to 70 hundred kilo weights of grape, equal to 33 to 45 hectoliters of wine. The average life span of a vine is about forty years.
The zone of origin
The cultivation zone for Nebbiolo grapes from which Barolo may be obtained was officially delimited in 1909 by the Agrarian Society of Alba.
Previous to that, the Ministry of Agriculture, in a publication dated 1896, had already set forth the borders, with relative exactness, whereas in 1886, a land surveyor from Monforte, Fantini, had already made mention of them in a monograph.
The Land
The hills of Barolo are of alluvial origin, dating back to the Tertiary Era, that is to say, formed only a The hills of Barolo are of alluvial origin, dating back to the Tertiary Era, that is to say, formed only a million years ago. The hills are devoid of rocks and subject to slides on account of the impermeable calcareous marl base forming the supportive structure.
Two geologically differentiated lands can be found: the Tortonian and the "Elveziano." The first is characterized by typical bluish marl, the second by the predominance of calcareous conglomerates and sands. The Tortonian comprises the lands belonging to the townships of La Morra and Barolo, the Elveziano, those belonging to the townships of Serralunga, Castiglione Falletto, Monforte.
But the lands, that is, their chemical characteristics and layout, and subsequently their exposure to the sun (as well as altitude) can be quite variable, and naturally, this variability is reflected in the uniqueness of their respective wines.
As already indicated, the territory is divided into two large zones: one under the heading "La Morra and Barolo," and the other under "Serralunga, Castiglione Falletto, Monforte."
Obtained from the first is an elegant wine, of generally medium alcoholic content, intense bouquet, velvety to the palate, requiring on average, an initial 2 year period of maturation. From the second instead, comes a wine of generous alcoholic content, austere, robust and full, requiring on average, an initial maturation period of at least three years.
Naturally these descriptions are based on the local tradition of using oak barrels, 25 hectoliters minimum in size, and of course they may vary according to the outcome of each particular vintage.
The difference of the soils in the two sub-zones depends upon the higher iron content of the valley under the Serralunga heading, and on the higher level of magnesium oxide and manganese in the valley under the Barolo area, whereas the wines share a boron-manganese correlation in the Serralunga valleys and a ferro-copper correlation along the Barolo valleys.
The Climate
Climate is a factor of fundamental importance due to the variability it produces year after year. Two Barolo vintages, in fact, are never the same. Seasonal conditions are therefore of pre-eminent importance in shaping the final characteristics.
A verification of atmospheric precipitation vis-a-vis final wine quality, allows us to affirm that the seasonal factor most important to the ultimate quality of Barolos is the rainfall in the month of September: if in this month the it reaches the 100 mm mark, the quality of the grapes is compromised, regardless of results registered from the previous months.
It is the month of September, and more precisely the period between the 10th and 30th of September that conditions the entire cycle of work done in the vineyards.
During the year, a greater or lesser amount of precipitation, a higher or lower temperature average and/or luminosity do not exert such a determining effect upon the quality of the grapes.
Taste it with due respect
A Barolo, obtained from a balanced contribution of tannic material, properly aged in barrels for a sufficient amount of time to allow for proper maturation, brought to bottle in a way to favor further oxygen-free development, resulting in fine and complex scents at one with the initial fruitiness as well as in enhanced longevity, does not need to much "breathing," nor does it require particularly high (and brutal) serving temperatures.
A modest "breathing" period, one that will not jeopardize the fine complexity of trace scents and a pleasurable serving temperature of 16 – 18 degrees, one that doesn't skew an already remarkable vinosity but allows instead a more precise evaluation of the underlying velvety smoothness, are more than appropriate.
Only for wines of venerable age (at least 12 years) can one consider immediate decanting, to be done with the utmost care (if not outright avoided).
A proper, wide-bellied glass, containing a suitably limited quantity of Barolo, allows for a sufficient and instantaneous breathing period: and it was precisely this message that the Producers of Piedmont wished to propagate with the creation and promotion of their special "Piemonte" glass.
An introduction to the eleven towns of origin
A thumbnail outline of the eleven towns of the Barolo zone of origin.
Barolo: ancient Fief of the Fallettis, the town is the center of production for the same-name wine. The Falletti Castle, along with holding an interesting collection of enological objects, is the headquarters of the Regional Enoteque for Barolo wines. Overlooking the town atop a towering hill, is the age-old Castle of the Volta, presently closed to the public.
Castiglione Falletto: ancient Fief of the Marquis of Saluzzo. A privately owned medieval castle.
Cherasco: an interesting town, also known as the "city of peace" on account of the many treaties stipulated there; perpendicular streets, (the outlay is quadrilateral), lined with fine old palazzos, porticos, archways and churches from different eras. Truly noteworthy are the privately owned Visconti Castle (with a magnificent access path), the Church of St. Peter, the eras. Truly noteworthy are the privately owned Visconti Castle (with a magnificent access path), the Church of St. Peter, the Church of St. Martin, the Library, the Museum.
Diano d'Alba: a town nestled on a hill just a few kilometers away from Alba, of ancient Longobard origin.
Grinzane Cavour: a magnificent, wonderfully restored medieval castle, seat of the Regional Enoteque, renamed in fond memory of its erstwhile proprietor, Camillo Benso di Cavour, Prime Minister of the Piedmontese Government as well as pluri- elected Town Mayor.
La Morra: the town offers a fine vantage point whence to observe the breathtaking panorama of the Langhe hills. The main Belvedere Piazza is graced with a monument dedicated to Italian winemakers. The ex Abbey of the nearby Annunziata township houses the "Ratti Wines of Alba Museum." The town also has a fine Municipal Cellar.
Monforte: the town is dominated by a fine old Palace. The nearby hamlet of Perno is home to a perfectly restored 18th Century castle, and a Romanesque chapel dedicated to St. Stephen.
Novello: an ancient hilltop village with a fascinating 19th Century castle.
Roddi: graced with a fine old medieval castle.
Serralunga d'Alba: age old Fief of the Falletti family. Of note the vertically erect, particularly elegant and well restored Ancient Castle.
Verduno: famous for its Carlo Alberto Castle, gaming residence of the Savoia Royals.