We are already in autumn, and our 2024 harvest began on September 7th!
As every year, this period marks the culmination of hard work, dedication, and hope…The results depend on many factors, especially the weather, but also the agricultural choices made: throughout the year, from past experiences, vineyard management, and the overall organization of our winery.
It is perhaps the most delicate time of the year, as the decisions made during this period are crucial for the quality of our wines!
All our white grape varieties are in: Moscato, Chardonnay, and Riesling, as well as the earliest of the reds, Dolcetto and Barbera.
While the first must-tanks ferment, the scent fills our cellars, giving us wonderful first impressions.
It’s still too early to make judgments, but our first impression is absolutely positive! Great freshness, intense and pleasant aromas, good harmony, and, finally, an alcohol content that isn’t excessive.
Next week we bring in our Nebbiolo…
It’s still too early to make any judgments, but the first impression is absolutely positive! Great freshness, intense and pleasant aromas, good harmony, and, finally, an alcohol content that isn’t excessive.
The beauty of autumn in the Langa hills!
Harvest always carries a magical element with the hills changing color and the–unfortunately increasingly rare–chance to gather all the family members and friends to lend a hand in the vineyards.
Early in the morning, fellow farmers prepare baskets and pruning shears for the long workday. The chatter of the harvesters’ echo throughout the valleys as curious tourists admire the rows of vines. It’s a very special time to be in our little part of the world.
You can feel an almost electric energy in the air: All a bit nervous, we check the weather forecasts to ensure we make the most of such a critical moment.
As we want only the best, leaving nothing to chance, it can be a tough decision. Do we wait or start harvesting?
In our family, we discuss and sometimes even debate; opinions don’t always align. But then, usually, the elders step in—those with the most experience, who have seen it all: Giovanni and Renato. Almost always, they bring everyone together to show us the way forward.
Winery news
As you know, September is also the month we release our gems to the market: the 2020 vintage for Barolo Margheria, Parafada e Parussiand our Barbaresco Albesani makes its debut.
Two vintages with very different personalities, power, and structure. The 2020 expresses extraordinary elegance rarely found in Barolos this young. The 2021 is more powerful, tannic, and with great acidity, offering great longevity giving precious wines to those who love to age them in their cellars.
There will be no Vigna Rionda Riserva this year… As many of you already know, the 2018 vintage did not meet the level of complexity we require for this majestic vineyard, so we chose not to produce it.
You will have to wait another year for 2019. It will be a phenomenal wine and we promise it’s worth the wait!
Don’t forget about the 2022 Barbera Gisep, so juicy, balanced, and enjoyable—there are very few versions with such surprising appeal!
Barolo Parafada 2020
Lasciateci spendere qualche parola in più per questo vino.
Il vigneto nella MGA Parafada è il più antico della nostra azienda.
Piantato nel 1961, in un terreno scosceso, geologicamente molto antico, compatto, calcareo e povero di sostanza organica, dopo 63 anni è ormai piuttosto anziano.
Per questo motivo la produttività continua a scendere…nel 2020 la produzione complessiva, su 1,20 ettari, è stata di sole 4678 bottiglie.
Siamo certi che ora capite perché spesso non ci è possibile soddisfare buona parte delle richieste che riceviamo su questa etichetta…
A new vineyard for our family
The Barolo area is very small and continues to peak in value, making it almost impossible for family-run businesses like ours, which rely solely on their own resources, to find new growth opportunities. Therefore, often the only option is to lease.
We are pleased to share that last spring we had the opportunity to lease over 2 hectares in the Roddi area, in the Bricco Ambrogio MGA. The beautiful vineyard is well cultivated and situated almost entirely facing south.
Most of it consists of Nebbiolo for Barolo, but there is also some Barbera and Chardonnay.
Seeing the vineyard, we seized the opportunity!
We won’t produce a new MGA, but rather to follow the historical production philosophy of our ancestors of vinifying a single Barolo by blending grapes from all their vineyards located in different sub-zones.
Therefore, the fruits from this property will be included in our Barolo DOCG, which, starting from the 2024 vintage, will increasingly become a complete and complex expression of a large part of the territory, featuring grapes primarily from Serralunga d’Alba, as well as from Castiglione Falletto and Roddi.
