Italy -- Northern Italy -- Barolo Flashcards
What are the 5 core townships of Barolo?
Barolo
Castiglione Falletto
Serralunga d’Alba
Monforte d’Alba
La Morra
Describe the Climate of Piemonte
Piemonte experiences a Continental Climate with the Alps providing a rain shadow effect, although autumn hail can be a worry in the Langhe Hills
Describe the soil structure in Barolo
Thinner, calcareous marl and sandstone soils with varying percentages of clay and sand.
What are the aging requirements of Barolo and Barolo Riserva?
Barolo: 38 months (3 years) from November 1 of the harvest year, including 18 months in wood.
Barolo Riserva: 62 months (5 years) from November 1 of the harvest year, including 18 months in wood
What is the Minimum Alcohol for Barolo?
13% (12.5% potential at harvest) – includes Normale, Riserva, and “menzione geografiche aggiuntive”
What are the most notable Crus located in Catiglione Falletto?
Monprivato
Rocche di Castiglione
Bricco Boschis
Villero
Fiasco
Pugnane
`What are the notable crus located in Serralunga d’Alba?
Falletto
Gabutti
Margheria
Parafada
Cerretta
Prapo
Lazzarito
Vigna Rionda
What are the notable crus located in Barolo?
Brunate
Sarmassa
Cannubi
Cannubi San Lorenzo
Cannubi Valletta
Cannubi Boschis
Le Coste
Raverra
What are the notable crus located in La Morra?
Cerequio
Brunate
La Serra
Rocche dell’Annuziata
Gattera
What is the name of the vineyard in Verduno that is considered the village’s Grand Cru?
Monvigliero
Monvigliero’s best parcels are situated between 280 and 300 meters above sea level and have silty, calcareous clay and full southern exposures
What are the notable Crus of Monforte d’Alba?
Bussia
Cicala
Colonnello
Dardi
Ginestra
Mosconi
Munie
Romirasco
Santo Stefano
Name and describe an iconic wine from the village of Barolo
Francesco Rinaldi & Figli Barolo ‘Cannubi’ 2013
Rinaldi’s Cannubi Barolo is sourced from their piece of Cannubi Boschis, the cru that surrounds their winery. It is the most northeast of the cru’s named Cannubi.
In 2013, July temperatures shot up and remained high during August, albeit with cooler nights. September was very sunny and dry, but the growing cycle was still two weeks late, necessitating a delayed harvest. The prognosis is for a vintage similar in quality to the already legendary 2010s.
Name and describe an iconic wine from Serralunga d’Alba
Cappellano Barolo Otin Fiorin Pie Rupestris 2006
Made from 70-year-old vines grafted onto one of the first American Rootstocks that succeffully kept phylloxera at bay, this classically crafted Barolo undergoes lengthy fermentation and maceration times that vary with every vintage, followed by 3 - 4 years aging in Slavonian oak, and is usually released a year later than most other producers’ Barolols. These are quintessential Serralunga Barolos. The 2006 shows textbook Nebbiolo aroma of rose and truffle with ripe sour cherry and mineral flavors
Name and describe an iconic wine from Castiglione Falletto
Giuseppe Mascarello Barolo Monprivato
Made from the eponymous vineyard, this is Mascarello’s falgship bottling and a truly iconic Barolo, thanks to its extreme elegance and great depth of flavors. This is one of Barolo’s prime sites because of its southwest exposures and ideal altitudes, which average 280 meters above sea level.
Describe the 2008 Vintage in Piemonte
Due to a cool, wet spring, followed by damaging winds (including hail in parts of Barolo) in August, this was a difficult vintage in both denominations, and quality greatly depends on whether or not vineyards were damaged during the summer storms. Those that survived the storms benefited from a warm, sunny September, and many are classic wines with very firm tannins that need time to develop. Barolos from La Morra showed very well. Drink or hold.
Describe the 2009 Vintage in Piemonte
August was extremely hot and dry and the weather remained like this until mid September. The lack of rain caused water stress and vines to shut down. All this led to wildly irregular weather patterns throughout the region with some Barbera being picked before the early-ripening Dolcetto. Malic acid levels were overall below average, while the tannins did not always ripen fully. Quality is irregular, with excellence next to mediocrity,
Describe the 2010 vintage in Piemonte
A wet spring caused irregular fruit set and was followed by an early summer with lots of rain. While Dolcetto suffered most from the short, cool growing season, Nebbiolo proved resilient thanks to its small berries and thick skins. August proved hot, but cool nights helped retain acidity. Some cooling rain in early September ensured a slow but steady development in the berries. Irregular fruit set meant that some producers had to do a severe selection during harvest, but the overall result is considered outstanding: a classic vintage with plenty of acidity, firm but ripe tannins and near-perfect balance in many wines.
Describe 2011 in Piemonte
A very hot year which has nevertheless resulted in some very good, supple, ripe but not stewed wines, even if at times the higher alcohol (15% and sometimes more) make some of them unbalanced. A very warm April set expectations for a harvest a full four weeks earlier than usual. A distinctly cool June and July slowed the growing cycle down considerably, but August was so hot that Dolcetto raisined on the vine. Rain at the beginning of September accelerated ripening again. Cool nights saved Nebbiolo from overripeness, yet harvest was still a full two weeks earlier than the norm.
Describe 2012 in Piemonte
An unusually hot summer unexpectedly resulted in Nebbiolos with low alcohol levels and high acidity. A very cold February with an abundance of snow helped to replenish water tables. Prolonged cool weather, well into April, protracted budbreak by two weeks. The weather became more regular, with a warm July, only to be interrupted by several hailstorms destroying the crop in several vineyards in Novello. August turned out to be exceptionally hot with temperatures rising well above 40 ºC, causing vines to shut down and halting the growing cycle. Rain at the end of August cooled things down and restarted (slow) ripening. A dry autumn allowed a delayed harvest. The best wines show acidic nerve, balance and freshness. Overall a light vintage but with several excellent wines on the top level.
Describe 2013 in Piemonte
Incessant rain during winter and spring delayed budbreak and opened the door to fungal diseases, although many vineyards were too waterlogged for tractors. From mid July temperatures shot up and remained high during August, albeit with cooler nights. September was very sunny and dry, but the growing cycle was still two weeks late, necessitating a delayed harvest. The prognosis is for a vintage similar in quality to the already legendary 2010s.
