Italy -- Northern Italy -- Barolo

Question 1

What are the 5 core townships of Barolo?

Answer 1

Barolo

Castiglione Falletto

Serralunga d’Alba

Monforte d’Alba

La Morra

Question 2

Describe the Climate of Piemonte

Answer 2

Piemonte experiences a Continental Climate with the Alps providing a rain shadow effect, although autumn hail can be a worry in the Langhe Hills

Question 3

Describe the soil structure in Barolo

Answer 3

Thinner, calcareous marl and sandstone soils with varying percentages of clay and sand.

Question 4

What are the aging requirements of Barolo and Barolo Riserva?

Answer 4

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

Question 5

What is the Minimum Alcohol for Barolo?

Answer 5

13% (12.5% potential at harvest) – includes Normale, Riserva, and “menzione geografiche aggiuntive”

Question 6

What are the most notable Crus located in Catiglione Falletto?

Answer 6

Monprivato

Rocche di Castiglione

Bricco Boschis

Villero

Fiasco

Pugnane

Question 7

`What are the notable crus located in Serralunga d’Alba?

Answer 7

Falletto

Gabutti

Margheria

Parafada

Cerretta

Prapo

Lazzarito

Vigna Rionda

Question 8

What are the notable crus located in Barolo?

Answer 8

Brunate

Sarmassa

Cannubi

Cannubi San Lorenzo

Cannubi Valletta

Cannubi Boschis

Le Coste

Raverra

Question 9

What are the notable crus located in La Morra?

Answer 9

Cerequio

Brunate

La Serra

Rocche dell’Annuziata

Gattera

Question 10

What is the name of the vineyard in Verduno that is considered the village’s Grand Cru?

Answer 10

Monvigliero

Monvigliero’s best parcels are situated between 280 and 300 meters above sea level and have silty, calcareous clay and full southern exposures

Question 11

What are the notable Crus of Monforte d’Alba?

Answer 11

Bussia

Cicala

Colonnello

Dardi

Ginestra

Mosconi

Munie

Romirasco

Santo Stefano

Question 12

Name and describe an iconic wine from the village of Barolo

Answer 12

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.

Question 13

Name and describe an iconic wine from Serralunga d’Alba

Answer 13

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

Question 14

Name and describe an iconic wine from Castiglione Falletto

Answer 14

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.

Question 15

Describe the 2008 Vintage in Piemonte

Answer 15

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.

Question 16

Describe the 2009 Vintage in Piemonte

Answer 16

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,

Question 17

Describe the 2010 vintage in Piemonte

Answer 17

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.

Question 18

Describe 2011 in Piemonte

Answer 18

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.

Question 19

Describe 2012 in Piemonte

Answer 19

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.

Question 20

Describe 2013 in Piemonte

Answer 20

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.