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Barolo Docg: king of wines, wine of kings

The Barolo grapes grow in Piemonte, North of Italy, specifically in the south-western city of Alba, famous for the specials truffles. The area is a magical itinerary of hills guarded by impressive medieval castles

by Duccio Morozzo della Rocca

Barolo is the great Italian wine par excellence, made from Nebbiolo grapes.
A wine that amazes with its great variety of nuances and aromas, which make every year a unique and unrepeatable event.
The Barolo grapes grow in Piemonte, North of Italy, specifically in the south-western city of Alba, famous for the specials truffles. The area is a magical itinerary of hills, moulded by man’s expert hand and guarded by impressive medieval castles, including Barolo, which has given its name to the internationally famous wine.

The birth of Barolo Wine
The legend recounts that the fame of the Barolo wine was brought to Royal Palace from the Marchioness of Barolo.
King Carlo Alberto asked the Marchioness why she had never let him taste that famous wine which he heard so much talk about. After a few days a long row of carriages, each filled with wine, marched pass Torino, towards the Royal Palace. There were 325 carriages, one for each day of the year, minus the forty days of Lent, and their load were of 600lt each.
The king appreciated so much the wine that he became a producer himself, in his lands in Verduno.

The close link between the wine’s intrinsic characteristics and the aristocratic tastes of the 19th century gave birth to the saying “king of wines, wine of kings”. Since then, Barolo has always succeeded in overcoming passing food trends, thus gaining universal and long-lasting appreciation.

Why “Nebbiolo”?
Nebbiolo is one of the world’s finest vines and grows almost exclusively in Piedmont, where it originated. Its name comes from the Italian word for mist, nebbia, owing to the fact that it ripens rather late, when the hills are already shrouded in the first autumn mist. Another reason for this name is that the grapes, covered with bloom, get a silver-grey hue very similar to mist.

Barolo: an iron fist within a velvet glove
Barolo is always dry and austere but it is also fine and powerful, possessing both structure and delicacy: that’s why it has been rightly defined “an iron fist within a velvet glove”.
Depending on its age and producer, Barolo’s colour can vary from brilliant red to intense ruby-red although the most frequent colouring is garnet-red with orange highlights.
Barolo possesses an intense and persistent perfume. While young, still in the barrel, it has notes of ripe fruit, cherries, balckberries, bilberries and plums. With ageing it naturally loses its fruit, developing secondary and tertiary aromas as earthy and acrid notes, which are defined using the French term goudron, signifying tar. To this can be added nuances of damp earth, wet grass and moss, tobacco and, sometimes, cocoa or chocolate, coffee of roasting coffee beans.

Moreover you can find notes of dates, dried figs, prunes, walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds; hint of flower as those of violets and wilted roses along with the delicate perfume of dried grass.
It is often said that some Barolo possess the flavour of truffle and this is much sought-after. There are frequently animal traces too, along with those of leather, hide and fur.
Much sought-after and prestigious are all spicy perfumes, from mint to cinnamon, or else exotic perfumes, from nutmeg to incense. Often there are notes of resin, such as pine or other wood, more or less matured, causing a toasted or smoked perfume. New oak, of course, gives a vanilla flavour.



The secret ingredient of Barolo: time
The minimum legal ageing is 3 years from the 1st of January of the year following the grape harvest, 2 of which in chestnut or oak barrels.
The term Riserva can be printed on the label only when the wine has been kept in the cellar for 5 years, calculated once again from the 1st of January of the year following the grape harvest.

The Consortium
Since seventy-five years the Consortium for the Defence of Barolo, Barbaresco, Alba Langhe and Roero – which brings together vine growers, winemakers and bottlers – is protecting and promoting the denominations of origin which make the Langa and the Roero one of the most prestigious districts in the world winegrowing sector. Thanks to strict supervision of the whole production chain the Consortium offers the consumer a guarantee of the authenticity of Piedmont’s most prestigious wines.
The Consortium represents over 400 estates: men and women with a passionate attachment to their land and devoted to excellent quality production, which boasts an age-old tradition in the Langa and Roero districts.



Q&A with Claudio Salaris, Director of the Consorzium of Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe e Roero

- What do you see as the future for the Consortium, an increase in exports or domestic consumption?
According to the domestic market, the difficult economic conjuncture and the historical courses
I’m quite sure that our wine’s future is in the export.

- Regarding the exportation, do you feel more protected since the Doc, Docg, Igt are now in a common Dop/Igp register?
If well governed and in parallel with a recording of the denominations as collective brand, the mechanism of the Dop/Igt should guarantee an advanced protection. At the same time a suitable supervision system must be activated.

- Is Barolo wine confined by tradition or opened to innovation?
The tradition is a concept that evolves with the time and imperceptible changing of the tastes of the consumers, therefore I think that the Barolo must continue to be what it has been till now: traditional in its innovation.

Matches
Red meat dishes from the Italian and international cuisine, game, braised meat, dishes seasoned with truffles and cheese. Apart from these delicious dishes, it also accompanies moments of friendship and entertainment; perfect for moments of meditation and spiritual contemplation.
The tasting temperature should be around 20°C, with the bottle opened at least two hours before serving

Five stars years
As with all of the great wines, there are certain years that better themselves in excellence. In the past 10 years the vintages of 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004 produced some Barolo wines that will remain in the records.

by Duccio Morozzo della Rocca
06 July 2009 Teatro Naturale International n. 6 Year 1

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