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Barolo – Italian red wine, which is made from the Nebbiolo variety in the northern part of the country in the Lange of the Piedmont region.
About 1,5 years Barolo matures in oak barrels. The total minimum holding period is 3 years. Barolo Riserva wines spend two years in oak barrels. In general, they are kept for 5 years.
The wines have great potential, so they only get better with age. The volume percentage of alcohol is on average 13.
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History of Barolo wine
The name Barolo was coined in 1751. This word marked barrels that were exported to the UK. The name of the drink is the merit of the Italian representatives of the Foreign Office.
Until 1847, distribution was carried out in barrels, until the time of Count Camillo Benso di Cavour, wine was poured into glass containers. The Count arrived in the Lange territory in 1832. At that time he was 22 years old. The farm was 200 hectares in size and included a castle, mills and vineyards themselves.
In 1836, Benso called the viticulturist Pier Francesco Staglieno to his place to advise him. First of all, fermentation began to be carried out in sealed containers in order to reduce the interaction of wine with oxygen, and sulfites were also used.
By 1847, Benso began working with the French wine distributor Louis Oudard, who began to produce wine on the estate of Benso. The alcohol of Udara was dry, the Staglieno was sweet. This was revealed when Benso sent samples from 1843. In addition, Punch focused more on aging in a vat.
In 1960, the wine was assigned the DOC classification, which means that the origin is controlled and production is assigned to a certain region, in 1980, the DOCG status that the origin is not only controlled, but also guaranteed, a specific method is used. There are 11 communes in the DOCG zone. In another way they are called “cru”. The most famous are Serralunga d’Alba, La Morra, Monforte d’Alba, Castiglione Faletto.
The period 1970-1980 is called the “barol wars” because at first the grapes were harvested before they were ripe. The drink fermented for several weeks, and matured for several more years. The wine turned out with heavy tannins, the taste of dried fruits replaced the fruits. Unobtrusive wines with fruity notes became popular at that time.
Then Barolo producers reduced the maceration process to a few days, and maturation to 3-10 days. Although the drink stayed less in barrels, it began to be stored longer in containers. Not everyone agreed with the newfangled trends, and winemakers split into 2 camps: conservatives and modernists. Their conflict was nicknamed the “barol wars”.
To date, there are technologies that allow the grapes to be harvested when they are ripe, and producers prefer to make something between a heavy and light wine.
Types of Barolo wines
Unfortunately, there is no official classification of alcohol. There are a lot of names, and the choice depends on personal preferences. Vzboltay recommends the top five brightest representatives.
Bussia Dardi Le Rose, 14%
Ruby color. Aroma is spicy. Raspberries and blackberries, rich tannins and mineral nuances are felt on the palate. Long aftertaste.
Silvio Grasso Ciabot Manzoni, 14%
Ruby color. The aroma is berry-menthol, it is guessed sweet cherry, blackberry and oak. Fruity taste with rich tannins. The aftertaste is long-lasting.
San Bernardo Reserve, 14%
The wine has a complex aroma of rosemary and bitter orange with notes of vanilla and red fruits. Tannins are strong. The finish is long with licorice and balsamic nuances.
Barale Fratelli, Barolo Chinato, 17%
Garnet color. The aroma is bright with cinnamon nuances and rhubarb. Tannins are light. The taste is spicy, bittersweet due to quinine. Rich long aftertaste.
Granbussia reserve, 14,5%
The color is dark garnet. The aroma reveals violet flowers, notes of vanilla and red fruits, chocolate and vanilla shades. By gravity, the wine is full-bodied, the taste is well structured. The aftertaste is long.
How and with what to drink
Wine is served at a temperature of 18-20 ° C in special Piedmont glasses. If there are none, voluminous, narrowed upwards, on a long stem will do.
Red dry wine is combined with red meat, stewed or fried, game, delicate cheeses with bright taste, truffles. From baking, cookies without sugar are suitable. Wine will be an excellent independent drink.
Barolo Chinato will be a great addition to sweet desserts, especially chocolate ones. It can be used as an aperitif and punch.
A professional sommelier advises choosing a wine aged 5-10 years.
How to distinguish original Barolo wine from a fake
It is difficult to find wine on the Russian market, but if you succeed, check out the appearance of the bottle on the Internet. There are a lot of variations of wine, it is difficult to give universal recommendations.
Packaging must be of high quality, because wine is expensive, and the price varies from 1 to 500 rubles.
Regardless of the exposure time, the precipitate does not stand out. Make sure the liquid is crystal clear.
Interesting Facts
Nebbia means “fog” in Italian.
The Nebbiolo grape is one of the most difficult to taste. It has a lot of tannins, not all ripen, so the berries are harvested green and hard.
From the wine it is difficult to achieve a rich color due to the low pigmentation of the grapes.
In the spring, the first berries appear, and winemakers are afraid that they will freeze. But in the fall, the grapes gain strength, and he is not afraid of anything.
Grapes cannot grow in the plains, and cover the slopes of the Alps in the south, fog protecting them from the heat. Tannins are saturated at night, sugar rises during the day. The temperature difference gives unique taste notes, and the mountain soil gives mineral nuances.
Relevance: 27.03.2020
Tags: Wine and vermouth, Wine brands