BAROLO’S MY CRUS

Nby Charlie Arturaola

The Grape

56 ART OF THE TIMES www. a r t o f t h e t i m e s . c o m

ebbiolo, the mother grape of Barolo and Barbaresco, is part of the history of wine in Northwestern Italy. When the Greeks arrived in the fifth century B.C., it is believed the wild vines were already growing there.

The Liguri Rossi, inhabitants of the area, learned from the Greeks how to cultivate the vines and train the plants. When the Romans conquered northwest Italy in the second century B.C., viticulture and wine making experienced new influences. Pliny noted in his “Natural History” that good wines were produced in areas such as Alba; Pollentia (today Polenza); and west of Alba, near the Tanaro River, from a late ripening, cold-resistant, black grape named allobrogica.

Today, this grape known as Nebbiolo is also named Pedemontana and Nobilium. According to the Piedmontese, Nebbiolo, which ripens later than most varieties, gets its name from the nebbia, the morning mist that fills the valley during harvest.

Piedmont’s other red indigenous grapes are Barbera, Roero, Bonarda, Dolcetto, Grignolino.

THE WINE

Barolo has been considered the king of wines and wine of the Kings for hundreds of years. When Emperor Julius Cesar returned from conquering Gaelic lands, he wanted to bring this wine to Rome.

Louis XIV received 132 gallons of Vitis Pedemontese as a gift from the Dukes of Savoy in 1631. In the 19th century, the Count of Cavour promoted Piedmonte when he bought the Grinzane Castle in Grinzane Cavour and planted 200,000 vineyards under the supervision of French enologist Oudart. The commune and town takes its name from the Celtic “Brolio” or “Brol,” meaning wood or orchard.

Barolo received the DOCG status, the highest ranking in Italian wine law, in 1981. The appellation encompasses 3,000 acres of vines situated southwest of the town of Barolo. There are five key Terrini communes: La Morra, Serralunga D’Alba, Monforte Alba, Barolo, and Castiglione Falleto. 87% of the Barolo production comes from these five zones. The soil type divides these communes into two sub-divisions, the Central and the Serralunga Valleys. The Central Valley is rich in calcareous marl mixed with sand known as Tortonian soil. The characteristics of the wines produced in this area are the ruby hue in color, rounder tannins, very approachable on the palate, perfumed and elegant. The Serralunga Valley is composed of rich sandstone, limestone, looser calcareous marl and is less fertile than Central Valley. This type of soil, known as Helvetian, leads to wines with deeper character, more structure, bold with intense fruit and fungi flavors, harsh tannins, and a long aging life.

The wine law in Barolo requires that the nebbiolo grape must age in oak (slavonian-french) for a minimum of three years to acquire the DOCG status, and a minimum of four years to receive the Riserva denomination. Some winemakers may opt to keep the wine in wood for longer. The regulation also allows up to 15% of a Barolo from a different vintage to be blended in to improve weak vintages. More than 9 million bottles a year are produced in the Barolo wine region. Maturity means a lot to these great Crus.

For optimal drinking, Barolos should be cellared 8-12 years. Recently, I celebrated my wife’s birthday sipping a 1991 La Morra from Renatto Ratti ($150US), one of the pioneers and researchers of the area.

One of the virtues of this wine was its silky and seductive structure – ahhh… I’ll never forget it…A French sommelier invited me to have my first glass of Barolo when I was attending wine school in Bordeaux. After my first taste he exclaimed, “Sip, sip, Monsieur! This is the only wine we drink from outside of France – a glass of 1989 Borgogno Barolo!” Since that day, I have been a Barolista! MY FAVORITE “CRU” — BAROLOS At Verona’s Vinitaly fair, I received quite an eye

opener when I was invited to a wine challenge — a Piedmont vs. Burgundy tasting. Five vintages of Faiveley’s Clos de Corton Grand Cru 03-01-99-98-97 were tasted side-by-side with Michele Chiarlo’s

single vineyard Cerequio.

THE CRU TERMINOLOGY CRU may sound too French for an Italian

winemaker to call his wines, but Piedmont is the only region in Italy that allows their single vineyards to be referred to as Crus. There is a similarity between Piedmont and Burgundy: The grape is not the same, but as Barolo ages the leather, cherry aromas, and silky tannin flavors will certainly remind you of some elite Burgundy Grand Crus.

The wine produced in these appellations has different characteristics, and each commune, or sub-zone, has their own Tipicità (identity). Cru and sub-cru vineyards are hard to cultivate.

CANNUBI (BAROLO COMMUNE) Cannubi is one of the top Crus. Cannubi Barolos have been praised as early as 1752. The Cannubi microclimate is considered one of the best in the area; it has southeastern exposure and the vineyards are very steep, with a 25% grade. Some notes: complex, full-bodied wines with hints of licorice, leather, tar, and cocoa, with seductive tannins, dry herbs, black cherry flavors, and gentle acidity. The age ability of these wines includes superlative gaining silky textures and floral bouquet when maturing. Cannubi’s are very perfumed wines; they are well worth cellaring.

The wines made from these Cru vineyards are known as the best of both worlds because they have both types of soil from the Central Valley and Serralunga. There are about 12 to 15 owners of these cru vineyards. My favorites are M. Chiarlo, L. Sandrone, Burlotto, Brezza, Pira, P. Scavino, Marchese di Barolo, Rinaldi Borgogno, E. Altare and C. Pittatore. Cannubi should not to be confused with the Cannubi Boschis vineyard, which is located a bit to the north of Barolo district and is also known as Monghisolfo. These wines exhibit different characteristics. As Luciano Sandrone told me recently, these wines are much more versatile with a longer finish and great elegance on the palate. A few producers in this area with long histories are Virna Borgogno (1720), Cavalotto, Boschis, Sandrone, and Marchesi di Barolo. Cerequio (Barolo commune) Historic Cerequio is on an amphitheatershaped southwestern hillside between the towns of Barolo and La Morra, and is protected from the northerly winds by the mountains. Here the snow melts before the surrounding hills, causing a mild and sunny, breezy microclimate. Its exposure is southern to southwestern, enjoying the breezes from the Alps and the sea.

Historically there were quarrels between Cerequio and La Morra about whether it was part of the Barolo commune or one in its own right. This was settled in 1216 when Cerequio was granted its own sub-zone status. The wine Conteisa Cerequio (GAJA) refers to that quarrel; conteisa means quarrel in Piedontese dialect. In the 1940’s, Angelo Gaja’s father purchased the vineyard that caused the fight

so long ago.

A manuscript from 1880 marked the first attempt to classify these vineyards. Each of the subzones were labeled goods, preferred or superior areas. During 1960’s, the enologist Renato Ratti created the first map of the Barolo area wherein he specified fifty vineyards, but only ten were designated as “prima categoria” (superior). Today, eight out of the ten original vineyard owners bottle in the Azienda winery, the other two owners sell their grapes for blending.

My favorites are Chiarlo, Contratto (this was just2007-2008 Season Preview 57 sold to Boroli), Oddero, Voerzio, Gaja (Conteisa!), and Batasiolo. The cost of buying a hectare in Cerequio – 1,000,000 euros today. Cerequio è il mio amore! LA MORRA (BAROLO COMMUNE) La Morra is, in many ways, the best village to start in. Piazza Castello, in the center of the village, offers a great southern view over the vineyards with a map to help you identify them. It is the largest of all communes. Some of the flavors of these vineyards, especially those from the slopes, include the nuances of white truffle, fungi, mint, tobacco, flavors of spice, cherries, and blackberries. This wine has wellbalanced alcohol on the mid-palate with gentle acidity and full-bodied length.

The Renato Ratti winery lies down the hill from the village, a very modern wine cellar to visit. Notable vineyards: Arborina, (Elio Altare), Brunate (Ratti-Marcarini), Cerequio (Chiarlo, Contratto — both of which overlap into the Barolo commune), and Rocche dell’Annunziata (Paolo Scavino). Wine prices from $75 to $150 US.

MONFORTE D’ALBA (THE MOST SOUTHERN COMMUNE)

The sub-zone of Monforte d’Alba is in the south of Serralunga D’Alba (a town in the valley of the same name) and Castiglione Falleto (another subzone). Both are well-known towns with a large number of crus and sub-crus, which I will discuss later. The styles of these wines are bold, with seriously powerful structure when young. With aging these wines develop a depth with intense dark fruit flavors and complex, big, rich tannins. Wines such as Bussia, and Bussia Soprana ($75 to $125 US) are considered the top, and are some of

the most expensive wines of this sub-zone.

By the way, if you go to Monforte, ask for Giulio Perrin, owner of the finest “luxury” hotel on the hill, Casa della Saracca, a first century three-story building with antique furniture and a wine bar with 5.000 bottles of Barolo dating back to 1925.

Other great vineyards:

- Bussia (A. Conterno, Prunotto) Cicala (A. Conterno)

- Colonnello (A. Conterno) Ginestra (Clerico, P. Conterno, Conterno Fantino)

- Mosconi (Rocche dei Manzoni) Munie (Parusso) Romirasco (A. Conterno)

- Santo Stefano (Rocche dei Manzoni)

BAROLO TOWN (BAROLO COMMUNE)

The town which gave its name to these great wines is not perched on a hill, but lies relatively low in the valley. The name comes from the Celtic “bas reul,” meaning “low place.” The castle within houses the Enoteca Regionale, Castello di Barolo, a consorzio of a 145 of the best producers of the commune. There is so much history in this site. The best time to go is during the second week of September for the “Festa del Barolo” — remember!!! Some of my favorites: Damilano, Borgogno, Ratti, Marchese di Barolo.

If you travel to the area, pick one town (or commune) to visit: Barolo, la Morra, Monforte, etc. These tiny towns are wonderful to explore. The landscape is beautiful with steep vineyards, foggy late mornings, warmer noontimes, and breezy afternoons.

When in Cuneo, the province where Barolo is located, you’ll find that the Piedmontese are genuinely dedicated to viticulture which shows up in the quality and prestige of these quintessential wines.

I am a Barolista! And YOU?

SALUTE AMICI!!!

Charlie Arturaola, sommelier and educator, has such comprehensive global knowledge of wine that several insurance companies rely on him to appraise wine collections valued from $50,000 to over one million dollars. Arturaola is a member of the Society of Wine Educators, and the American Society of Appraisers, is on the board of directors for Toast to Humanity,and was recently honored as a Chevalier by France’s Ordre des Coteaux des Champagnes.