Ca'Viola Barolo Sottocastello di Novello 2008

The Ca' Viola wine cellar is located in Dogliani, a small town in Langhe, the best place for one of the most important Piemontese grapes: Dolcetto. They produce all the traditional red wines; Dolcetto, Barbera, Nebbiolo and Barolo, entirely from small, exclusive parcels of vineyards situated in the most important crus. Giuseppe "Beppe" Caviola is the owner and is considered to be one of the most important oenologists in Italy. In 1997, under the wing of Elio Altare, he started to work for many emerging producers, forming part of L'Insieme Project, and the following year became a consultant to Villa Sparina. 

Beppe had been involved with wine since he was a boy, ever since he first decided to attend the Enological School in Alba. After he finished his studies, he found a job at the Enological Centre in Gallo, just outside Alba. There he met Maurizio Anselmo, with whom he developed a deep friendship destined to change both their lives. Beppe rented the vineyard of his dreams, called Barturot, and began vinifying the grapes in the garage of his parents' house. One day Elio Altare, already an established star in the Barolo galaxy, tasted that wine and encouraged Beppe to bottle it. And so, in 1991, he released 860 bottles of Dolcetto, the first wine labelled with the Caviola name.

Ca' Viola is not classified as a biodynamic producer but their style of production is completely natural. In most years they don't use any chemicals in the vineyards, the wines contain only a small quantity of sulphites, and while they are not filtered, the wines are clear and without sediment even after several years. Ca' Viola doesn't add selected yeasts but prefers to rely on the yeasts found on grape skins in the vineyard.