Winemaker Notes
San Giovanni is a historic vineyard owned by the Broccardo family. Right balance between acidity, tannins and structure, with a good persistent and long-lived finish, which typically reflects the characteristics of the Monforte area. A Barolo with fruity and spicy aromas, with notes of chocolate alternating with balsamic notes. In the mouth it is perceived as a wine that wants and must represent the best, which takes time to fully express itself.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Prepare to be captivated by the harmonious flavors of this exceptional wine. Hard cherry candy, thyme and tea leaf create a well-crafted and intriguing bouquet that tantalizes your senses. Crushed rose petals add a delicate floral touch, while a solid earthy component and hints of game contribute depth and complexity to the palate. Elegant and high toned, this lifted wine is a true stunner
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Decanter
Beautiful liquorice, rose and tart cherry aromas. A firmly structured palate, with intense but soft red and black fruit character, touches of mint, with a long persistent finish.
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James Suckling
Notes of red berries, ground cloves, walnuts and hints of crushed stones on the nose. Medium-bodied with firm, slightly tight tannins and crunchy acidity. Dry and savory with hints of bitter spices in the end.
Responsible for some of the most elegant and age-worthy wines in the world, Nebbiolo, named for the ubiquitous autumnal fog (called nebbia in Italian), is the star variety of northern Italy’s Piedmont region. Grown throughout the area, as well as in the neighboring Valle d’Aosta and Valtellina, it reaches its highest potential in the Piedmontese villages of Barolo, Barbaresco and Roero. Outside of Italy, growers are still very much in the experimentation stage but some success has been achieved in parts of California. Somm Secret—If you’re new to Nebbiolo, start with a charming, wallet-friendly, early-drinking Langhe Nebbiolo or Nebbiolo d'Alba.
The center of the production of the world’s most exclusive and age-worthy red wines made from Nebbiolo, the Barolo wine region includes five core townships: La Morra, Monforte d’Alba, Serralunga d’Alba, Castiglione Falletto and the Barolo village itself, as well as a few outlying villages. The landscape of Barolo, characterized by prominent and castle-topped hills, is full of history and romance centered on the Nebbiolo grape. Its wines, with the signature “tar and roses” aromas, have a deceptively light garnet color but full presence on the palate and plenty of tannins and acidity. In a well-made Barolo wine, one can expect to find complexity and good evolution with notes of, for example, strawberry, cherry, plum, leather, truffle, anise, fresh and dried herbs, tobacco and violets.
There are two predominant soil types here, which distinguish Barolo from the lesser surrounding areas. Compact and fertile Tortonian sandy marls define the vineyards farthest west and at higher elevations. Typically the Barolo wines coming from this side, from La Morra and Barolo, can be approachable relatively early on in their evolution and represent the “feminine” side of Barolo, often closer in style to Barbaresco with elegant perfume and fresh fruit.
On the eastern side of the Barolo wine region, Helvetian soils of compressed sandstone and chalks are less fertile, producing wines with intense body, power and structured tannins. This more “masculine” style comes from Monforte d’Alba and Serralunga d’Alba. The township of Castiglione Falletto covers a spine with both soil types.
The best Barolo wines need 10-15 years before they are ready to drink, and can further age for several decades.