Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesFabio Alessandria makes this wine from a two-acre plot in the Barolo commune’s Cannubi cru, purchased by his great-grandfather in the early 20th century. It sees a shorter maceration than Monvigliero, around 15 days, gaining juicy flavors of cherry, currant and raspberry that feel fresh and crunchy in the context of the warm 2015 vintage. Rose petal scents and notes of orange peel and mint enhance the wine’s bright, vibrant character. A few hours of exposure to air reveal layers of licorice, tobacco and warm spice, a hint of the complex evolution this wine will offer over the next decade.
Aromas of dried strawberries, orange peel and rose petals. Complex. Full body, super silky tannins with juicy acidity and a savory undertone. Needs time to open. Always a beautiful Cannubi. Try in 2022.
A pretty red, this exhibits floral, strawberry, raspberry and white pepper aromas and flavors. Firms up quickly, offering a refined and present tannic backbone. This hangs together very nicely and lingers. Best from 2022 through 2038.
Aromas of menthol, eucalyptus and darkskinned cherry form the nose. Lithe and linear, the taut palate offers Marasca cherry, strawberry, clove and crushed mint alongside tight, refined tannins and fresh acidity.
This historic G.B Burlotto estate, located in the commune of Verduno in the Barolo DOCG, was established by Giovan Battista Burlotto, il Commendatore, in the mid-18th century, during whic time it earned the distinguished titles of “Supplier to the Savoy Royal Household” and “The Only Supplier to the Duke of Abruzzi’s Artic Expedition to the North Pole.” Burlotto distinguished himself by introducing the practice of selling bottled wine bearing his estate’s name (in the manner of French châteaux) at a time when it was customary practice to sell wine in cask. It is speculated that the Savoy court’s regard for the wines of Verduno enabled such formidable innovation, though Burlotto’s wines were lauded on the international scene as well.
The estate is comprised of 30 acres, 24 of which are situated in the commune of Verduno, the site of the famous Monvigliero cru, which is noted for its wholly southfacing position and soil of white marl. Burlotto’s Monvigliero bottling is the estate’s signature wine; in fact, Burlotto sourced his Nebbiolo almost exclusively from this cru. Of the remaining six acres, 3 1/2 are located in Barolo’s famed Cannubi Vineyard (with the other 2 1/2 belonging to the Roddi commune). The Cannubi Vineyard enjoyed prestige prior to the production of Barolo and its positioning, in the manner of a Burgundy grand cru, has never been diminished. In fact, it is widely regarded as Barolo’s premier vineyard, yielding fruit that realizes outstanding qualitative consistency. Of particular interest is the fact that the Langhe’s oldest bottling is labeled ‘Cannubi 1752.’ The estate’s other Barolos, Annata, Acclivi, and Neirane, represent multisource bottling.
The estate remains family-owned and is currently under the direction of Burlotto’s great-niece, Mariana Burlotto, and her husband, Giuseppe Alessandria. While their son, Fabio, has introduced modern techniques, they have served to enhance the qualitative achievement of this estate’s traditionally oriented wines. In addition to the aforementioned Barolos, the winery produces Dolcetto, Barbera, and several wines under the Langhe DOC appellation.
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.
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.