The purity and finesse of Verduno
You'd think that Barolo had only been invented in 2010 such was the novel excitement generated by that cool season's structured and strict wines. By comparison 2011 has made wines of generosity, warmth and easy drinking, but they are no less capable of ageing.
For this first formal offer of 2011 Barolo we are starting at the top cartographically and qualitatively. Verduno is the northernmost Barolo commune and has more great, barely known terroirs than you might think; it has a series of brilliant sites. But the commune is small and many growers historically sold their fruit to larger concerns or the co-operative winery and Verduno or its vineyard names rarely appeared on bottles. That's thankfully changing and through Fratelli Alessandria we have access to some of the finest. Wines from Verduno combine perfume, approachability, structure and the ability to age. The warm season of 2011 suits the style and altitude of Verduno vineyards perfectly.
Vittore Alessandria is the driving force behind the family enterprise now, he's the new generation and has done huge amounts of work in the vineyards, reorganising the best clones for the various terroirs and remapping the land through soil analysis. He has also finessed the cellar work, reducing the time in oak and using natural yeasts and soft, minimal intervention. /CW
Offered subject to confirmation for shipment autumn 2015
2011 Gramolere: The Gramolere is the more balsamic of Vittore Alessandria`s wines with a delicious fruit forward set of flavours and a finely granular texture. It isn`t as refined as Monvigliero but it is a fuller flavour. I`ll be putting a case of this in my reserves and also buying the odd bottle to drink when it arrives in the shop. This is classy stuff with a very long finish. (CW 21/04/15)
2011 Monvigliero: Although the nose of this is beautifully floral and perfumed, it is the texture that really stands out. The tannins are fine-grained and the weight and mouthfeel combine superbly with the aromas in the mouth. As a package this is already complete. Already very attractive, this will be super drinkable on arrival and until 2030. (CW 21/04/15)
