Barolo DOCG
A Royal Wine
Barolo is often described as the king of wines and the wine of kings. It is one of Italy's most prestigious red wines and the beating heart of the Langhe wine region in northern Italy.
Barolo comes from the Barolo appellation of the same name, around the village of Barolo, in the hilly Langhe region in the south of Piedmont. This landscape forms a natural amphitheatre and is surrounded by mountain ranges: the Alps to the north and west and the Apennines to the south. Together with the microclimate, this unique geographical location creates ideal conditions for producing world-class wines.
Read more about the history of Barolo here.
One of Italy's finest wines
Together with Barbaresco and Brunello di Montalcino, Barolo is one of the three most prestigious wines of Italy. Within Piedmont, the Langhe, together with the Roero and Monferrato, is regarded as one of the most important regions for quality wine.
Piedmont is also special because the region focuses above all on origin and quality: there are no IGT wines, only DOC and DOCG wines (the highest classifications in Italy). Barolo and Barbaresco became DOCG in 1980 and are internationally on a par with the top wines of Burgundy and Bordeaux.
The grape behind Barolo: Nebbiolo
Both Barolo and Barbaresco are made from 100% Nebbiolo grapes, and it is no coincidence that Nebbiolo shows its very best in these two Langhe appellations, which are separated only by the town of Alba (famous for its white truffle) and the village of Diano d'Alba, known for its Dolcetto di Diano d'Alba DOCG. Attempts to make good wine from Nebbiolo elsewhere have largely failed, and it is no coincidence that Nebbiolo is one of the least planted grapes in the world. Around 90% of all Nebbiolo vineyards worldwide are in Piedmont, about 80% of them in the Langhe. It is sometimes said that Nebbiolo is a homesick grape that only truly comes into its own at home in the Langhe. Let's just say that Nebbiolo is extremely sensitive to geographical and climatic conditions, and that those specific, perfect growing conditions happen to be found in the Langhe.
Nebbiolo is also the first grape to bud and the last to be harvested. It is a grape that needs a lot of time to ripen properly, and that is exactly what produces the intensity and complexity that make it so special. Here too, Piedmont's microclimate, with warm days and cool nights, is a great help: the ideal climatic conditions for Nebbiolo.
Sub-varieties of Nebbiolo in Barolo
Within the Barolo vineyards, growers work with different clones (sub-varieties) of the Nebbiolo grape, each contributing its own character to the wine:
Michet: recognisable by its compact bunch.
Lampia: the most stable variety, with larger bunches.
Rosé: hardly used anymore today because of its low yield.
Bolla: a selection identified by an oenologist from Santa Maria, La Morra.
Barolo DOCG
With a few exceptions, Barolo is made from 100% Nebbiolo grapes (sub-varieties Lampia, Michet, Bolla and Rosé) and within the boundaries of the appellation (c. 1,800 hectares). The appellation includes eleven municipalities:
Barolo, Castiglione Falletto, Serralunga d’Alba, Monforte d’Alba, La Morra, Novello, Verduno, Roddi, Grinzane Cavour, Diano d’Alba and Cherasco.
