THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SOIL
Different soil types on one slope
Below is a piece of tough stuff, but it explains very nicely why, for example, a Barolo wine from La Morra is completely different from a Barolo wine from Serralunga. Or why even two wines from the same vineyard can have a different taste:
About 30 million years ago during the Oligocene, the Langhe was flooded, tectonic plate shifts had pushed up the oceans, after the water receded, about five million years ago, a fine-grained clayey sandy bottom remained rich in limestone and fossil sediments.
The soil types in the Barolo appellation generally consist of marine sediments with alternating sublayers of marl (clay and lime) and sandstone.
In addition, there are three different types of geographical formations formed in three different eras (and which yield roughly 3 different types of Barolo).
The oldest is the Lequio formation (A) from the Seravallian and Tortonic periods, which is located in and around Serralunga and parts of Monforte. This soil type is poor in nutrients and retains little moisture (rain and snow), which means the vine has to work harder and ultimately produces grapes that produce powerful wines with a firm structure, lots of tannin and a long shelf life.
The Lequio formation consists mainly of marl, clay, lime and sandstone and has a light yellow, almost white color.
Sant' Agata marl (C) dates from the Tortonian and partly from the Messinian period and consists mainly of calcareous clay and blue-gray marl and is found around Barolo and La Morra (and in Barbaresco). This type of soil is slightly more nutritious and remains moist for longer due to its more compact structure. This results in wines that do not immediately have the body and structure of the wines of the aforementioned Lequio formation, but they are immediately more accessible, more delicate and often have a beautiful bouquet.
The third formation is the Diano sandstone (B), also from the Serravalian and Tortonic periods and is rich in sand, especially in the lower layers. The area where this soil type is found extends from Monforte to the east of Barolo and includes the whole of Castiglione Falletto. The wines from this soil type are characterized by their elegance and structure. The soil type is considered by many to be ideal for making Barolo wine because it produces an ideal blend in terms of Barolo.
About 30 million years ago during the Oligocene, the Langhe was flooded, tectonic plate shifts had pushed up the oceans, after the water receded, about five million years ago, a fine-grained clayey sandy bottom remained rich in limestone and fossil sediments.
The soil types in the Barolo appellation generally consist of marine sediments with alternating sublayers of marl (clay and lime) and sandstone.
In addition, there are three different types of geographical formations formed in three different eras (and which yield roughly 3 different types of Barolo).
The oldest is the Lequio formation (A) from the Seravallian and Tortonic periods, which is located in and around Serralunga and parts of Monforte. This soil type is poor in nutrients and retains little moisture (rain and snow), which means the vine has to work harder and ultimately produces grapes that produce powerful wines with a firm structure, lots of tannin and a long shelf life.
The Lequio formation consists mainly of marl, clay, lime and sandstone and has a light yellow, almost white color.
Sant' Agata marl (C) dates from the Tortonian and partly from the Messinian period and consists mainly of calcareous clay and blue-gray marl and is found around Barolo and La Morra (and in Barbaresco). This type of soil is slightly more nutritious and remains moist for longer due to its more compact structure. This results in wines that do not immediately have the body and structure of the wines of the aforementioned Lequio formation, but they are immediately more accessible, more delicate and often have a beautiful bouquet.
The third formation is the Diano sandstone (B), also from the Serravalian and Tortonic periods and is rich in sand, especially in the lower layers. The area where this soil type is found extends from Monforte to the east of Barolo and includes the whole of Castiglione Falletto. The wines from this soil type are characterized by their elegance and structure. The soil type is considered by many to be ideal for making Barolo wine because it produces an ideal blend in terms of Barolo.
In addition to these 3 main formations, the western parts of La Morra and Verduno, which face Cherasco, consist of a relatively young soil called Cassano Spinola (E). This produces smoother wines with softer tannins.
In addition to the soil type, it is of course of obvious importance what the winegrower himself stamps on both the grape (the work in the vineyard; green pruning, soil treatment, disease control, etc.) and on the final wine (fermentation, maceration, ripening, etc.). ).
In addition to the soil type, it is of course of obvious importance what the winegrower himself stamps on both the grape (the work in the vineyard; green pruning, soil treatment, disease control, etc.) and on the final wine (fermentation, maceration, ripening, etc.). ).