Barolo and Barbaresco, two wine regions spread across the Langhe hills in northwestern Italy’s Piedmont, make some of Italy’s finest wines, often with a stunning combination of elegance and complexity. Both regions –essentially neighbours separated by the town of Alba – can be tricky to understand, though.
Barolo and Barbaresco make wines from the same red grape variety, Nebbiolo. However, each region has its own unique geographical and geological features, resulting in wines that are (often) stylistically different from each other but still share the main characteristics of a Nebbiolo – high acidity, aroma of roses and notes of cherries. In short, Barolo and Barbaresco are two sides of the same coin.
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Located southwest of Alba, Barolo is the bigger region of the two, with almost 2,000 hectares of vineyards. The appellation consists of 11 villages: Barolo, Castiglione Falletto, Serralunga d’Alba, Cherasco, Diano d’Alba, Grinzane Cavour, Novello, La Morra, Monforte d’Alba, Roddi, and Verduno.
Barbaresco, located northeast of Alba near the Tanaro river, is home to 677 hectares of vineyards and comprises the four villages of Barbaresco, Neive, San Rocco Seno d’Elvio, and Treiso.
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“Within Barolo, if we compare the wines from the communes of La Morra and Serralunga d’Alba, we have two different styles of Barolo. La Morra will be rounder with a richer fruit aroma, [resulting in] a Barolo that is approachable at an earlier age. Serralunga d’Alba’s is often bone-dry with cherry notes and a very textured mouthfeel,” he explained. “The former will be closer to a ‘typical’ Barbaresco while the latter is what people would call your ‘typical’ Barolo.”
“Similarly, in Barbaresco, if we take the wines of Neive and Treiso, we will get two different wine styles: Neive gives a fleshier, more luscious wine, whereas Treiso gives a wine that is leaner with angular acidity; a ‘harder’ Barbaresco,” he added.
The idea that Barolo should be strictly made as a wine that is tannic and intense is also an outdated concept these days. In the 1980s, the region saw the emergence of the Barolo Wars, a battle of winemaking ideologies between two factions the media coined as the traditionalists and the modernists. The former were steadfast in their old ways: Higher yields, long maceration, and extended ageing in large oak casks. The latter opted for lower yields, shorter fermentation, and shorter ageing in small French oak barriques, which introduced vanilla notes that tamed the tannins and made the wine more drinkable at a younger age.
Today, the Barolo Wars are dead as disco; a truce has been reached. Zachary Tay, head sommelier of wine bar La Terre, said he has noticed the distinction between the traditionalists and the modernists blurring in recent years. After the Barolo Wars petered out, both camps, he added, acknowledged each other’s strengths and began integrating them into their winemaking methods.
Currently managed by fifth-generation owner Federica Boffa, the renowned Pio Cesare winery owns about 70 hectares of vineyards across Piedmont. This flagship Barolo is made from Nebbiolo sourced from Serralunga d’Alba, Grinzane Cavour, La Morra, Novello, and their recently acquired vineyard in Monforte. Ageing is done in large French oak barrels for 30 months, with a small amount in barriques. The wine offers excellent structure, freshness, notes of cherries, and soft tannins.
S$110, from Grand Vin
FRANCESCO RINALDI, ‘BRUNATE’ BAROLO 2018
The Cordero di Montezemolo estate sources its grapes from only organic-certified vineyards on the hills around Alba. Made from grapes from vineyards in La Morra, the Monfalletto is the winery’s signature Barolo. Cordero di Montezemolo calls it a Barolo “that can be enjoyed from an early age”. The wine is aged in various types of French and Slovenian wood for a period of 18 to 24 months. Expect notes of cherries or raspberries intertwined with spices and floral notes.
S$146, from ewineasia
GAJA, SORI SAN LORENZO, BARBARESCO 2020
One of the small but renowned producers of Barbaresco, the Cigliuti family has been running the eponymous winery for four generations. With fruit sourced from Bricco di Neive, the Vie Erte is powerful, savoury and rather tannic, and, if served blind, could be easily mistaken for a Burgundy from Gevrey-Chambertin. Its soya and balsamic notes lend a gentle umami character to the wine.
S$93, from Luigi’s Wines
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