The Wine of Kings from Piedmont

Barolo is a red wine that is produced in Piedmont in Italy, and wines are produced from the Nebbiolo grape. The Nebbiolo grape is the most prevalent grape varietal in the Piedmont region, and is typically high in tannins and acidity. The Barolo DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) wine is designated under Italian wine regulations, and for a wine to be classified as a Barolo DOCG, it has to be 100% made from Nebbiolo grapes and from the respective wine-producing communes in Piedmont. Barolo DOCG wines also need to be aged for at least 38 months, and of those months, 18 months of ageing is required to take place in wood barrels. Producers are only allowed to use the word “Riserva” on their label if the wine has been cellared for a minimum of five years.

The landscapes of Piedmont (Image Source: Ricossa Winery)

The wine earned itself a reputation of being the “wine of kings” some time in the 19^th century, after its powerful flavour and distinct quality won over royalty with the likes of King Charles Albert of Sardinia. Barolo wines are usually well-known for their floral and tar flavours, robust tannic profile and relatively high acidity. These make great wines for ageing, as they start to develop deeper complexities and earthier, chocolatey notes over time.

Against the stage of the emerging popularity of deep, fruity wines in the 1970s and 1980s, the comparatively more traditional, tannic and dry profile of Barolo wines made from the Nebbiolo grape seemed to buck the trend, offering a unique and distinct flavour profile to international wine drinker. Since the rising demand of robust fruity wines around the time of the 1980s (think Amarones or Super Tuscans, different styles of wine that both also emerged from Italy), there has been some ongoing discourse between traditionalists and modernists on the best way to produce Barolo wines over the years – the more “modernist” Barolo winemakers try to adapt to the evolving preferences of international drinkers, using shorter maceration and fermentation periods, whereas more traditional Barolos would have typically required at least ten years of being cellared to moderate the tannins in the wine. This shorter fermentation period produces wines with a more accessible, fruitier profile that is popular with the international market, though an ongoing debate remains as to whether this controversial adaptation captures the “true” essence of what a Barolo is!

(Image Source: Ricossa Winery)

Nevertheless, innovations and advancements in wine making have been made to certainly enhance the quality of Barolo wines, such as improvements in the management of grapevines and yields to harvest riper and more developed grapes, as well as temperature-controlled fermentation to conserve the complexity of flavours and aromas. Ultimately, the individual preferences of each drinker plays as much a role to play in the discourse of what makes a Barolo great as the individual preferences and beliefs of winemakers themselves.

Exploring the Terroir of Piedmont with Ricossa Winery

The Piedmont region in Italy shares a border with Switzerland and France, giving way to a diversity of microclimates. At the heart of the Piedmont region, the Ricossa winery is located in the Barolo producing region of Piedmont, in the village of Castel Boglione within the Nizza DOCG wine production area. The current Ricossa winery in Castel Boglione was built in 2004, and spans over 350 acres, with 150 acres allocated to cultivate wines. Apart from the dominant Nebbiolo grape used in the production of Barolo, the Ricossa estate also plants Barbera and Moscato grapes, which are used for their Barbera appassimento wines and Asti appellation wines respectively.

The Ricossa Estate (Image Source: Ricossa Winery)

The Ricossa estate produces wines from the Piedmontese regions of Langhe, Roero and Mongerrato. The Bogliona stream runs just below the estate, supplying water to the soils in the area, which is rich in silt, marl, clay and limestone. This gives the soils a white appearance, and the sediment-rich soils force the grape vines to grow deep into the soils to extract water and producing wines with a rich minerality that are prime for ageing. The Ricossa winery prides itself on its dedication to preserving the tradition of Piedmont wines to enhance their wines’ expressions of the natural terroirs of Langhe, Roero and Monferrato.

Ricossa Winery (Image Source: Ricossa Winery)

Wine Review: Ricossa Barolo Riserva DOCG 2017

Tasting Notes

Colour: Light Garnet

Aroma: Great freshness, it opens with bright cherries, blackberries, as well as some earthiness of tobacco leaves and cloves spices. It’s balanced against a fresh fruitiness and a deeper spiced earthiness.

Taste: Medium-bodied here, the richness carries through. It’s giving more of those cherries, blackberries and blackcurrants. It leans a little lighter and more approachable bucking against going all the way off the deep end. Some gentle black tea tannins, again not too dark despite the richer dark fruit flavours. It still feels fresh and lighter even with the darker tones, whilst keeping a good amount of richness.

Finish: The black tea tannins persist, with a continuation of those blackcurrants and blackberries. As it recedes, a subtle and firm dryness comes through.

My Thoughts

A lovely lighter and more friendly Barolo we’ve got here - this isn’t the super intense, concentrated, deep, dark, tannic stuff - this is a lot easier, approachable, lighter, and yet doesn’t compromise on the Barolo profile. You still find all those cherries, tobacco leaves, cloves, all the real classic Barolo flavours are here and account for, and you still get a good amount of richness too!

Instead, this curtails itself in terms of the depth, concentration and intensity, so it’s Barolo lite, which I actually find much easier. And to be clear, as mentioned there’s still a good amount of richness, it’s just more balanced and fresh here. If you’re a Barolo fan and you don’t want to go so hard, this is your pick. Because we all know Barolo’s can be a little bit like having a full slice of chocolate cake - it’s decadent and can be a little heavy at times.

And so with Ricossa’s interpretation of a Barolo - call me a fan - I really liked this, it’s giving all the flavours I love without being so decadent, and this just feels already ready to enjoy, so you don’t have to be waiting years on this too. And it’s far more wallet friendly if I might add.

Till next time, happy sipping!

@ChopstickPride