Sunday 5^th September 2021: organized tour in the Barolo vineyards, to discover some of the most famous crus from which the “King of Wines” originates

Strada del Barolo organizes a tour through some of the main Barolo production areas for a group of 25 people, who will have the opportunity to understand, with the guidance of an expert sommelier of the territory, the factors that determine the character and the infinite facets that Barolo can take on.

PURPOSE OF THE TOUR

The geological composition of the soil, the exposure, the slope and the altitude are all factors that contribute to determining the character of a wine: these factors can be summarized with the term “cru”, a word borrowed from the French that indicates the portion of a vineyard with peculiar characteristics. The purpose of the tour is to make this concept understood in a simple and “experiential” way, through a circular route, with stops at four crus in the municipalities of Castiglione Falletto, Monforte d’Alba, Barolo and La Morra, which will end with a tasting on the lovely panoramic terrace of the Municipal Cellar of Castiglione Falletto.

PROGRAMME

The group will travel with a minivan and will be accompanied by Erika Mantovan, sommelier, ONAV taster, journalist for various sector publications and storyteller of Strada del Barolo.

The departure is scheduled at 10.00 am from Castiglione Falletto in the direction of Monforte d’Alba. The first stop of the day will be at the cru of Rocche di Castiglione, owned by the Sordo Giovanni company. Located in the municipality of Castiglione Falletto, this is one of the most suitable areas for the wine production, characterized by a medium-textured soil, melted on the surface and tending to limestone, with hard layers of whitish and bluish greyish marl, alternated with layers of dry and compact sandstone, from which a powerful wine originates. The result is a rich and suitable wine for long years of aging, surprising for the intensity, richness and great persistence of its bouquet.

By bus, the tour will then continue towards Monforte d’Alba, to visit the second cru of the day, the Bricco San Pietro of the Podere Ruggeri Corsini company: it is the second largest cru in the municipality of Monforte d’Alba and is mainly made from the Marls of Sant’Agata Fossils. This sandy soil consists of a very ancient formation dating back to 10 million years ago and easily recognizable in the typical light grey soil. The Barolo that originates from this field is elegant, round, with distinct floral notes and suitable for aging. The third stop of the tour will be the Cannubi cru at the Fratelli Serio & Battista Borgogno company in the municipality of Barolo: probably one of the most complex and fascinating crus in the Barolo area, due to its strategic geographical position, which gathers, in harmony, the deep and compact land on the Elvezian side and the more delicate and soft one on the Tortonian side. The uniqueness of this vineyard is enclosed in the peculiar combination of the two main slopes of the Barolo area, consisting mainly of fine sand and limestone which, combined with the microclimatic conditions and exposure, give the wine fullness, elegance, finesse and longevity.

The group will then move to Annunziata of La Morra to discover the ​​Rocche dell’Annunziata​ ​cru​ of the ​Rocche​ ​Costamagna company, one of historic crus of La Morra, located in one of the most important hills of Barolo and the world. This ​cru​ is the most important part of that territory, documented as early as 1200 with the name of Marcenasco, under the jurisdiction of the Benedictine abbey of San Martino di La Morra and is characterized by a silty texture, half composed of silt, and the other half divided between sand and clay, which offers Barolos of extreme finesse, dominated by floral, delicate and spicy aromas.

The tour will end at 12.00 pm, with the arrival on the panoramic terrace of the Municipal Cellar of Castiglione Falletto, where it will be possible to taste the Barolos from the four crus included in the journey. In other words, all the complexity of the terroir will be rediscovered inside the glass: it will be fun and exciting to recognize the differences between a Barolo and the other after learning the factors that can make the difference!

At each stop the group will be welcomed by the winemaker owner of the vineyard, who will support the guide in illustrating the peculiar characteristics of the cru.

The tasting will be paired with a mixed platter of cheeses and cured meats prepared by the Municipal Cellar of Castiglione Falletto.

WINES FOR TASTING:

• Barolo Rocche di Castiglione 2015 Sordo Giovanni
• Barolo Bricco San Pietro 2015 Podere Ruggeri Corsini
• Barolo Cannubi 2015 Serio & Battista Borgogno
• Barolo Rocche dell’Annunziata 2015 Rocche Costamagna

The tour will be in Italian, with the possibility of English translation.

The cost of the ticket is € 40.00 per person and includes the guided tour by minivan and the tasting of 4 glasses of Barolo and a mixed platter of cold cuts and cheeses.