2011 Borgogno Giacomo - Barolo Fossati DOCG (750ml)

Few names in Piedmont carry as much history as Giacomo Borgogno & Figli, whose cellars in the village of Barolo date to 1761. In the 1920s, Cesare Borgogno became one of the first vintners to export Barolo abroad and began holding back bottles from top vintages, building a library of mature wines. Since 2008 the estate has belonged to the Farinetti family, founders of Eataly, who have kept its traditional methods intact.

Fossati is a 3.2-hectare cru along the road from Barolo toward La Morra, facing southeast on calcareous and clay marl with a notable sandy component, which gives its wines vivid floral and red fruit notes. The Nebbiolo ferments spontaneously with indigenous yeasts in concrete tanks, followed by a submerged cap maceration of around 40 days. The wine then ages four years in large Slavonian oak casks before six months of bottle rest.

The warm 2011 vintage gives this Barolo a generous, forward profile, with ripe cherry liqueur, blackberry preserves, and dried apricot. The palate is rich and succulent, with rounded fruit and yielding tannins that make it ready to enjoy now or over the medium term. Pair it with beef braised in Barolo or a slow-roasted leg of lamb.