2022 Burlotto - Barolo (750ml)

Founded in 1850 by Giovan Battista Burlotto in Verduno, Barolo's northernmost commune, the estate that bears his name was among the first to sell Barolo by the bottle rather than by the cask, eventually earning recognition as an official supplier to Italy's royal House of Savoy. After his death in 1927 the estate faded into relative obscurity for decades, kept alive through difficult years by his granddaughter, Marina, and her husband, Giuseppe Alessandria. Their son, Fabio Alessandria, took over in the early 2000s and has since restored Burlotto to prominence as one of Piedmont's most celebrated producers, working in the same traditional, aromatic style that first made the family famous.

In a difficult 2022 growing season, Burlotto chose not to bottle any of its celebrated single-vineyard Barolos, including Monvigliero, Cannubi, and Acclivi, judging that year's individual lots not distinctive enough to stand alone. Instead, all the fruit went into this classic Barolo, a return to the region's older tradition of building balance through blending across sites. Sourced from the estate's cooler, more northerly Verduno parcels, the grapes ferment in open-top wooden vats before aging in large botti and further time resolving in bottle.

The wine offers floral aromas of rose and violet mingling with ripe berry, grilled herb, and camphor, alongside dark Nebbiolo fruit, leather, and spice box. Built to reward a few years in the cellar, it continues to open with time in the glass. It pairs beautifully with braised meats, truffle dishes, or aged cheeses.