2008 Barolo, Gramolere, Fratelli Alessandria, Piedmont, Italy

2008 Barolo, Gramolere, Fratelli Alessandria, Piedmont, Italy

Product: 20081314351
 
2008 Barolo, Gramolere, Fratelli Alessandria, Piedmont, Italy

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Description

The Gramolere vineyard comes courtesy of Vittore’s madre, Flavia, whose family own vines in the village of Monforte d’Alba. Monforte lies across the valley on very old and heavy Helvetian soils that are rich with marne and sandstone. Gramolere, first made as such in 2001, is located 400 metres above sea level and is west facing, bordering the Bussia vineyard. There is always an emphatic and almost fig richness to this lush wine and it is so fleshy, with an almost meaty quality to its fruit that derives from its 50-year old- vines.
David Berry Green

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Critics reviews

Wine Advocate
The 2008 Barolo Gramolere caresses the palate with gentle dark fruit, flowers, licorice, spices and sweet dried herbs. There is an inner perfume to the 2008 that is highly appealing. This soft, fragrant Barolo is delicious today, but should also age quite nicely. It is the most approachable of the estate's single-vineyard Baroli. Juicy dark berries and plums reappear on the vibrant finish, while the tannins are virtually unnoticeable within the realm of young Barolo. At the same time, the tannins do firm up a bit as the wine sits in the glass, so I would wait another year or two before opening the 2008.
Antonio Galloni - Wine Advocate - Issue#203 Oct 2012 Read more
Stephen Tanzer
Good bright red. Dried flowers, mocha and mulch on the nose. Sweet, broad and full-blown, with plum, mocha and truffle flavors dominating. Finishes with big, sweet, dusty tannins and excellent length and breadth.
Stephen Tanzer - vinousmedia.com - Nov 2013 Read more

About this WINE

Fratelli Alessandria

Fratelli Alessandria

A moment’s reflection is required before understanding the wines of Fratelli Alessandria: all the estate’s vines (except their cru Gramolere) are in the commune of Verduno. Not usually bracketed with familiar and renowned communes, the village sits on the north-eastern border of the region. It’s almost more of an extension of neighbouring Roero, with sandier soils and a moderating influence from the Tanaro river. All this adds up to a lighter, more delicate and perfumed style of Barolo – of which Fratelli Alessandria are brilliant exponents.

Today, Vittore Alessandria runs the traditional cellar, while his brother Ale tends 15 hectares of vineyards. Their first vintage was in 1978, and Fratelli Alessandria was the first producer to put Monvigliero on a label. 2001 saw the first Gramolere and 1997 was their first vintage of San Lorenzo, which is only produced in their best vintages – of course, there is a 2019!

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Barolo

Barolo

Located due south of Alba and the River Tanaro, Barolo is Piedmont's most famous wine DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita), renowned for producing Italy's  finest red wines from 100 percent Nebbiolo

Its red wines were originally sweet, but in 1840 the then extant Italian monarchy, the House of Savoy, ordered them to be altered to a dry style. This project was realised by French oenologist Louis Oudart, whose experience with Pinot Noir had convinced him of Nebbiolo's potential. The Barolo appellation was formalised in 1966 at around 1,700 hectares – only a tenth of the size of Burgundy, but almost three times as big as neighbouring Barbaresco.

Upgraded to DOCG status in 1980, Barolo comprises two distinct soil types: the first is a Tortonian sandy marl that produces a more feminine style of wine and can be found in the villages of Barolo, La Morra, Cherasco, Verduno, Novello, Roddi and parts of Castiglione Falletto. The second is the older Helvetian sandstone clay that bestows the wines with a more muscular style. This can be found in Monforte d'Alba, Serralunga d'Alba, Diano d'Alba, Grinzane Cavour and the other parts of Castiglione Falletto. Made today from the Nebbiolo clones Lampia, Michet and Rosé, Barolo has an exceptional terroir with almost every village perched on its own hill. The climate is continental, with an extended summer and autumn enabling the fickle Nebbiolo to achieve perfect ripeness.

Inspired by the success of modernists such as Elio Altare, there has been pressure in recent years to reduce the ageing requirements for Barolo; this has mostly been driven by new producers to the region, often with no Piedmontese viticultural heritage and armed with their roto-fermenters and barriques, intent on making a fruitier, more modern style of wine.

This modern style arguably appeals more to the important American market and its scribes, but the traditionalists continue to argue in favour of making Barolo in the classic way. They make the wine in a mix of epoxy-lined cement or stainless-steel cuves, followed by extended ageing in 25-hectoliter Slavonian botte (barrels) to gently soften and integrate the tannins. However, even amongst the traditionalists there has been a move, since the mid-1990s, towards using physiologically (rather than polyphenolically) riper fruit, aided by global warming. Both modernist and traditional schools can produce exceptional or disappointing wines.

Recommended traditionalist producers:
Giacomo Borgogno, Giacomo Conterno, Bruno Giacosa, Elio Grasso, Marcarini, Bartolo Mascarello and Giuseppe Mascarello.

Recommended nmdernist producers:
Azelia, Aldo Conterno, Luciano Sandrone, Paolo Scavino and Roberto Voerzio

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Nebbiolo

Nebbiolo

Nebbiolo is the grape behind the Barolo and Barbaresco wines and is hardly ever seen outside the confines of Piedmont. It takes its name from "nebbia" which is Italian for fog, a frequent phenomenon in the region.

A notoriously pernickety grape, it requires sheltered south-facing sites and performs best on the well-drained calcareous marls to the north and south of Alba in the DOCG zones of Barbaresco and Barolo.

Langhe Nebbiolo is effectively the ‘second wine’ of Piedmont’s great Barolo & Barbarescos. This DOC is the only way Langhe producers can declassify their Barolo or Barbaresco fruit or wines to make an early-drinking style. Unlike Nebbiolo d’Alba, Langhe Nebbiolo can be cut with 15% other red indigenous varieties, such as Barbera or Dolcetto.

Nebbiolo flowers early and ripens late, so a long hang time, producing high levels of sugar, acidity and tannins; the challenge being to harvest the fruit with these three elements ripe and in balance. The best Barolos and Barbarescos are perfumed with aromas of tar, rose, mint, chocolate, liquorice and truffles. They age brilliantly and the very best need ten years to show at their best.

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