Fratelli Alessandria, Piedmont
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Bottle
£76.35
Case price (6)
£458.10
Bottle 6 x 75cl 20cs
£368.34
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Bottle
£85.85
Case price (6)
£515.10
Bottle 6 x 75cl 13cs
£415.80
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Fratelli Alessandria, Piedmont,
Ready, but will keep,
The flagship Alessandria vineyard, Monvigliero, sits plum in the mid-slope of this natural amphitheatre. Pale rose-garnet, it's very focused, holds a cool gaze, with crunchy, red cassis, a note of sandalwood, of power, yet also of refinement. A shy, discreet wine, it'll need coaxing out. The palate's noticeably more structured and mineral than the sandy San Lorenzo, but then Monvigliero is slightly higher, and richer with chalk and silt (as opposed to sand). Don’t hurry, this is a keeper.
Vittore and his cousin Alessandro continue to fine-tune this historic 19th-century Barolo estate, based in the village of Verduno. Indeed it’s Verduno’s location — close to the sandy Roero with some chalk in the soil and proximate to the Tanaro river running below— that gives the village’s wines a trademark softness and perfumed charm; an authentic expression that the Alessandria family is keen to emphasise through its wines.
Vittore and his cousin Alessandro continue to fine-tune this historic 19th-century Barolo estate, based in the village of Verduno. Indeed it’s Verduno’s location — close to the sandy Roero with some chalk in the soil and proximate to the Tanaro river running below— that gives the village’s wines a trademark softness and perfumed charm; an authentic expression that the Alessandria family is keen to emphasise through its wines.
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Fratelli Alessandria, Piedmont,
Ready, but will keep,
The Gramolere wine has been made since 2001, when Flavia Manzone, married to Gian-Battista Alessandria, claimed her inheritance. Compared to the pale garnet-red of Verduno Baroli, the wines of Monforte possess a darker hue, that herald from the iron-rich, red soils. Helped by a western exposure, Gramolere is full, fleshy and emphatic; no roses here, just balsamic oil, clove and wild mint notes. Sumptuous but not hot, this should develop nicely in bottle.
Vittore and his cousin Alessandro continue to fine-tune this historic 19th-century Barolo estate, based in the village of Verduno. Indeed it’s Verduno’s location — close to the sandy Roero with some chalk in the soil and proximate to the Tanaro river running below— that gives the village’s wines a trademark softness and perfumed charm; an authentic expression that the Alessandria family is keen to emphasise through its wines.
Vittore and his cousin Alessandro continue to fine-tune this historic 19th-century Barolo estate, based in the village of Verduno. Indeed it’s Verduno’s location — close to the sandy Roero with some chalk in the soil and proximate to the Tanaro river running below— that gives the village’s wines a trademark softness and perfumed charm; an authentic expression that the Alessandria family is keen to emphasise through its wines.
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Fratelli Alessandria, Piedmont,
Ready, but will improve,
Could it be that in the 2010 vintage, the Monforte vineyard of Gramolere has ‘stolen the show’ from the fêted Verduno site of Monvigliero? This will please Vittore’s Mum (nata Manzoni), from whose family the plot came before being first vinified under the F.lli Alessandria label in 2001. Or maybe it’s just being 400 meters above sea level, with sandier, iron-rich soils and Gramolere’s 45-year-older vines that produce a wine that’s ‘faster off the blocks’? Either way, it’s gorgeously composed, with balsam oil, rich raspberry and wild mint (of which there’s masses in the vineyard); it’s serene, broad and generous in a Brunate-esque way, refreshed with notes of wild thyme, framed by molten tannins. Complete.
David Berry Green
David Berry Green
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Fratelli Alessandria, Piedmont,
Ready, but will keep,
Understated and, at times, frustratingly shy in its youth, the utterly compelling Alessandria wine from the heart of the Monvigliero vineyard seems to bask in the shadow of the more ebullient Gramolere; but then that’s what, in essence, sums up the difference between the Baroli of Verduno and Monforte. From slightly younger vines (35-years-old), the wine from this mid-slope, chalky white, if lower, vineyard is reticent, pale rose-red in colour. There is a distant whiff of delicate floral perfume, a hint of sandalwood, of rose petal, even of nose tingling white pepper that recalls local grape Pelaverga. It’s a silk thread in a glass, slowly unravelling. Patience will be rewarded.
David Berry Green
David Berry Green
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Magnum 1 x 150cl 1cs
£100.00
New To BBX
Magnum 1 x 150cl 1cs
£150.00
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Fratelli Alessandria, Piedmont,
Ready, but will improve,
Utterly distinct from San Lorenzo, first bottled in the great 1978 vintage, Fratelli Alessandria’s 2012 Monvigliero sings of the vineyard’s steep, white-talc slopes, with its pale, red-rose colour, and rose-petal scent, along with vintage-specific notes of violet creams. In spite of the violently hot August, Alessandria’s chalky Monvigliero kept its cool – helped no doubt by the family’s decision to de-leaf less and less in the face of a changing climate – and so giving us a haunting, ethereal, fresh, mandarin-skin and rose-petal beauty, wrapped up by the finest of (Verduno) tannins and a salty lick.
New To BBX
Bottle 6 x 75cl 2cs
£238.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
£240.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
£245.00
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Fratelli Alessandria, Piedmont,
Ready, but will improve,
Aromas of wild strawberry and red cherry, notes of balsamic and a faintly savoury edge. Layers of complexity from 3 years in large oak barrels. Excellent poise and precision on the palate, with very fine tannins, lively acidity and a concentrated fruit core. Fantastic length. Drink from 2022+
Katherine Dart MW, Wine Buyer
Katherine Dart MW, Wine Buyer
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Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
£600.00
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Fratelli Alessandria, Piedmont,
Ready, but will keep,
Even in the warmer 2007 vintage the potential of Verduno’s top Nebbiolo vineyard Monvigliero has been realised by the Alessandria family. Fresh rose petal scent and elegant yet juicy raspberry fruit saturates the palate. Perfectly poised for future development, Vittore can be justly proud.
David Berry Green, August 2011
David Berry Green, August 2011
New To BBX
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
£285.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 2cs
£350.00
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Fratelli Alessandria, Piedmont,
Ready, but will keep,
Vittore’s San Lorenzo vineyard is probably the one closest to the river Tanaro, which skulks behind the back of the Barolo region on its way to Barbaresco. I say that because the fruit of San Lorenzo’s 24-yearold vines appears to yield the prettiest and most delicate fruit expression of his Verduno Crus. You can virtually see it in the watery, pale red colour of the wine, while the palate remains lush with pulpy, swollen summer fruit flavours. (David Berry Green, BBR Italian Buyer)
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Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
£400.00
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Fratelli Alessandria, Piedmont,
Ready, but will keep,
This wine is the pinnacle of Fratelli Alessandria’s Verduno Baroli and the 1.3 hectare plot is superbly located mid slope, on white marne soils facing the sun. Approximately 500 cases of this wine were made and it sings of Monvigliero, whatever the vintage. Pale and tinted with rose petal and tea leaf freshness, it has a fine red berried texture and structure, followed by a cleansing acidity.
(David Berry Green
(David Berry Green
Bottle 6 x 75cl 3cs
£325.00
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Fratelli Alessandria, Piedmont,
Ready, but will keep,
While Monvigliero is all rose petals, feminine & elusive, Gramolere from the warmer sandstone soils of Monforte d’Alba is more enveloping, with a distinctly lusher, fleshy mulberry fruit feel to it. A fuller wine, with melting tannins, bright acidity and delicious modern outlook on life. All sealed with a smart silver top!
(David Berry Green )
(David Berry Green )
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Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
£260.00
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Showing 1-13 out of 13 items
Crowning the small hilltop village of Verduno, the elegant 18th century cantina Fratelli Alessandria produces approx 5,000 wine cases from 14 hectares; including the wine crus of Monvigliero in Verduno & Gramolere in Monforte d'Alba in Piedmont. Their Barolo wines were recognised by King Carlo Alberto in 1843, identifying a notable quality that continues to be enhanced by the arrival of 5th generation Vittore, aside his uncle Alessandro and father Gian Battista. They are also proud producers of the Pelaverga wine, a charming and elegant pepper-scented thing from grapes grown almost in exclusivity around Verduno.
Vittore's arrival in 2001, post commercial and oenological studies at Torino University, coincided with a period of positive change. 'More attention to detail' is how Vittore explains the improvements that have taken place over the past decade. No more so than in the vineyard, now a picture of health and source of bright fruit from appropriately low yields. 2001 was also the year that their single Monforte cru 'Gramolere' was released, echoing a regional trend. In the cantina: new static stainless steel tanks, better temperature control, the addition of a few French 500 litre tonneaux, while persevering with 15/20 day wild yeast fermentations & 30 hectolitre botte (slavonian & French oak) ageing have all combined to promote sales of bottled wine and thereby reduce their reliance upon sales to the bulk market; now down to approx 15% of production.
Monvigliero is Verduno's & Alessandria's standout wine site, first bottled as such by the family in 1967 and more recently recognised in the recent classification of Barolo vineyards that now awaits Rome's rubber stamp. The family own 1.3ha out of a total 13. Alessandria's wedge faces plum south, on a near vertical slope, at between 250 - 320 metres, blessed with gleaming white calcareous soils and 30 year old vines. Alessandria's annual average production is a eye-watering 600 cases; invecchiamento kicks off in 20% tonneaux, before spending a further 2 years in 30 hl botte.
Gramolere, their Monforte d'Alba vineyard, is a larger site at 4ha out of a total 20, alongside those of Sandrone and Pira. Its elevation is higher than that of Monvigliero at approx 425 metres above sea level, and it enjoys a particularly warm microclimate created by its altitude, tree sheltered location, a south-western aspect & by even steeper sandy clay soils. From 40 year old vines, the Barolo is stylistically very different to Monvigliero: a broader, denser wine, more mulberry than raspberry on the nose, the palate has a definite succulence, boasting velveteen tannins; so all in all a richer brew. But you may be wondering how a Monforte vineyard's came to be in the hands of a Verduno estate: it's all thanks to Vittore's mother Flavia, nee Manzone.