Barale Barolo ‘Castellero’ 2016

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

Barale own around half of Castellero, enough to put aside some Barolo for Chinato, and enough to maintain that very nice patch of Barbera and even some Chardonnay for their smart bubbles. I rate Castellero very highly. It is admittedly a bit hard going early, often being closed and ungiving. It is however, essentially light on its feet, Burgundian in personality, even with some of earthy/root vegetable or tobacco notes of say Gevrey (or very nearby Castiglione?), to go with the expected dried rose and fruits of cranberry and cherry-skin. This vintage packs in a bit more by way of concentrated red plum, but it has finesse and a lot of swirling aromatics – once some age or a lot of air have been applied. The location of Castellero, being right where Barolo (its nominal comune) meets Monforte d’Alba and Castiglione Falletto. When tasted blind I’d forgive anyone (except myself!) who’d pick it as a Castiglione wine…with a touch of Monforte tannins. Fascinating wine.

About Barale

On the edge of Barolo village, just a few metres down and across the cobblestones of the via Roma from Cantina Bartolo Mascarello, is the unprepossessing cantina frontage to one of the most exciting discoveries in my many years of going to the Langhe. It’s not as though Barale just emerged, but these firmly traditional wines are now being made to the full potential of the family’s remarkable vineyards and this unforced, traditional style is now being fully appreciated.

Barale present a catalogue of superb, authentic Barolo and a cru Barbaresco, bell-clear Piemontese varietals, Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto, along with a slight twist in the form of a wonderful metodo classico –  as good a sparkler as I’ve ever had in Italy. Another great asset is a wonderful, typically far-sighted museum collection, an archive the last 2 decades of Barale winemaking. Oh, and that Chinato, all elegant, fragrant and addictive.

In the Vineyard

The Barale family have in fact been at it for centuries and while they are amongst the first recorded producers of Barolo wine, from 1870, they appear in the village register of the early 1600s as owners of parts of some pretty familiar vineyard names; Coste di Rose, Cannubi, Castellero and Preda. The current custodians, Sergio Barale and his daughters Eleonora and Gloria owe their heritage to the acquisition, over generations, of vineyards in not only Barolo comune, but also in Monforte d’Alba and Barbaresco. By the 1970’s the family had brought more Cannubi and added Monrobiolo (in Barolo) and some Bussia (in Monforte) and into the 90’s had virtually swapped their long-held Rabaja vineyard in Barbaresco for some Serraboella in Neive planted in 1969. All this covers only 20 ha, with Sergio tailoring his plantings almost precisely only to the best soil and aspect combinations. Virtually the whole of Cannubi was replanted at the end of the 2007 vintage, and although just back in production, it’s with startling results. Vineyards are everything to Barale.

In the Winery

The initial approach is the same for all the reds; delicate crushing in order to keep skins intact, fermentation with indigenous yeasts, controlled temperature and maceration with frequent basting of the skins. The fermentation vessel, temperatures and macerations change according to the grape.

• Barolo and Barbaresco in wood fermentation tanks, temperatures around 30 °C and up to 40 days of maceration.
• For Langhe Nebbiolo, wood fermentation, temperatures around 26 ° and 10 days of maceration.
• For Barbera, steel fermentation, temperatures around 25 ° and a week of maceration.
• The aging for all these wines is done in wood: three years in French oak barrel of 15 – 30 hl for Barolo and Barbaresco and one year in tonneaux of 500 lt for Langhe Nebbiolo and Barbera.
• The oak is not allowed to impart any aromas or flavours. Although he’s used Allier for Nebbiolo for a couple of decades now, appreciating its superior effect on tannins and anthocyanins, Sergio noticed a “faint taste of vanilla” in early trials, which he says “…I didn’t like: for me, like my father before me, a woody wine is a bad wine, because our wines should preserve the flavour only of the grape and the land.”

Where in the World are Barale?

While based in Barolo, Barale makes this beautiful wine from the Serraboella vineyard in Nieve, Barbaresco. This wine comes from San Giovanni on the Bricco immediately outside the village – therefore strictly speaking Barolo commune but effectively it’s just as much Bussia. On calcareous sand facing south-east.