Giovanni Rosso Barolo Ester Canale ‘Vigna Rionda’ 2017

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

Crafted by Davide Rosso and Andrea Delpiano from their Serralunga d’Alba estate vineyards. The purity of expression of Nebbiolo is breathtaking, and while many of us will find it challenging to wait, these are wines of considerable ageing potential.
VINEYARD
Grape variety: 100% Nebbiolo
Located in: Serralunga d’Alba – VignaRionda
Planted in: 1946
Training system: Guyot
Exposition: SOUTH
Alcohol: 14,0% vol.
Bottles: 1800
First year of production: 1994

WINEMAKING
Harvest time: middle of October.
The fermentation lasts some 25 days according to the vintage with daily pumping over of the wine mass with délestages at half of the period (fermentation in stainless steel tanks).
The aging is conducted in 16hl large barrels of Slavonian oak (from 18 to 36 months according to the vintage)

WINE DESCRIPTION
Perfumes: violet and roses, balsamic hints, wild berries jams, goudron, leather and truffle.
Taste: superb in taste and perfect development; generous, mouthfilling, soft and yet delivers an incredibly elegant tension. Intense fruit with a fully developed tannin grip and the finish is like a dream.
Pairings: Pidgeon braised in Barolo, Casserole Lamb, Blue Castelmagno.
(Service Temp.: 16°-18°C).

About Giovanni Rosso

Everything started at the beginning of the last century, with Tommaso Canale and his wife, Esterina: both shared a passion for wine and in the early 30s, with a typical pioneering attitude and huge economic sacrifices, they started to acquire some of the most beautiful vineyards in Serralunga, one of the best areas for viticulture in the Langhe, including, in 1934, the jewel, Vigna Rionda.

They worked hard, with courage, fortitude and determination, and even when hail threatened, each family member was ready to roll up their sleeves to contribute. Their sons Aldo and Amelio helped in the vineyards, their characters complementing one another perfectly.

Then came the war, and with it havoc and suffering, Tommaso dying in 1945. After this event, even in their grief, Aldo and Amelio had to be ready to face a new challenge together. The two brothers had inherited about 2ha of Vigna Rionda and after the war they came back to work the land,
carrying on what their father had started.

They both knew they had not inherited just a piece of land, but also the same enthusiasm and love for wine with which they had been surrounded when growing up between the rows of Serralunga. As with their parents, Serralunga was in their blood, Vigna Rionda in their hearts. They replanted Vigna Rionda in 1946 and these same vines are still there, producing beautiful fruit for Amelio’s grandson, Davide Rosso, to work with today.

Unfortunately, Amelio died in 1963. His wife Cristina Canale and his daughter Ester tried to take care of the vineyard but they experienced difficulties: after the war the labour force had begun to move to the burgeoning factories of Torino, while the countryside was slowly being depopulated.

Eventually, mother and daughter were forced to make a bitter choice: give up their vineyard at Vigna Rionda. But both were aware of the fact that what had been achieved could not be abandoned so easily: Vigna Rionda belonged to the family. That strip of land was linked to generations of
winemakers, united by a spirit of fraternity. So, thanks to the intervention of grandma Esterina, the plot was sold to Aldo, who continued to produce wine from this exceptional site and ensured it stayed within the family.

In 1998 Aldo was succeeded by his son Tommaso, who bore not only the same name but the same passion as his grandfather. The strong bond that had existed between Aldo and Amelio recurred between their son and daughter, cousins Tommaso and Ester, who supported each other.

Tommaso shared his great passion with his nephew Davide Rosso, talking with him about their wine and vineyards at home in Serralunga, and always the conversation would turn to Vigna Rionda, even among all the family’s plots, the first among equals.

In December 2010 Tommaso died suddenly, leaving a huge void in the family. But this latest setback brings with it the sense of a new cycle, repeating history, just as a vine comes back to life when spring takes the place of winter. On 23rd April 2011, ownership of Amelio’s original plot of 0.85ha in Vigna Rionda passed to Azienda Agricola Giovanni Rosso, the winery founded by Ester’s husband. Thus, forty years after being forced to sell, Ester Canale is once again able to harvest grapes from the vines that she knew and walked among as a child.

This iconic parcel, no. 251P of map Foglio no. 8 of the commune of Serralunga, has been legendary for many years thanks to the grapes and subsequently the wine that Aldo and Tommaso sold to some of the greatest producers, most notably Bruno Giacosa, Giuseppe Mascarello…
Vigna Rionda, described by many journalists and commentators as the ‘Romanée-Conti of Barolo’, is home again.

In the Winery

Giovanni’s son, Davide, studied Oenology and gained invaluable experience in France. In 2001 Davide, then 27 years old, took charge of the vinification & affinamento/elevage of the wines with one goal in mind: “Wine should be a perfect copy of its terroir“… in this case from the slopes of Serralunga d’Alba, among the finest soils in the world.

Davide’s passion for Burgundy and working experience in France sees him use Fontainebleau oak botti for all his wines, with the exception of the Ester Canale Rosso Barolo Vigna Rionda, which for historical reasons, is matured in a single 16 hectolitre Slavonian oak botte.

The 2017 Vintage

2017 will be remembered as hot with low rainfall. Winter was mild, while spring brought some rain and above-average temperatures. May saw the beginning of a long period of fine weather with summer maximums above average, though cooler nights than in other hot years.

End of August and early September, some welcome rain arrived, followed by a sharp drop in temperatures and marked diurnal temperature shifts. The later ripening nebbiolo and barbera benefitted most. While the overall growing season was shorter, it still lasted on average 185 days compared with 170 in other ‘hot’ years, and 200 in classic vintages.

The accumulation of anthocyanins and tannins was excellent, and while alcohols are higher, they are not out of the average, especially for nebbiolo. Ph levels were good and acids lower. Yields were below average of compact bunches, with harvest occurring around 2 weeks early.

2017 yielded wines of great promise – the cool nights and return to ‘average’ conditions in September being major contributing factors. In fact the 2017 Barolos show remarkable freshness and elegance, with the top producers building on their experience of warmer years, which began with the torrid 2003.

Galloni does an excellent job exploring the 2017 growing season and vintage in his article “2017 Barolo: Here We Go Again…” It’s clear the growers and makers of Piedmont have got their heads around warmer vintages and how to get the most in both the vineyard, and, the winery.

“There is plenty to like about the 2017 Barolos… In tasting, the 2017s are mid-weight Barolos with the classic structure of Nebbiolo. They are often intensely aromatic. Acids and tannins are prominent in many wines. The fruit profiles are ripe, often distinctly redtoned, but not cooked or over-ripe. Perhaps most importantly, the 2017 Barolos are very true to site, which is always a concern with vintages marked by warm weather. The best 2017s are exceptionally polished, vivid and flat-out delicious”

Galloni

Where in the World is Giovanni Rosso?

The Giovanni Rosso cantina (winery) is located in the hamlet of Baudana, just a couple of kilometres north of Serralunga d’Alba village. The most prized vineyard holding is that of Vigna Rionda with holdings in the Crus of Cerretta, La Serra, Broglio, Meriame, Sorano, Costa Bella, Lirano & Damiano.

This 3D flyover is Epic covering each of the communes you can see just how varied and extreme the aspect of each vineyard is and how in the space of a few metres just how dramatically the change.