Product information

Luigi Pira Barolo del Commune di Serralunga 2018

Nebbiolo from Serralunga d'Alba, Piedmont, Italy, Barolo

$119

$114ea in any 3+
$109ea in any 6+
Alc: 14%
Closure: Cork

Description

I recall being impressed by Pira’s 2018 Langhe Nebbiolo a couple of years on and the Barolo ‘Commune di Serralunga’ is impressing too! Openning in the glass with vibrant red fruits, tea, a little earthiness, slate, licorice and more. The layered density of the fruit with zippy acid has you salivating for more. The tannins are composed and front, mid-palate dominant, that slate comes through here to. Tight at the moment with 3-5 years it should fall into place, the juicy acid marry into the wine and the generosity build. Pira really seem to be finding a groove with upside to come!


Always a blend of the three crus below, the Barolo ‘Serralunga’ in recent times has had the maceration/fermentation time slowed down to 2 weeks to allow for a more gradual and integrated process – all four Baroli are made this way. Once complete, the wine is moved into 25 hectolitre aged barrels for a minimum of 2 years, then rested for an additional year or two (depending on the vintage) before being released to the market. The most approachable of the four Baroli, this is a symphony of elements: porcini, smoke, cola, cherry and spices.

In stock

Check out all of the wines by Luigi Pira

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

The cluster of famous crus owned by the Pira family are the premier vineyards around Serralunga village: Margheria and Marenca, which are only just separated from the great Vigna Rionda. Barolo ‘Serralunga’ is the Pira normale, an assemblage of the three crus.

About Azienda Agricola Luigi Pira

The story of the Pira family is the story of Barolo, one told about people of great warmth and integrity. Always seeking quality and improvement, the Pira family are workers of the land, using the grape Nebbiolo (and Barbera and Dolcetto) as the medium through which their particular terroir can speak. Like many Langhe families, they started as growers and eventually released their own wines under the family name.

Luigi Pira was the first to bottle the family’s wines, prompted by stories from the outside world of the interest in Barolo, and encouraged by sons Giampaolo and Romolo, and later Claudio, who were confident of the eventual demand for Serralunga and the importance of their vineyard plots. Giampaolo later took the reins in the winery and was one of the original and probably the lowest-key of the ‘Barolo Boys’.

In the Vineyard

Seeing compost in vineyards is always a good sign. Health dirt, better water retention, a greater volume of soil accessible to the vines, slow release of nutrients all positive.

Click to enlarge 🔎

In the Winery

Up until recent years, the use of roto-fermenters with quick ferments and a decent amount of new oak resulted in somewhat ‘Parker-ised’ wines, but due to the very strong Serralunga imprint – stock, smoke, graphite and darkest cherry – the wines and their personalities always overtook the oak. These days, ferments have been significantly slowed down to allow for a gentler process. The barrels are fewer, larger and older, and commentary on the presence of oak has disappeared over the last few years.

Today, a Luigi Pira Barolo is regarded as a benchmark for wines that show classic Serralunga characters of darkness and power, allied with numerous complexities and an up-tempo style. Vineyard management has been essentially sustainable for decades, too, and Pira are long-time practitioners of cover-cropping, natural insecticides and minimal sulphur use. One testimonial to this combination of attention to detail in both the winery and vineyard is to the distinctly individual characteristics in the ‘Margheria’ and ‘Marenca’ Baroli, even though the crus are adjacent.

The 2018 Vintage

A long, wet winter, replenishing water reserves following the drought of 2017. Bud burst was normal but cool, wet conditions prevailed well into spring. Late May and early June saw storms and high rainfall, but fortunately flowering and fruit set followed under ideal conditions. Development over summer was even, with temperatures rising considerably from mid-July.

A long period of fine conditions helped the grapes to ripen gradually, with September once again blessed with warm sunny days and cool nights. Nebbiolo yields were low and benefitted from the ideal conditions, with harvest from early October. In Barolo and Barbaresco, 2018 produced beautifully balanced Nebbiolo wines with excellent acidity and ageing potential.

Vintage reports from others to explore

The Consorzio di Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe e Dogliani 2018 Vintage Report.

Alessandro Masneghetti’s 2018 Barolo Vintage Report.

Where in the World is Luigi Pira?

Luigi has an incredible cluster of 3 Cru’s in Serralunga with: Margheria, the adjacent Marenca, and, the nearby Vigna Rionda.

 

Click to Enlarge🔍

Where in the world does the magic happen?

Azienda Agricola Luigi Pira

Barolo
Serralunga d'Alba
Piedmont
Italy