Oddero Barolo ‘Rocche di Castiglione’ 2017

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

Wine Decoded Meets Pietro Oddero! He Came, We Talked, We Drank … We Played with the Pooches!

Spending a couple of hours with Pietro exploring the history of the region, the winery and the people was a pleasure. The quality and personality-filled wines of Poderi Oddero make sense … you’ll see!

Pietro’s grandfather Giacomo, the 5th generation, played a major role in establishing the DOC for Barolo and a suite of agricultural produce, think hazelnuts and white truffles!

While the red tape of a DOC can feel restrictive, at the time the impetus was to collectivley set base level standards that would see the profile of the Langhe raised on a global stage.

Few would argue they haven’t achieved their goal!

Variety
100% Nebbiolo

Vineyard
Location: Castiglione Falletto Characteristics: 250 meters above sea level, southeastern exposure, 2,00 x 0,90 meters spacing, 4,500 vines/hectare density, Guyot upward-trained vertical-trellised training system. One of the oldest vineyards of the estate, over 50 years old.
Age: 70 years old. Hecatares: 0.66 Yield: 50 quintals/hectare

Harvesting period
First 10 days of October

Production
2,500/2,600 bottles

Winemaking
Scrupulous vine growing, done through the organic method since 2010. Careful manual selection of grapes, both in the vineyards and in the cellar, gentle de-stemming and pressing. Fermentation and maceration for approximately 25 days. Malolactic fermentation follows in December.

Ageing
100% in 20-hectoliter French oak barrels for 30 months. Bottling takes place at the end of the summer, with a further year of bottle ageing before release on the market.

Tasting through the wines, they have a rustic nature to them, the tannins are mouth coating, often dusty and chalky. Yet, they’re balanced with a purity and brightness of fruit. There is a faint layer of oak in the Barbera from the new large Stockinger botti refreshing the old botti that have seen decades of use. It sits in balance. Isabella Oddero describes it as neutral and elegant.

The wines demand patience. Drink the DOCG Barolo and Cru’s over 2 or 3 days when young. I write this with a large glass of 2016 Barbaresco ‘Gallina’ in hand. It’s been open for 3 days now and is drinking the best it’s drunk. The tannins have softened a little, harmonising with the fruit. The wine has resolved to reveal a balance, beauty and perfume that sat shy on first opening.

These are superb wines of purity, character and energy. They represent an interpretation of Nebbiolo that requires patience and with it will reward you with bags of personality

– Paul Kaan, Wine Decoded

Readers who enjoy fine, classically built wines will want to check out Oddero. Bravo!
– Antonio Galloni, Vinous

Exploring Tannin Profiles

Texture is the missing link between good and great wines!

This is a great opportunity to explore tannin and mouthfeel.

1. Drink a Dolcetto, Barbera and Langhe Nebbiol0 to dial into the differences between the varieties.
2. Drink a Langhe Nebbiolo, a Barbaresco Gallina and a Barolo next to each to see how the tannins step as you move from the Langhe to both the Barbaresco and Barolo and how they differ between the Barbaresco and Barolo.
3. Drink the Barolo next the Brunate, Villero & Vigna Rionda to see how the Crus layer up and have very different tannin profiles.

About Oddero

In Australia, we have wineries that have been around for 150 years. In Germany 4-500 years. Oddero sit in the middle with around a 300 year history.

If only those vines could talk. Now with 35 ha of vines across Barolo and the Gallina Cru in Barbaresco the estate continues to evolve with thoughtful intent.

Like many of the best estates in Piedmonte the attention to detail in the vineyard has lifted a notch or 3 and practices are now organic. I’d love to try their honey and hazelnuts. Italian honey is the bomb!

The film below is in Italian, seriously, just soak it up!

The podcast from Levi Dalton with Isabella Oddero from 2009 and one with Giacomo Oddero that just dropped is well worth a listen.

In the Vineyard

Since 2008 Luigi Oddero’s vineyards have been certified organic. Work has been underway to improve, soils, trellising and spend more time in the vineyard. Adding reduced yields the focus is clearly on lifting quality! I haven’t seen many older Oddero’s, today’s range have personality to burn.

In the Winery

The Langhe Neb sees a short ferment and maturation in Stainless steel.

The DOCG level Neb’s stay on skins for around 20-28 days in Tine (large vertical wooden barrels).

Stockinger Botti from Austria have been gradually introduced to replace the large old botti. Custom sizes have been bought, just 1 for each vineyard! Isabella describes the wood as being very neutral and austere.

I suspect the Barbera, that handle oak better than Neb, has been used for the first fill to ‘wash’ them of oak flavours and tannins before the Nebbiolo takes its turn. The quality and level of oak in the Barbera is nicely done.

Whatever the technique, the results in the glass are impressive!

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 Oddero?

Based in La Morra, Oddero’s 35ha are spread across Barolo, Barbaresco and Asti. Currently released Cru’s are Vigna Rionda (Serralunga), Rocche di Castiglione (Castiglione Falletto), Brunate (La Morra), Villero (Castiglione Falletto), Bussia Vigna Mondoca (Monforte) Bricco Fiasco – currently blended in into the Barolo Normale.