Santamaria Barolo ‘Capalòt’ 2019

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

An Aside: The evolution of a winemaker
Making wine in Australia often starts with a very technical approach. Clean correct wine is the aim. Then we start working through the basics.

1. Depth & Length
2. Balance & Complexity
3. Freshness vs Development.
4. Texture/Mouthfeel & Subtlety / Delicacy
5. Overall Beauty, style, personality.

Depth and length are largely a function of fruit quality although a little carefully thought out winemaking can add to these.

Balance is a little easier and freshness can be achieved with little knowledge.

The challenges come with building complexity, working out how far a wine can be developed before bottling, building a texture that adds to the wine and becomes part of its beauty adding another dimension to its personality.

These things are not simple and require deep knowledge of your vineyards and fruit.

They require wisdom.

These are the things that create debate, where opinion and current fashion can influence success.

These are the things that separate the good wines from the great wines.

Based on this wine Walter has got the wisdom and a strong grasp of the hard bits!

About Santamaria

At the end of the eighteenth century the Viberti family arrived in Santa Maria di La Morra and Giulio, one of the brothers, begins making wine. The Viberti family took ownership of the old farmhouse known as “Santamaria” and its land and vineyards in 1850. Silvio and Mario Viberti live in a period in which viticulture in Barolo was an almost heroic activity, a subsistence life.

In the sixties, he directed the Aldo Viberti company which ages his Barolos in large Slavonian oak barrels. After 35 harvests, Aldo hands over the management of the company to his son Walter. The exhausted vines are replanted and we dedicate ourselves exclusively to cultivating Nebbiolo, the great grape that completes its maturation thanks to the strong temperature changes of October, when in the Langhe hot sunny afternoons alternate with bitterly cold nights and foggy mornings.

In the Vineyard

The vineyards are located in the “Capalot” region, a historic sub-area at 350 meters above sea level whose soil is made up of clayey-limestone marl with veins of sand. Numerous findings of fossils give evidence to the marine sedimentary origin. The age of the stumps varies from 35 to 15 years, the space between them is generous and the fertilization is light and mostly based on organic matter. The Company applies a system of contrast to the parasites of the vineyard and through careful evaluations it tries to respect the ecosystem of useful insects and birds naturally present in the vineyard.

In July, the thinning: every vine is carefully assessed and discharged of part of the grapes so that remaining are of superior quality and with a higher sugar concentration.

At harvest the grapes after a few minutes are pressed lightly and left to soak until it begins fermentation. For fifteen days repassing often mean that all the valuable substances can be extracted from the skins. After two weeks we proceed to the racking, the wine separated from the pomace continues to ferment until all the grape sugar is not converted into alcohol.

After numerous subsequent decanting the malolactic fermentation begins: malic acid is transformed into lactic acid and the wine becomes softer and more stable. It is aged in oak barrels for two years, with periodic assemblies, controls and tests. Then in the bottle for another year, and after passing  chemical and physical analysis and testing of tasting may use the name of Barolo D.O.C.G. or Nebbiolo D.O.C.

In the Winery

At harvest the grapes after a few minutes are pressed lightly and left to soak until it begins fermentation with indigenous yeast. For fifteen days repassing often mean that all the valuable substances can be extracted from the skins. After two weeks we proceed to the racking, the wine separated from the pomace continues to ferment until all the grape sugar is not converted into alcohol.

After numerous subsequent decanting the malolactic fermentation begins: malic acid is transformed into lactic acid and the wine becomes softer and more stable. It is aged in 1,000L oak botti for two years, with periodic assemblies, controls and tests. Then in the bottle for another year, and after passing  chemical and physical analysis and testing of tasting may use the name of Barolo D.O.C.G. or Nebbiolo D.O.C.

Where in the World is Santamaria?

Santamaria is based in La Morra, Barolo, Piedmont. This wine comes from the ‘Capalòt’ Cru.