Pre Arrival Brovia Barolo 2021

92 VM

Notes:

The 2021 Barolo is fabulous. Aromatic and vibrant, Brovia's straight Barolo is a fine choice for drinking now and over the next decade or so. Longer aging in cask than the vineyard-designates helps accomplish that. The aromatics alone are so alluring. Sweet pipe tobacco, cedar, dried cherry fruit, licorice and dried flowers give the 2021 tons of complexity. Bright acids pull it all together on the close. As always, the Brovia Barolo is built on a core of younger-vine fruit from Brea (about 70%) plus juice from the vineyard-designates that is left over after those casks are filled. - Antonio Galloni 92

Producer: Brovia is a traditional family estate based in Castiglione Falletto, founded in 1863 and known for an unusually strong collection of vineyards across Castiglione Falletto and Serralunga d’Alba. The domaine’s Barolo holdings include important sites such as Rocche di Castiglione, Villero, Garblèt Sué and Brea, the latter home to the estate’s Vigna Ca’ Mia bottling. Brovia has remained firmly committed to traditional Barolo production, with long macerations and élevage in large French and Slavonian oak rather than small new barrels. The estate has been certified organic since 2013.
Vineyard: The 2021 Barolo is not simply an entry-level wine from lesser sites. It is assembled from younger vines within Brovia’s Barolo crus, with the core of the 2021 coming from Brea in Serralunga d’Alba, supplemented by wine from the estate’s other single-vineyard Barolos after their individual casks have been filled. Vinous reports that roughly 70% of the 2021 comes from Brea, giving the wine a substantial Serralunga component. The estate’s technical information identifies the soils for the Barolo parcels as limestone and clay, and the vineyards are harvested manually.
Winemaking: The wine is 100% Nebbiolo. Brovia completely destems the fruit before a spontaneous fermentation in concrete vats, followed by an extended 21–30 day maceration. Malolactic fermentation occurs spontaneously. The Barolo is then traditionally matured in large oak, with the estate technical sheet specifying 24 months in 30-hectoliter French and Slavonian oak botti. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered. Brovia gives this Barolo longer élevage before release than its individual cru bottlings, an approach intended to bring the different vineyard components together and make the wine more approachable as a complete Barolo.
Technical Details: 100% Nebbiolo. Barolo DOCG. Piedmont, Italy. Vintage 2021. Fruit primarily from younger vines in Brea, together with material from Brovia’s other Barolo crus. Limestone-clay soils. Hand harvested. Completely destemmed. Spontaneous fermentation in concrete. 21–30 days of maceration. Spontaneous malolactic fermentation. 24 months in large French and Slavonian oak botti. Unfined and unfiltered. 14.5% alcohol. 750ml.
Food Pairing: Barolo is particularly well suited to dishes with enough richness to meet Nebbiolo’s tannin and acidity. Braised beef, short ribs, roast lamb, wild mushrooms, truffle dishes and aged cheeses are all strong matches. Piedmontese preparations such as brasato al Barolo or tajarin with mushrooms would be especially natural pairings.