G.B. Burlotto, Nebbiolo, Barolo Castelletto, Piedmont, Italy 2019

It is necessary to imagine the clusters in the morning sun, then blown by the wind, and finally at rest in the calm of the evening on the side of the hill. A geological fragment of Serralunga in the territory of Monforte; Castelletto benefits from its exceptional situation. A statuesque body crossed by shadow, its strong willed personality has become emblematic.

The hill of Castelletto is located on the hilly ridge of the Municipality of Monforte that faces Serralunga d’Alba, in the most south-eastern part of the Barolo area. It shares the geology of the Lequio Formation with the town of Serralunga, which gives rise to soils made up of clayey marl rich in limestone and minerals that alternate with slightly more sandy areas.

The harvest is carried out by hand, in order to preserve the integrity of the fruit and to allow for, when necessary, a selection of the grapes which are then transported to the cellar in 20 kg boxes. The bunches are de-stemmed and the must moved by gravity into open French oak vats where alcoholic fermentation takes place. During the maceration, delicate pumping over and punching down are carried out daily. Temperature control is utilized to prevent excessively high temperatures.

Malolactic fermentation takes place in in large French oak barrels followed by subsequent maturation for a period of 20 to 33 months depending on the vintage. After bottling, normally carried out in the summer without fining or filtering, the wine rests in the cellar for at least 9 months before being marketed.