Giulia Negri Barolo Serradenari 2022

Serradenari is the heart cru of Giulia Negri's estate, on the heights of La Morra, in the Barolo appellation. The vineyard lies at 480 metres, facing south-west, in a natural amphitheatre that envelops the bunches. The Messinian soils, clay-silt and sand over a calcareous marl layer with a slightly acidic pH, give small, thick-skinned grapes. These cool, high sites, surrounded by woods, imprint tension and finesse on the Nebbiolo.

The grapes, harvested by hand, ferment spontaneously with their native yeasts. Skin maceration lasts around forty-five days, the longest of the estate's three Barolo plots, to extract dense substance and fine tannins. The wine is then aged for some thirty months in 25-hectolitre Austrian oak casks, then bottled unfiltered, for a Barolo with great ageing potential.

This wine reveals notes of rose, wild strawberry, orange blossom, cherry, raspberry, liquorice, pepper and wet stone. More floral and ethereal than La Tartufaia, the bouquet retains a tension that never lets up. The palate, precise and broad, rests on dense, fine tannins, a salinity that runs through the finish and remarkable length.

Ah, Italy, what a beautiful, hedonistic country, the land of la dolce vita, but how difficult it is to understand its wine industry! The key to understanding the appellation system in Italy is to think of it as several small countries rather than a single homogeneous nation, as each region has its own appellation system. Italy can offer wine lovers a multitude of wines with varied and unique flavors and styles, bottles brimming with surprise and creativity. Unfortunately, it also produces a large quantity of soulless, characterless wines sold under their most commercially useful and prestigious name: Pinot Grigio, Chianti, Valpolicella, Lambrusco, Prosecco, and many others... But let's talk a little history. Viticulture in Italy dates back to antiquity and originated in Greece. The Etruscans are said to have introduced the vine, and Greek immigrants improved and modified the grape varieties, subsequently calling the country "Oenotria": the land of wine. At the height of the Roman Empire, wine held an important place in daily life, and certain regions already distinguished themselves by the excellence of their product. The Romans also established numerous vineyards in Europe, leaving an indelible mark of their conquest. Today, Italy is the world's largest wine producer, ahead of France. Italy is divided into three climatic zones. The northern mountains have a rather harsh mountain climate. The plains of the "central boot" are characterized by a continental climate with cold winters and hot, stormy summers. In the southern part of the Italian boot, the Mediterranean climate prevails, with very hot and dry summers, not forgetting the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. In short, Italy produces a wide variety of wines thanks to its 200 different grape varieties, many of which originated in its own lands. It is a country as complex as its wines, which deserve to be explored!