Bartolomeo Borgogno founded his winery in 1761; upon his death in 1794 his three sons took over control of the
business, though only one, the youngest, Giacomo, persevered. In 1861 Borgogno Barolo was served at an official banquet presided over by Garibaldi celebrating the unification of Italy. More recently the wine appeared in one of the Godfather movies.
Tradition is the watchword here. The wines can be unyielding in their infancy, and the various components tend to come together magically after about twenty years of snuggling in the cellar.
The vinification is of the traditional method; crushing and de-stemming, fermentation on the skins with a long
maceration that allows for best extraction of complex tannins and pigments that, together with alcohol and acidity, are
fundamental factors for long aging. Fermentation takes place in tanks of reinforced cement. There are two key phases:
firstly, a violent fermentation, during which the sugars are transformed into alcohol, lasting about 15-20 days. A cap
is formed and immersed, pumped over twice daily, at a controlled temperature of 20-25 degrees celsius.
Secondly, maceration with submerged cap; follows violent fermentation in oak with the grape skins immersed in the
newly formed wine. The duration of this phase is variable, lasting anywhere from a week to a month, according to the
structural characteristics of the wine. An attentive and constant control of its evolution allows for optimal selection.
Following fermentation, the wine is stored in other tanks and augmented with a light pressing of the grape skins. It
remains in these tanks for about a week followed by a first decanting to remove the majority of lees that have formed.
This eliminates the risk that the lees will have a negative effect on the wine if left too long.
The wine is then transferred for a second resting period of about a month, after which a final decanting removes all
the deposits and impurities of vinification. During this period the malolactic fermentation begins naturally, and is not
induced; often this fermentation is interrupted by the cold weather and starts again to complete its natural cycle with
the milder spring weather.
A third transfer at the end of spring removes any deposits left by malolactic fermentation. The wine is racked once a
year while aging in casks of Slavonian oak and non-toasted barriques of French oak ranging in size and age (never
new) for a period ranging from two to four years according to the characteristics of the vintage.
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Barolo Classico is a blend of five vineyards (Cannubi, Cannubi Boschis, Liste, Brunate & S. Pieter) exclusively from the Barolo district.
The 2001 Barolo Classico is sweet and open on the nose, with suggestions of very ripe black cherries, violets and tar. Medium in body, it nevertheless packs plenty of power, with outstanding length and elegant tannins on the fresh, inviting finish. It is a remarkably elegant and accessible wine for this estate even if it closed down somewhat in the glass
