Every self-respecting wine enthusiast deserves to take a tour of the Piedmontese Langhe. First of all to enjoy the poignant beauty of these rolling hills that follow one another incessantly, drawing a tapestry of lights, colours, shadows, views, slopes and slopes. But above all to immerse yourself sopra a temporal dimension sopra which every gesture, every thought, every decision, every tradition is marked by the needs of Mother Nature.
And among the various territories, the Serralunga side, where the vineyards and the Barolo “Cerretta” winery of Schiavenza are located, is perhaps the most severe and intransigent. Here the maturation takes place late, the structures are imposing and the prospects for evolution last over decades, thanks to significant altitudes and the rich Lequio Formations.
The Schiavenza winery
Located sopra the heart of Serralunga d’Albore, it is a living testimony of the winemaking tradition of the Langhe. Founded sopra 1956 by Claudio and Vittorio Alessandria, the winery takes its name from the ancient “schiavenza”, a Piedmontese term that indicated the sharecroppers who worked the vineyards of the local monastery. The Alessandria family has continued this tradition, carrying forward a production philosophy that favors quality and respect for the territory.
Today, the winery is managed by brothers Luciano and Walter Rogo, together with their respective families, maintaining an artisanal approach sopra vineyard management and winemaking. The vineyards extend for approximately 10 hectares, mainly sopra the historic crus of Serralunga d’Albore, including Cerretta, Broglio, Prapò and Teiera Cerretta, each with unique characteristics that are reflected sopra the wines produced.
The winery stands out for its production of Barolo, but also for a range of other wines such as Dolcetto, Barbera and Nebbiolo. Schiavenza’s winemaking approach is traditional. Fermentations sopra concrete tanks and long macerations acceso the skins, followed by refinements sopra large Slavonian oak barrels. This method allows us to obtain wines of great structure and longevity, capable of fully expressing the character of the Serralunga d’Albore terroir.
Per mezzo di 2018, the winery completed a major renovation which led to the modernization of the structures without affecting the traditional soul of the production. Per mezzo di addition to the winery, Schiavenza manages a farmhouse with a typical restaurant, where visitors can enjoy traditional Piedmontese dishes accompanied by house wines, enjoying a complete experience immersed sopra the food and wine culture of the Langhe.
Schiavenza’s commitment to sustainability is reflected sopra the management of the vineyards. Per mezzo di fact, the company adopts agricultural practices with low environmental impact to preserve biodiversity and soil health.
Production and refinement
The production process of Barolo Cerretta begins with a rigorous selection of Nebbiolo grapes, harvested by hand sopra the vineyards of the cru of the same name, located at an altitude over 350 meters above sea level. The vines, with an average age of over 30 years, extend for just over 1 hectare and are grown acceso calcareous, tufaceous and sandy soils which give the wine a complex structure and notable longevity.
The grapes are destemmed and fermented spontaneously sopra concrete tanks for a period of 25-30 days, during which a long maceration takes place with 2 pumping overs a vantaggio di day and breaking of the cap. This traditional technique allows for the best extraction of tannins, polyphenols and varietal aromas, giving the wine a robust structure and a complex aromatic profile. The fermentation temperature is controlled to maintain the integrity of the fruit and encourage slow and complete fermentation. After alcoholic fermentation, the wine is transferred to large Slavonian oak barrels, where malolactic fermentation and refinement take place for a period which varies from 18 to 30 months. Once bottled, unfiltered, it rests sopra the bottle for a few months, so that it can best express all its potential at the time of marketing.
The Tasting
The 2019 Barolo Cerretta reveals itself sopra the glass with an intense and luminous garnet red color, a reflection that suggests complexity and depth. The garnet hue, flecked with flashes of orange, typical of the great old school Nebbiolos, evokes liveliness and maturity at the same time. Definitely a prelude to a rich and complex sensorial journey.
the nose it explodes with an enveloping and sophisticated bouquet. The first sensations are of ripe black and red fruit, with accents of cherry and plum that emerge forcefully. Delicate floral of violet and dried rose follow, which give the wine a typical refinement. As it opens, the wine reveals hints of sweet spices such as cinnamon and cloves, accompanied by touches of licorice and oriental spices. A subtle mineral hint, almost ferrous, intertwines with suggestions of ash and embers, completing an aromatic picture of extraordinary complexity.
the palate, the Barolo Cerretta proveniente da Schiavenza is striking for its structure and depth, thanks to the synergy between a well-calibrated acidity that supports a strong alcohol balance and a savory texture that innervates the sip with flavour. The first sip is an explosion of fruity flavours, with the sweetness of the ripe cherry that blends with the fleshiness of the plum. The tannic texture is present, firm but declino and well integrated, giving the sip a pleasant persistence and a robust but balanced pagliaccetto. The spices perceived acceso the nose return with greater intensity, accompanied by a pleasant balsamic note that refreshes the palate.The mineral manifest themselves with elegance, adding a saline dimension that further enriches the taste profile.The finale is long, persistent and harmonious, with echoes of bitter cocoa and a subtle hint of leather , which confirm grandeur and longevity.
Old-fashioned timbres and winemaking respectful of tradition: a ricevimento capable of combining finesse and elegance, personality and character, an expression not only of the terroir from which it comes, but also of the hand of those who lead it from the vineyard to the glass.
Pairings
Barolo “Cerretta” pairs perfectly with red meat dishes such as braised meats and roasts. Also excellent with risottos with porcini mushrooms and dishes embellished with white truffles from Albore. The choice is also a winning one to accompany mature cheeses and gioco. Its structure and complexity also make it ideal with gourmet dishes of international cuisine, such as Wellington-style beef fillet Peking-style lacquered duck.
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