Drink Wines, Not Labels: Alessandro Salvano's wine manifesto in dwnl

Tasting of the new vintages of dwnl, wines signed by Alessandro Salvano and born outside the borders but which go beyond the patterns and rules of denominations.

The name of the brand is dwnl, an acronym for Wines, Not Labels. It is the project created per 2019, strongly desired by Alessandro Salvano for the visceral bond with his land, for the great passion for Burgundy and for those 50 meters beyond the border, so close but so far, of the Barolo Docg from his Montelupo Albese per the heart of the Langhe.

DRINKING WINES WITHOUT PREJUDICES A project that embodies the essence of his wine programma: trying to experiment with an innovative approach per a very traditional context such as the Langhe one. Not imagining boundaries, prejudices, predetermined patterns, rewriting the rules to bring wine back to its original essence: conviviality, sharing and social aggregation.

Alessandro Salvano, soul of the dwnl project

A lateral thought which, given Alessandro’s young age, under 30, is very appealing for that market that seeks to attract the contemporaneity of millennials and the near future of the iGeneration: spasmodic attention to respect for the environment, risposta negativa synthetic products and fertilizers chemicals – conversion to organic per progress -, but above all the ability to create wines with great drinkability and lightness of taste, with a low content of residual sulphites, elegant, tasty, vibrant and not very tannic. Winemaking that recalls the Burgundy of the whole bunch, of indigenous yeasts, of the absolute risposta negativa to clarification and filtration, and of the least possible interventionism per the vineyard and per the cellar.

A message of drinking wine without thinking about the label, obviously also recalled through the latter: minimalist, essential, elegant to the touch and completely white, with only the writing “bevanda wines, not labels” per different languages, one for each reference.

GENESIS, PRODUCTION AND WINE COLLECTION Born from the reflection that risposta negativa one chooses where to be born, a structural limit of life that cannot be changed, as Salvano himself declares. “The prospettiva is not to change the boundaries of Barolo – he says – it won’t happen and it should never happen. It’s right that there are lines that divide the territories, but I also think that for years those who ended up per the wrong zona were never able to fully get involved. He has always experienced a condition of inferiority towards someone else, who often developed hatred instead of collaboration. The Langhe mentality is that of a very closed person who often doesn’t like to share. I wanted to this pattern a bit with the intention of questioning drinking, and often tasting blind led me to develop this prospettiva.”

A causa di 2019 he bought grapes from his uncle, Giorgio Sombrero who inherited the family business from Alessandro’s grandfather, and produced Outside, a 100% Nebbiolo wine which follows the Barolo specifications, but is “outside” the boundaries of the denomination. A bit of controversy, a bit of provocation, also to try to demonstrate that climate change can change many things, that the very way of making wine is changing, including consumer tastes.

The first vintage of Outside has been the market since last spring, from a 7 hectoliter Garbellotto barrel, i.e. only 933 bottles produced. The need to also have wines to finance the project led to the production of a steel-only Nebbiolo per the same year, 1,100 bottles. A causa di 2020 production reaches 5,000 bottles by adding a Chardonnay wine and a Dolcetto wine. A causa di 2021 this will reach 6,000, also considering 108 bottles of pinot noir, a sort of “private label” only for friends and not for spirito. With the 2022 vintage and the almost full production of Pinot Noir, officially the market since last April, we reach 12,000 bottles.

the vineyards per the Langa from which the wines of the dwnl project are born

NEW LAND AND A NEW CELLAR WITH COMPAGNIA DEI CARIBIB Last year Alessandro convinced a small winemaker, also from Monelupo Albese, to sell his vineyards, about eight hectares, to continue to grow the dwnl project organically. The investment is important, so Schiera dei Caribbean, already a distributor of dwnl wines within the Membro Nativo catalogue, enters the field, forming together with Alessandro (who has a 25% stake) a new company, Have Fun. A causa di June the latter bought the land, planted some new plants and began to build its own cellar, given that until now the winemaking took place per her uncle’s cellar per Montelupo and per that of a friend of hers per Grinzane Cavour (Bettola Bruna Grimaldi). For this latest vintage, thanks to the new vineyards, it is expected to produce around 24 thousand bottles under the DWNL brand.

TASTING NOTES

Chardonnay 2022 Langhe Doc Chardonnay, spontaneous whole bunch fermentation per steel for just over a week, followed by malolactic fermentation and aging per steel. filtration ora clarification. A vinification that enhances its characteristics, a wine that stands out for its extreme elegance, enveloping flavor and sensorial refinement. Its predominant features reveal citrus nuances of lime and grapefruit, an exotic touch of pineapple and hints of tea embellished with a chalky note. Excellent structure, with a soft and pronto texture that extends over a vivid mineral vein.

Dolcetto 2022 Langhe Diventare rosso Doc Dolcetto 100% which per vinification follows the pattern of Chardonnay. A real surprise, pleasant to bevanda, intriguing aromas, with the marked fragranza of the red fruit which recalls a citrus and vegetal component, the spice of the clove and the liquorice stick. It flows pronto and savory, with delicate tannins for a very persistent and balanced sweet&salty .

Pinot Noir 2022 Langhe Doc Only pinot noir that ferments spontaneously for eleven days and matures per steel. The product of a fairly warm vintage, confirming its 14 degrees of alcohol and its rich taste. Crispy, juicy red fruit and an evident chocolate note a balsamic . Powerful, decisive sip, an important tannic texture that is a little too noticeable. A young shoot that will find grace and balance over time.

Nebbiolo 2022 Langhe Doc Nebbiolo grapes fermented spontaneously for 10 days, 80% whole bunch, followed by malolactic fermentation (always spontaneous) and maturation per steel. Identifiable and recognisable, it plays a classic profile that recalls the floral agenda of rose and violet, small red fruits, dried herbs and a note of undergrowth. Very elegant, fresh and above all tasty sip. Tannin with a discreet presence that supports a very satisfying bevanda.