2013 Cordero Di Montezemolo Barolo Bricco Gattera 1.50L
2013 Cordero Di Montezemolo Barolo Bricco Gattera 1.50L Barolo is a delicious red wine from the Piedmont region of Northern Italy. It is made strictly from Nebbiolo grapes. Aromatic with rich tannins and characteristics of old oak, these wines are considered by most to be some Italy’s finest. Traditionally a wine enjoyed by gentry, Barolo grows in the region’s finest plots of soil.
Cordero Di Montezemolo
Cordero di Montezemolo (montay-zem-o-low) is one of the historic estates of Barolo – after all, very few estates can trace their roots back to 1340, nor boast that 19 generations have managed their family estate. Today, it is Giovanni Cordero di Montezemolo and his children Elena and Alberto that run the estate.
The Monfalleto estate in La Morra extends over 50 hectares – certainly large by Piemontese standards, 41 of which they own, and 9 of which they rent. Perhaps it is the scale of holdings that results in Codero di Montezemolo remaining somewhat under the radar? It is hard to say, but when you dig a little deeper, you find that the volume of production is largely accounted for by their Monfalleto label, a blend from across several different vineyards.
The gem of the estate is the ‘Bricco Gattera’, which comes from one single hectare of vines, situated at the foot of an imposing, century old, Lebanese cedar tree that provides a focal point for the landscape. The word ‘bricco’ signifies that this parcel is at the highest elevation within the south/west facing Gattera cru at 300 metres of altitude. There is no doubt that this is a beautifully situated vineyard with clay and calcareous soils.
The style of the wines made by Cordero di Montezemolo has changed over recent years – post 1990 they moved towards a more modernist style but have happily moved back to the centre ground in recent years, reducing the oak impact on the wines and allowing the character of their vineyards to be fully expressed. The ‘Bricco Gattera’ spent 18 months in 30 hectolitre large oak botti.