One of the world’s most celebrated regions where Nebbiolo is “king,” Barolo is nestled in the steep, undulating Langhe hills in the foreground of the distant, snow-capped Alps. Comprised of five distinct villages that vary in expression and personality as widely as the famous villages of Burgundy, Barolo delivers unparalleled seduction and enchanting perfume as well as elegant grip and structure. The village of Serralunga d’Alba in the southeastern portion of Barolo offers a powerful, more structured expression of Barolo and is primed to age gracefully for decades. Today’s particular example is crafted in a way that allows earlier gratification as well as ageability bridging modern and traditional winemaking techniques. Derived from the Carpegna vineyard’s calcareous marl, limestone and iron soils, this advantageously situated site is seated almost a thousand feet in elevation and enjoys southeastern exposure, which allows for pristine fruit, excellent acidity and unique minerality.
A respected producer, Cascina Bruni is owned and operated by Giuseppe Veglio who, along with his two sons, Fulvio and Cristiano, walks the delicate tight-rope between modernism and traditionalism. His hand-harvested fruit is fermented in modern, climate-controlled stainless steel with a shorter time for skin contact than many traditionalists of Barolo. After 40 days of maceration, the wine is aged in traditional Slavonian Botti and French oak for three years. After bottling, the wine is aged an additional six months prior to release. The result is a Barolo for early gratification that delivers the size, structure and longevity of Serralunga d’Alba Barolo with the perfume and flavor profile of refined, traditional examples.
This Nebbiolo displays a dark garnet red core with orange and amber reflections on the rim. The perfumed nose boasts near perfect aromatics we want in Nebbiolo with just the perfect amount of fruit. A bouquet of freshly picked cherry, wild strawberry, roses, tar, fennel, tomato leaf, leather, dried orange peel and crushed stones combine to reveal an incredibly classic nose with ample charm. Medium-plus in body and exuding a beautiful richness, the palate offers flavors of redcurrant, red plum, sour cherry, dried flowers, leather, tobacco and crushed earth. Decant this wine for a minimum of one hour and serve in Burgundy stems at roughly 60-65 degrees, just above cellar temperature. T
his recipe for braised lamb shank ragu over pasta will provide an ideal pairing with just the right amount of fat to compliment the wine.
