Barolo is changing; new superstars are ascending, younger generations are taking over family estates, and new projects are coming online. Barolo’s deep viticultural traditions are fusing with youthful energy, and it all means the region has never been more exciting. Case in point: Fogliati’s Barolo “Bussia” 2016. It comes from 80-year-old vines in one of the region’s most legendary vineyards, made by an estate with over two centuries of grape-growing history, and shepherded into bottle using old-school, artisanal technique. But it also embodies the most exciting trends in the appellation–young, passionate, and globally-inspired talents pushing the boundaries of viticulture and winemaking, and in so doing making wines that are polished and elegant now while retaining Barolo’s famous capacity for longterm aging. This is soaring, heady, profound Barolo ready to age right alongside the famous names in your cellar. Fogliati is a name to watch in an appellation full of famous names, and their “Bussia” is the proof. Grab what you can while you can.
The story of the Fogliati estate begins in 1800, when a wine exporter named Spirito Zocca purchased the land and established vineyards. It’s technically located in Castiglione Falletto, but the vine holdings stretch over into Monforte d’Alba as well. In 1950, the estate in its current form was purchased by Guido Fogliati. He made wine, but when he passed away, the winemaking stopped and the estate was held in a kind of stasis; the fruit grown there was sold off to large producers. Now, his grandchildren have stepped into the breach and restarted the Fogliati label.
Guido’s grandson and granddaughter immediately enlisted Gian Luca Colombo to oversee the Fogliati resurrection. Colombo is one of the young names to know in Barolo right now, a winner of Italy’s top prize for best young winemaker. He consults for some of the best-known wineries in the region, and has launched his own label to widespread acclaim. At Fogliati, he guides every farming and winemaking decision. The vines are farmed organically, and winemaking is guided by tradition–aging only takes place in large, old oak, and macerations can last over a month–but also pursued with a decidedly modern diligence and precision. His wines combine Barolo’s famous structure and ageability with a clarity of fruit you don’t often see here, especially in young wines.
Today’s wine comes entirely from eighty-year-old vines in Bussia, Monforte d’Alba’s most hallowed cru. Bussia is legendary, a site of sandy marls and clays that produces some of the longest-lived wines in all of Barolo. It was the very first site to be recognized as a cru, and Fogliati’s neighbors are a who’s who of the appellation’s top names, such as Colla, Fennocchio, and Conterno. The 2016 Fogliati Barolo “Bussia” was hand-picked, then spontaneously fermented for 45 days. It aged for 18 months in large oak botti. As soon as it enters your glass, you know you’re in soulstirring, classic Barolo territory: rose petals, lavender, crunchy red cherries and raspberries, red plum flesh, licorice, balsam wood, clove, and a hint of tarry, leathery savor. The palate is dense and medium-full, tannins very much to the fore but also very elegant. There’s an incredible purity to the red fruit here, an immediate accessibility Barolo isn’t always thought to have. It’s stunning right now, though still very clearly quite early in its life. This is a wine to now (with a good decant), but also to stash away and open for special occasions for decades to come. Go deep!
