Wine Tasting of the Langhe: The Great Reds
Get your glasses ready: We are going to talk about two of our most beautiful and inclusive packages, those packages that stimulate all five senses and you wish they would never end: the Barolo Langhe tour and the Barbaresco tour, or the great reds Barolo and Barbaresco with lunch and tastings included.
Let’s start by talking about these two wines, as famous as good. Not many wines are named after the commune of origin; in fact, they can be counted on the fingers of one hand: Barolo, Barbaresco, Soave, and Bardolino. This rare characteristic, however, underscores the solid and deep adherence these wines have to their territory of origin.
The Enchanting Terroir of the Langhe
The roots of this excellence lie in the hills of the Langhe. Here, the calcareous soil and ideal altitude create the perfect conditions for the Nebbiolo vines, the noble grape protagonist of both wines.
The Careful Harvesting of Grapes
Production delegated to man begins at the moment of harvesting the Nebbiolo grapes, almost a ritual awaited for twelve months. The vines, lying on the hills of the Langhe, donate their bunches of grapes when they reach the right degree of ripeness. Transported to the cellar, they will begin the harvest festival.
Vinification: An Art or a Technique?
The magic of great wines unfolds in the cellars, where the fresh must undergo controlled fermentation. Traditional pressing of the grapes, followed by prolonged maceration, extracts the intense aromas that characterize Barolo and Barbaresco. The ability to intercept the right timing and the experience of understanding when to carry out the various steps can make all the difference. Each vineyard, each cellar, and each producer will be able to interpret the production sequences and give their bottles an unmistakable imprint. Of course, each of them will claim that their ‘secret’ is the winning one!
Ageing in Barrels and Bottles
After fermentation, the wines are transferred to oak barrels. The aging period gives Barolo and Barbaresco their complex structure and aromatic bouquet. Subsequently, bottle aging completes their development, preparing them for the refined palate of connoisseurs.
Although both derive from the same grape, Barolo and Barbaresco differ in nuances of taste. Barolo, with its prolonged aging, has more power, while Barbaresco, with a slightly shorter period of refinement, offers a more immediate refinement.
Barolo
Barolo, also known as” the king of wines and wine of kings,” is a fine wine of very ancient origins; the regulations require that it be made only from 100% Nebbiolo grapes and aged for at least three years including 18 months in large wooden barrels; after five years of age, it becomes Barolo Riserva. Barolo remains one of Piedmont’s finest wines, challenging to mistake as it has almost unique characteristics.
The color, for example, is a transparent ruby red that turns to orange as it ages; Barolo boasts an unmistakable bouquet, rich in small red fruits such as raspberries and black currants, cherries, dried flowers but also spices such as cinnamon, tobacco, and vanilla. In the bouquet, the vital link that the wine has with the territory emerges; in fact, it is possible to recognize the scents of typical Langhe products, such as hazelnuts and truffles. On the palate, you can immediately perceive a solid tannic structure typical of the limestone-clay soils of the Langhe; a remarkable persistence will envelop the mouth already after the first sip.
There are 11 communes that can produce Barolo: Barolo, Castiglione Falletto, Cherasco, Diano d’Alba, Grinzane Cavour, La Morra, Monforte d’Alba, Novello, Serralunga d’Alba and Verduno.
Barolo cellars
The Langhe region is best known for its superb red wines. Probably the best-known red wine is Barolo, a wine made from Nebbiolo grapes from the charming town of Barolo, located southwest of Alba in the Apennine Mountains.
Although it is not nearly the most commonly produced (red) wine in Piedmont, it is the most famous in the region.
Thus, Barolo winery visits could be the must-do start of any self-respecting Piedmont wine tour. If you want to discover the best Barolo winery, we at Slowdays offer visits to small, family-run Barolo wineries where you can taste at least four wines, including Barolo.
Barbaresco
Barbaresco, another all-Langarola wonder. Just like Barolo, Barbaresco can be made only from Nebbiolo grapes and must age 62 months, 18 of which in wooden barrels. This wine’s main characteristics are its essential structure and tremendous evolving capacity. To be able to speak of Barbaresco Riserva, however, aging is 50 months, 9 of which are in wood.
The color is a garnet red with reflections toward orange; Barbaresco boasts an ethereal and pleasant bouquet with strong hints of violet or rose. Aging brings more complex hints of earth, herbs, truffle, and licorice, typical of the Langhe hills. The palate has a dry, full, robust but velvety and harmonious wine; it is very persistent and has a remarkable tannic structure.
Barbaresco can be produced in only three communes: Barbaresco, Neive, Treiso, and a hamlet of San Rocco bordering the town of Alba.
Barbaresco cellars
Another renowned red wine produced from Nebbiolo grapes in the Piedmont Langhe is Barbaresco. This distinctive type of wine comes from, you guessed it, the town of Barbaresco, which is located northeast of Alba, also in the beautiful mountainous area.
Barbaresco wineries are among the best wineries to visit in Piedmont precisely because of their unique variety of Nebbiolo red wine.
Barolo and Barbaresco are cornerstones of the Langhe wine industry, promoters of its worldwide fame and notoriety. Yet, surprisingly, they account for just 3 percent of the region’s total wine production. The fact that these limited reds are so famous is a testament to their extraordinary quality.
Langhe wine tastings: Barolo, Barbaresco, gastronomy