Barolo is the most powerful red wine from the single-varietal Nebbiolo grape and it is produced in the Piemonte region of northwest Italy. A number of factors make this wine special starting with viticulture and vinification practices all the way to the aging process. Barolo is a special wine because of its color, aromas, taste, aging, and its ability to complement food. It is Italy’s highest priced wine and commands its expense because of its high quality. A break from the traditional method of making Barolo has resulted in different styles with modernized winemaking techniques.

What makes Barolo special? The region itself is in a very expensive part of Italy whose growers have invested a lot of money on production. I assimilate it to the Mercedes Benz of Italian red wines. This sub region grows grapes in small vineyard areas where supply does not meet the high demand. This region also has no known history of producing “jug” or “bulk wines.” What makes Barolo what it is begins with continental climate in this inland region with hot summers and longer autumns which create long ripening seasons. Because Barolo is in the foothills of the Alps, winters are cooler with year round rainfall which is highest in April/May and October/November. The weather within these climates can vary which explains the significance of vintage variations as one often reads about high ratings for one or two years per decade. The terroir also impacts the wine. To the west, calcareous marl of La Morra and Barolo is more compact and fertile and produces softer, fruitier, aromatic wines that age faster. To the east, sandstone of Monforte and Serralunga is less compact, poorer in quality and less fertile which results in more intense structured wines that mature more slowly than those of the west. Heavy investment has been put into this region for the past 20 years for continued superior quality wine. As a result, Barolo has had a loyal following by mainly its export markets.

All traditional fine Barolos are common in style in that the color is never deep or opaque. It is pale ruby fading toward garnet or brick with age. Its complex aroma consists of plums, rose petals, tar, and sometimes white truffle. The tannin and alcohol levels are generally high. As tannins polymerize, leathery flavors and aromas develop. Also, intense Barolos have enormous structure that matures more slowly. Modern style Barolos, on the other hand, are fruitier, less tannic, can be drunk sooner in five years, and are less oaky than the traditional ones. Modernization in technique accounts for newer styles.

While traditional Barolo is a product of up to two-month old maceration of grapes less phenolically mature and highly tannic picked early in the harvest, modern Barolo is produced by temperature controlled fermentation, reduced maceration from two months to five to seven days through use of rotofermenters, pumping over as opposed to submerged cap, and use of Barriques. These modern methods result into softer and fruitier wines. Nebbiolo is harvested later in the season, thus producing super ripe grapes along with complete ripeness of tannins. Also, single cru Barolos are “handcrafted” wines that often command higher price tags than negociant blends.

As factors that account for different styles include terroir, age of the vines, harvesting times, fermentation and maceration durations, and amount of aging time in oak, any time saving step is a deviant from traditional Barolo making which results in a variation of styles that one can differentiate with experience tasting this highly sought after wine. If there were to be an increase of investors who are under pressure to make a return on investment, it will be even more increasingly difficult and expensive to procure traditional Barolos.