The Giovanni Battista Burlotto estate north-west of the Barolo vineyards in Verduno, is a traditional Piedmont family business. Founded in 1850 by Ignazio Burlotto, the domaine was then handed down to his nephew Giovanni Battista Burlotto, who spent almost 77 years building up the quality and reputation of its wines. In the late nineteenth century, the domaine acquired a strong international reputation. Giovanni Battista Burlotto passed away in 1927 and the domaine went into decline for several years until Fabio Alessandria, great-grandson of the founder, revived the domaine’s fortunes and its outstanding reputation. The vineyard covers 12 hectares, half of which are planted with Nebbiolo, and the other grape varieties include Barbera, Dolcetto, Pelaverga, Sauvignon and Freisa. The vines are tended carefully in the traditional manner, with grass cover in the vine rows and minimal tillage. Massal selection is favoured for replacing vines. In the wine cellar the work is also traditional: destemming, grape treading, fermentation with indigenous yeasts in old open wooden conical casks; long macerations (up to two months) and no filtering or fining. This is a reference domaine for the region and a safe bet.

Fabio Alessandria is the great grandson of the domain’s founder, and he cultivates his vines on 12 hectares of land. His farming includes growing grass between rows of vines, limited ploughing, and massal selection. To craft this wine, traditional methods are used such as destemming, crushing by foot, and long fermentations (around 2 months) using only indigenous yeasts. This allows for a good extraction of colour, flavours, and texture. There is neither fining nor filtration during bottling. A bit of ageing is recommended to fully appreciate this wine. In the glass it has a light, garnet red hue and a nose of red fruit, plum, and a hint of coffee with a pure and silky palate.