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.

The Castelletto terroir is a hillside fragment of the Serralunga geological area, located at an altitude of 270 metres with an east and south-east orientation. The soils are rich in clay-limestone marl interspersed with sandy patches. After manual harvests, the grapes are meticulously sorted in the vineyard, then fully destalked before being traditionally foot-crushed. Fermentation takes place spontaneously in truncated wooden vats. The wine is then aged for 30 months in foudres (large wooden tuns), followed by a further 24 months of bottle maturation before release.
The wine shows a deep ruby hue with subtle orange glints, a sign of its well-managed evolution. The bouquet is particularly complex, layering ripe red fruit with floral violet notes, enriched by sweet spice, tobacco, balsamic accents and a touch of liquorice. Dynamic and perfectly balanced on the palate, it combines fine yet structured tannins, vibrant acidity, velvety texture and a long finish carrying flavours of ripe fruit and undergrowth.