Bartolo made a name for himself resisting the modernizing trends in the region, encapsulated by a message he put on a hand-drawn bottle label: “No Barriques, No Berlusconi”. He died a few years ago but the domain is now in the gifted hands of his daughter Maria Theresa, who has raised the profile even further with a series of fabulous vintages. Still hewing rigorously to tradition (long macerations, and no barriques!), they are one of the very few domains to still release just one Barolo made from a blend of all their parcels (as was generally the case before single vineyard cuvees started to appear in the 1960s). 30% of the Barolo comes from Rocche di Annunziata in La Morra; the rest from three different vineyards in the commune of Barolo: Rue, San Lorenzo and Cannubi.

What importer Polaner Selections has to say about this wine...

Vineyard
Sourced from the Monrobiolo and Rue vineyards in Barolo.
Orientation
Monrobiolo southwest, Rue east.
Soil
Clay with sand, tufa and limestone substrates.
Viticulture
Traditional, conventional. Average age of vines is about 25 years. We do not use chemical pesticides or fertilizers. Composted cow manure is used for fertilization and mechanical mowing is used to keep cover plants under control. Sulfur and copper are used during the season to combat oidium and peronospora. Vines are unirrigated (by DOC laws). Training is guyot and density is about 3500 plants per hectare.
Vinification
The two vineyards’ production is co-fermented in a single large concrete tank. The tank does not have an internal temperature control system but fermentation temperatures are monitored daily and the must is cooled with a cold-water heat exchanger if it exceeds 28C. The fermentation typically occurs from indigenous yeasts, but we will add yeast if necessary. Pump-overs are performed twice a day. The wine is racked once fermentation is nearly complete to preserve fruit and freshness (typically 8-12 days, but varies); the Dolcetto does not receive extended maceration. The cantina uses a gentle hydraulic basket press. The same general winemaking techniques are used each year so as to let the grape’s typicity and the essential character of the vintage emerge in an honest and true manner.
Aging
The Dolcetto is stored in large botti (casks) of Slavonian Oak for 6-9 months in a natural ageing cellar, then bottled the following late July. Malolactic fermentation is not forced and occurs in the botti. The botti range from 25 to 50 hectoliters and average 10-12 years of age.