Schiavenza Barolo Perno
WHY WE LOVE IT
- Perno is a single vineyard located in Monforte d’Alba, with an elevation between 360 and 400 m asl.
- The vineyard has a southeast/west exposure and the soil is loamy.
- The vine age is between 20-25 years.
Varietal Composition: 100% Nebbiolo
Elaboration: Guyot growing system is used. The vines are hand-picked. Fermentation and mecaration takes place in 3 to 5 ton cement tanks for approximately 15 to 20 days at a temperature varying between 27-30°C.
Two pumping-over sessions each day to aerate the must during fermentation, and breaking up of the cap. After frequent racking in steel tanks, the wine is placed in Slavonian oak to age for at least 18 months, followed by cellaring in bottles for a minimum of 6 months in a cool and dry place before release.
Tasting Notes: Barolo docg Perno 2019 is a well structured, elegant wine, with sweeter tannins and a very “open” nose. Very pleasant and immediately enjoyable.
PRESS
2019 – 94 Wine Spectator | 94 James Suckling
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
The Alessandria family has been farming this Serralunga property since 1956.
The estate and surrounding area were formerly part of the Opera Pia Barolo (a castle that is similar to Burgundy’s Hospice du Beaune – Part educational institution and part hospital), whose vineyards were worked by sharecroppers. The local dialect for sharecropper is “schiavenza,” hence the origin on the estate name.
A name like Schiavenza should give one a clue as to the style here; this is no modern “barrique” aged Barolo estate – Wines here are fermented with native yeast in cement cisterns and then aged in traditional Slovenian botti.Vineyard holdings have expanded over time, and the estate is made up of 8 hectares split between Serralunga and Monforte. These include the heralded crus Prapò, Bricco Cerretta, and Broglio. No pesticides or herbicides are used, and all field work is coordinated with the cycles of the moon.