There are few wine producing regions that have a more loyal and passionate following than Barolo. Dubbed the ‘king of wines’ or the ‘wine of kings’, the Nebbiolo’s of this Piemonte sub-region in north west Italy are powerful, and certainly for many, unforgettable. Among the most recent additions to our Italian range, it was a certain Barolo that gave our chief taster one of the greatest wine drinking experiences of his life.

During the 70′s and 80′s there was a shift in what people wanted in a wine. Fruitier, less tannic and generally more accessible, easier drinking wines. Those big acidic Italian blockbusters were not, and still are not, everyone’s first choice, so some Barolo producers started to deviate from the traditional production methods, which involved fermenting the wine on its skins for around three weeks, extracting lots of tannins, before 20-30 days of maceration (for further extraction) and a couple of years ageing in large wooden casks. It would have taken the best part of a decade to soften these robust reds.

With better canopy management, the winemakers began using riper, better quality yields of Nebbiolo, and with modern winemaking technology, they managed to extract colour and flavour without all of the tannin. The traditional approach of 20-30 days maceration was reduced to 7-10 days. Since this change, there has been a steady middle ground achieved, although some will still lean either side of the middle.

The Franco Molino winery has two quite different offerings from the Nebbiolo grape. The 2006 Nebbiolo from the Molino winery itself, and the 2003 Bergadano Bardolo from Molino’s sister winery. The less expensive ’06 has undergone 8 days fermentation in stainless steel tanks. The ’03 Barolo is leaning toward the more traditional method, with 15 days fermentation. A malolactic fermentation then turns the tart malic acid into the softer lactic acid, making for a more approachable wine all-round, whilst maintaining an authentic taste of old. The third offering from Molino comes in the form of Dolcetto from the Alba commune. All good examples of traditional, regionally distinctive wines that have taken on a slightly more modern face since the ‘Barolo wars’ of the 70′s and 80′s.

There is 20% off Italy for the month of July and August, including the wines of Franco Molino.