Barale Fratelli
Eleonora, Gloria, and Sergio Barale
Piedmont -- Barolo DOCG
The resurgence of interest in Nebbiolo over the last few decades has brought with it an at times troubling creation of hierarchies that, as hierarchies tend to, have become nearly ossified in the minds of customers. Tastes may change, prices too, but the relevant names tend to stay the same. This is in tension with the passion for discovery that really defines a love for wine; moreover, it discounts those historic producers who have quietly persisted in their work to express the truth of their soils, who have held firmly to their point of view, and who have improved and refined their efforts over generations. All of this is to say that the next discovery may be hiding in plain sight–even in the middle of Barolo, the town that gave the region its name.
Since 1870, Barale Fratelli has owned and farmed vineyards in the eastern sector of Barolo, including some of the most famous sites of the entire zone.
Cru Castellero 2020 in botte grande, June 2023
History is deeply felt here, not only because they bottle fruit from top crus in Barolo and Bussia, but also because they have nurtured a diverse set of heritage Nebbiolo clones, including the precious Nebbiolo Rosé. I searched out Eleonora and the domaine based on the strength of a stunning bottle of their flagship wine, Barolo Castellero, just east of the famed Cannubi (and of which the family is the largest owner of the cru). Recently given its own bottling is the Monrobiolo di Bussia, a Cru actually within the Barolo zone, planted with massale selections of Nebbiolo Rosé from some of their oldest parcels.
Boasting an impressively deep lineup, the Barale wines will compel any classically minded wine drinker. Spontaneous fermentations, long macerations (20-30 days on average), and aging in botti grandi. Farming is rigorously organic for at least a decade, with certification in 2016. There is no question that Eleonora and Gloria, the fifth generation of the Barale clan, are bringing the estate into the limelight, with wines that are structured, precise, and totally expressive of their place.
