Serradenari: Barolo goes sexy
Posted on 18 May 2012
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There couldn’t be a sharper contrast between my vertical tasting at Oddero and the visit to Serradenari that followed. The former restrained, austere, tannic, ungiving, stern; the latter exuberant, sensual and flamboyant.
Serradenari is a very young estate by Barolo standards. It was started in 2000 by Giovanni Negri and Gabriella Spallino. There are only 5 hectares of vines, and actually 8 ha of woodland that grows that famous white truffle. The winemaker is Roberto Cipresso, of Ciacci, La Fiorita (one of my favourite Brunellos) and Achaval Ferrer fame. Over 60% of the tiny production goes to the USA.
Serradenari is Barolo’s highest vineyard, overlooking the entire region.
In tune with the latter the Serradenari wines are very fruit-driven. They might be the fruitiest and most sensual Nebbiolo wines I’ve ever tasted. Even the 2008 vintage of Barolo that I described here as tight, tannic and ungiving tastes so blatantly sexy at Serradenari. These are very upfront, expressive, glossy, no-nonsense wines, made in an unashamedly modern style. But it goes to the credit of Roberto Cipresso that they don’t actually taste jammy, flat, or oaky as in the ‘cappuccino Barolo’ style I derided last year. With all their insolent intensity of fruit, they actually do taste typical of Nebbiolo and while not deep or massively structured, they offer a good insight into what makes Barolo special.
Serradenari Barolo: fruity like Zin, affordable like Barbera.
I really liked the 2008 Barolo (aged one year in small and one year in large oak as seems to be the new fashion amongst modernistas) while the 2008 La Tartufaia Giulia Negri special cuvée that only sees small oak is more tannic and backward, although it is still a dense, plump, sweet-fruity wine. It comes from a small secluded plot directly overlooking the truffle forest, while the straight Barolo originates from a more open vineyard perched high in La Morra above the famous Cerequio and Fossati crus; indeed at 520 meters asl it is dubbed ‘the highest Barolo in the world’.
The vineyard for Serradenari’s top bottling, the truffle forest, and high Alps.
Other than being delicious the Serradenari wines are also very good value, with the Barolo retailing at c. 25€. A Langhe Nebbiolo is also produced (the 2008 is very tasty but at peak now; it costs a ridiculous 10€) as well as an oaked Barbera. Roberto Cipresso is a crazy guy and so there is also a Pinot Noir-based blend called Renoir, as well as Moné, a white of Chardonnay and 15% of a secret French variety: not authorised in Italy and so I cannot say what it is (but it’s used in the Pyrenees to make sweet wine :-). A wine of deep minerality and an amazingly salty, sea-like flavour, it might well be the paradoxical surprise of my trip to Barolo land.
Disclosure
My trip to Piedmont including flights, accommodation and wine tasting programme is sponsored by the Albeisa association of wine producers.