Batasiolo Winery
Batasiolo Vineyards
Piedmont is one of my favourite Italian regions and every time I drive into the Langhe hills I feel a little bit at home. I am a big fan of Nebbiolo, a grape with the rusticity and power of a mountain farmer, and yet with the elegance and perfume of a ballet dancer. Add the truffles, the tajarin, the brasato and the people, and you understand why I am always so happy to be there, enjoying the food and wine. This time the road took me up to La Morra, to Beni di Batasiolo, a name that for many wine lovers around the world is simply synonymous with Barolo. The Dogliani family founded the estate in 1978, but their roots in the Langhe go back five generations. Today they look after more than 130 hectares across nine estates, including five of the most prestigious crus of Barolo: Cerequio and Brunate in La Morra, Bussia Bofani in Monforte d’Alba, and Briccolina and Boscareto in Serralunga d’Alba. It was a very special visit for me, because Batasiolo is now a partner and part of our portfolio, and I am truly proud to work with such a name in the Langhe.
After a walk through the vineyards and the beautiful modern cellar, with its red geometric ceiling and long rows of Slavonian oak casks and French barrels, we sat down for what I can only call a masterclass in Nebbiolo and terroir. Three crus, side by side. The Barolo Cerequio 2016 from La Morra, grown on Tortonian clay and limestone soils, is pure perfume and elegance: red cherry, wild strawberry, dried rose and violet, a balsamic, mentholated lift, high acidity and fine-grained tannins, with a long finish. It comes from the celebrated 2016 vintage and will keep developing well past 2035. The Barolo Boscareto 2016, from the highest of their crus at around 420 metres in Serralunga d’Alba, shows the other face of Nebbiolo: darker cherry fruit, sweet spice, leather, firm and powerful tannins and a structure built to age for decades. And then the Barolo Briccolina 2012, also from Serralunga, aged in French oak: garnet with an orange rim, in a beautiful tertiary phase, with dried black cherry, forest floor, hazelnut, sage, mushroom and leather, and polished tannins. A wine that is simply ready to be enjoyed now with a plate of tajarin and white truffle.
Rusticity, power and elegance in one glass: this is why Nebbiolo will always be close to my heart and palate, and why Batasiolo is a house every Barolo lover should know. Thank you to the whole Batasiolo team for the warm welcome and for opening these great bottles. I am looking forward to bringing these crus to new markets and new friends.
Salute, Batasiolo!
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