Wine & Spirits - Winter 2017 - 72

TOP 100 WINERIES 2017

Comm. G.B. Burlotto

Paolo Scavino

Fabio Alessandria took the reins of this estate in 1999 and shows his surehanded touch in the 2012 vintage with four elegant, spicy Barolos.

Paolo Scavino shows the diversity of Barolo's terroir with refined, silky wines
from 20 crus.

Historic Roots: Fabio Alessandria represents the conjunction of two
leading families from the village of Verduno: his mother, Marina, is
the great-granddaughter of founder G.B. Burlotto, and his father,
Giuseppe, is the brother of Fratelli Alessandria's current proprietor.
The cantina emphasizes its illustrious history with a fresco above the
entrance depicting medals awarded to the family's wines from competitions dating to the 19th century. Back then, Verduno was a leading commune in the production of Barolo, but it fell on hard times
after two world wars and economic downturns. Today the current
generation is helping to elevate Verduno's reputation among Barolo's
11 communes-a revival reflected in the selection of two Verduno
wineries in this year's Top 100 (see also Fratelli Alessandria, p. 76).

Sixty Harvests: Enrico Scavino's grandfather, Lorenzo, founded this
estate in 1921, and Scavino began working in the cellar with his
father, Paolo, at the age of ten, becoming the sole winemaker in
1984. The family began with 8.6 acres of vineyards, all near the cellar
in Castiglione Falletto, but Scavino dreamed of working with
important vineyards in other parts of Barolo. He began buying
property after 1978, and today the family owns parcels of 20 historic
crus in seven of Barolo's 11 communes. Scavino shares his experience
from more than 60 harvests with his daughters, Enrica and Elisa, who
work alongside him in the vineyards and cellar.

Towering Monvigliero: Burlotto owns a parcel near the top of Verduno's Monvigliero cru, nearly 1,000 feet above sea level, where
the 60-year-old vines absorb heat and sunlight all day on the southfacing slope, then are fanned at night by the Tanaro River's cooling
breezes. The 2012 captures both that warmth and coolness in its
floral, spicy scents, notes of bay leaf, tamarind and anise winding
through its fresh red berry flavors. The spicy notes, a signature of
the Monvigliero cru, are amplified by whole-cluster fermentation;
Alessandria treads the grape clusters by foot in order to
avoid breaking the stems and releasing too much
bitter tannin. It's an unusual practice in Barolo,
but one the Burlotto family has followed in
its Monvigliero wines for years. Alessandria
makes Barolo Acclivi in a more traditional
manner, destemming the fruit. It combines
the elegance and spice of Monvigliero with
Rocche dell'Olmo's structured tannins and
lively licorice notes.
Hedging Bets: G.B. Burlotto bought a small
Fabio Alessandria
parcel in the Cannubi cru in the early 20th
century, amid rumors that the name Barolo
might be restricted to wines made within the
Barolo commune-not, Alessandria points out,
because they thought Barolo's vineyards were superior to those of Verduno. Judging from Burlotto's 2012 Barolo
Cannubi, Alessandria is perfectly comfortable with nonVerduno fruit; the wine is as elegant and restrained as any
other bottling here, with layered flavors of dark cherry,
anise and tobacco and cool, polished tannins. -S.J.

Single-Cru Pioneer: Scavino was at the leading edge of Barolo's singlecru movement when he bottled his first Bric del Fiasc, in 1978, from
holdings in Castiglione Falletto's Fiasco cru. The 2012 has suave tannins and bright cherry flavors laced with notes of crushed fennel and
spice. Scavino's next single-cru wine was from Cannubi, in 1985; that
plot, planted just after WWII, yielded a vibrant 2012, its cherry flavors scented with menthol and tobacco. Scavino purchased a plot in
La Morra's Rocche dell'Annunziata cru in 1990, and bottles the wine
from it as a riserva, aged an extra year in barrel. The 2010
shows ethereal floral aromas, while silky tannins weave
together flavors of red plum, licorice and spice that last in
a long, graceful finish. -S.J.

DETAILS & TOP WINES

Founded: 1850 * Winemaker: Fabio Alessandria
Viticulturist: Giuseppe Alessandria * Owner: Marina Burlotto
Acres owned: 32 * Annual production: 7,500 cases
Estate grown: 90% * Importer: Bacchanal Imports, NY
Website: burlotto.com

Founded: 1921 * Owner/winemaker/viticulturist:
Enrico Scavino * Acres owned: 74 * Annual production:
10,000 to 12,000 cases * Estate grown: 100% * Importer:
Michael Skurnik Wines, NY * Website: paoloscavino.com

96 2012 Barolo Monvigliero $67 (12/16)
95 2012 Barolo Cannubi $75 (12/16)
94 2012 Barolo Acclivi $62 (12/16)

96 2010 Barolo Riserva Rocche dell'Annunziata $190
93 2012 Barolo Cannubi $90
93 2012 Barolo Bric del Fiasc $90
(all 12/16)

I TALY P IEDMONT
72

Evolution in the Cellar: Scavino has been an innovator in the cellar
since 1993, when he began working with horizontal rotofermenters.
In 2007 he started using a vertical stainless steel vat of his own design
that keeps the cap submerged through his Barolos' typical ten-day
maceration, avoiding the need for punchdowns and allowing a more
gentle extraction from the skins. The Barolos age for ten months in
oak barrels of 225, 350 and 500 liters, less than 15 percent of them
new, before moving to
casks of 25 to 50 hectoliters for ten months.
Recently-and perhaps
reflecting the new generation's influence in
the cellar-the family has stopped buying
new barriques and has
begun fermenting in
Anna Maria, Elisa, Enrica
& Enrico Scavino
tini, the region's traditional large casks.

WINE & SPIRITS

BUYING GUIDE 2018

I TALY P IEDMONT

http://www.paoloscavino.com http://www.burlotto.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - Winter 2017