Michele Chiarlo farms Nebbiolo across several of the Langhe's best-known crus, and Tortoriano is one of them: a single-site Barolo from a vintage that growers in Piedmont still talk about. 2016 gave long, even ripening and wines with both weight and cut.
- Nebbiolo, the only grape permitted in Barolo.
- Barolo DOCG, Piedmont, northern Italy.
- 2016 — a cool, classic Piedmont vintage.
- Full body, high tannin, high acidity, dry.
- 14% ABV, 750ml.
How it is made
Barolo DOCG rules are strict: Nebbiolo only, grown inside a defined set of hills, and a minimum of 38 months of ageing before release, of which at least 18 must be in wood. The appellation covers eleven communes around the town of Barolo. Tortoriano is a single-vineyard bottling, meaning the fruit comes from one named site rather than a blend across the zone.
How it tastes
Rose petal and tar sit on top, the two aromas Nebbiolo is known for, with red cherry and dried herbs underneath. The tannins are firm and grippy, the acidity high, and the finish runs long. This is a wine built to sit in the glass and keep changing.
Good to know
Nebbiolo is one of the last grapes picked in Piedmont, often into October, because it ripens slowly and needs the extra weeks to shed its harshness. The name is thought to come from nebbia, the fog that settles over the Langhe hills at harvest. In the 1800s the House of Savoy took up Barolo, and it has carried the nickname "the wine of kings" ever since.
