Barolo Villero 2019

Villero is one of Castiglione Falletto's largest and most important MGAs, divided among numerous growers. Sordo's approximately 30-year-old vines face south-west across a broad 230-to-350-meter altitude range.

Clay-rich, calcareous ground combines bluish-grey marl with compact grey sand at depth, reflecting the Langhian geology of Castiglione Falletto. The vineyard is trained on a vertical trellis with traditional Guyot pruning at approximately 4,000 vines per hectare. The published reference yield is 75-80 q/ha.

The Nebbiolo is crushed and destemmed, then fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel. A traditional submerged cap supports a long maceration of four to seven weeks, depending on the vintage, followed by natural malolactic fermentation around 20°C and two to four months in stainless steel.

The wine matures for 24 months in large Slavonian oak barrels, then rests for four to six months in stainless steel and a minimum of six months in bottle before release.

Bright and persistent, with licorice, mint, ripe fruit, florals and tobacco. Warm and caressing on the palate, it is a generous, prestigious wine with the structure and aromatic depth to age extensively.