BAROLO TERROIR
The perfect environment for the Nebbiolo grape.
The Nebbiolo cultivation area sees its natural boundaries marked to the south by the Ligurian Maritime Alps, to the west by the Tanaro river, to the east by the Bormida di Spigno river and to the north by the Tanaro and the hills of Monferrato Asti. Otherwise called Langhe, etymologically meaning "tongues of lands or ridges”, which alludes to their morphology of narrow and steep hills.
The oldest hills geologically are located further south: their chronology on the geochronological scale is however quite recent and can be traced back to about 30 million years ago.
The area of origin
The area of origin of Barolo, delineated by ministerial decree dated 1933, includes the entire territory of the municipalities of Barolo, Castiglione Falletto, Serralunga d'Alba and in part the territories of the municipalities of Monforte d'Alba, Novello, La Morra, Verduno, Grinzane Cavour, Diano d'Alba, Cherasco and Roddi.
The site
The soils of the Barolo areas were formed in the Serravallian (or Elveziana) and Tortonian Ages and are mainly composed of sedimentary clay-limestone marls, interspersed with more or less important layers of grey-blue marl (called Marl di sant 'Agata) and by layers of grey-brown and yellowish sand or sandstones (the so-called Arenarie di Diano).
The Marls of Sant'Agata that we find in the municipalities of La Morra and Barolo give rise to elegant, fragrant wines, which ripen a little faster, while the Arenarie di Diano (present in the hills of Castiglione Falletto and partly in those of Monforte) and the Lequio Formation (part of Monforte and Serralunga d'Alba), give rise to more alcoholic, more robust and longer-aged wines.
The climate
Temperate continental, with the peak of rainfall falling during the month of May, followed by April and September. Greater rainfall during the flowering phase of the plants can cause significant drops in production. Also, during the harvesting phase, excessive rain can lead to the formation of mould and stagnation of water, which can affect the quality of the grapes. The Langhe area is characterised by good luminosity, which allows the regular development of chlorophyll photosynthesis.