Barale Fratelli | About these heartland Barolo Producers | David Ridge Wines

So one of the producers I work really closely with are Barale, Barale Fratelli. If you're wandering along the cobblestones of Barolo Village, you can miss them. The unprepossessing frontage, you wouldn't know that behind there is a whole winery and that that winery backs onto vineyards that then spill out from the village of Barolo. So they're right in amongst the vineyards of Barolo Commune and within Barolo Village. And they've been there apparently since at least the 15th or 16th centuries. I guess they epitomise everything about Barolo to me. They're a family business, they're artisanal, you know, in the true sense. They make the wines, generally speaking, the way they always were made. Nebbiolo wines have long macerations in large wood and then have ageing time in large wood. Effectively, just obviously using modern science to make sure the wines are pristine, presented to the market in pristine condition, but effectively they're Barolo, the way it was always meant to be made. They also make fabulous varietals. The support act to Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto. And in fact, from a Barolo vineyard, a little bit planted to Chardonnay, they make superb Chardonnay as well. But really Barolo and Barbaresco, they have a small holding in Barbaresco. Barolo is their forte. And most of the wines, three of the four Barolos that they present to the market are from Barolo Commune. This is what they call Barolo del Commune di Barolo. So it means that the wine must be drawn from Barolo, that it can be drawn from different parts, not just one vineyard, and is in fact a blend of three vineyards within Barolo, all of which you could walk from one to the other in a handful of minutes. These wines present in a bright red fruits and flowers characteristic and a really lively zingy palate, but with that always gripping, disciplining tannin. They do have vineyards just over outside the boundaries of Barolo. The famous Buscia vineyard of Montfort d'Alba, where the wines begin to cross over from Barolo characteristics to the more tannic, cherry liqueur and violets character of Montfort d'Alba. These people are heartland Barolo producers.