# Barolo (2022)

- **Producer:** Azelia
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Nebbiolo
- **Region:** Piemonte, Italy
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 15.0%
- **Average price:** €55
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 16–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** cherry, raspberry, blackcurrant, rose, mint, liquorice, cloves, cedar, mushroom, forest floor, cinnamon, nutmeg

## About this wine

Azienda Agricola Azelia was established in 1920 by Lorenzo Scavino in Castiglione Falletto, located at the heart of the Barolo zone in Piedmont, Italy. Today, the estate is managed by fourth-generation winemaker Luigi Scavino alongside his son Lorenzo. This classic Barolo cuvée is a harmonic synthesis of fruit harvested from seven distinct single vineyards located in Castiglione Falletto and Serralunga d'Alba. Combining limestone-rich soils that bring aromatic finesse with clay-dominated plots that contribute structure and depth, the bottling draws on vines averaging 50 years of age.

## Interesting facts

- Combines Nebbiolo fruit from seven distinct vineyards across both Castiglione Falletto and Serralunga d'Alba.
- Incorporates fruit from vines averaging 50 years of age, including young-vine fruit from the famed Bricco Voghera site.
- Aged entirely in large neutral oak casks rather than small barriques to maintain Nebbiolo purity.

## Food pairing

Barolo's robust tannin structure and vibrant acidity require dishes rich in fat, protein, and earthy complexity. High tannin binds with meat proteins and fats, rendering the palate supple, while the wine's firm acidity cuts effortlessly through rich gravies, slow-braised meats, and creamy truffle risottos.

## Wine making process

Viticulture follows sustainable organic practices without synthetic herbicides. For the 2022 vintage, grapes were hand-harvested from high-altitude plots. Fermentation took place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks at 31°C over 20 to 25 days using 100% indigenous yeasts, employing traditional submerged cap maceration. The wine was aged for 24 months exclusively in neutral Slavonian and Austrian oak casks (botti grandi) to minimize oak extraction and preserve varietal purity, followed by resting in bottle before release without fining or filtration.
