# Burzi Barolo La Serra (2019)

- **Producer:** Alberto Burzi
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Nebbiolo
- **Region:** Piemonte, Italy
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 14.5%
- **Average price:** €73
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 16–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** rose, violet, strawberry, cherry, redcurrant, mint, fennel, tobacco, leather, forest floor, wet leaves

## About this wine

Azienda Agricola Burzi is run by the dynamic sibling team of Alberto and Caterina Burzi in La Morra, Piedmont. Alberto took over his maternal grandparents' old vines after completing his oenology studies. Historically, their grandfather Luigi was a co-founder of the Terre del Barolo cooperative, and their family's prized plots were previously leased to the legendary Roberto Voerzio. The La Serra vineyard is a microscopic 0.5-hectare parcel situated at a lofty 450 meters above sea level, making it one of the highest single-vineyard plots in La Morra. Capturing cool morning light with its eastern exposure, this site yields wines of immense alpine elegance and floral perfume. The 2019 vintage represents a historic milestone for the estate as the inaugural release of this single-vineyard bottling.

## Interesting facts

- The 2019 vintage marks the historic debut release of Alberto Burzi's single-vineyard La Serra Barolo.
- At 450 meters elevation, La Serra is one of the highest vineyards in the La Morra commune, preserving exceptional freshness.
- The Burzi family's historic plots were previously leased to the iconic Barolo producer Roberto Voerzio.

## Food pairing

The high acidity and firm, chalky tannins of this high-altitude Nebbiolo require dishes with rich proteins, fats, or earthy components to soften the structural grip. Earthy flavors like mushrooms and truffles mirror the wine's complex forest floor and floral aromatics, while slow-cooked meats beautifully resolve the tight tannin structure.

## Wine making process

The winemaking process at Burzi is rooted in low-intervention, traditional practices. Grapes are harvested entirely by hand, typically in late October due to the high altitude of the La Serra plot. Spontaneous alcoholic fermentation is carried out using indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. This is followed by an exceptionally long skin-contact maceration lasting 35 to 45 days, utilizing the traditional submerged cap (cappello sommerso) method in the final stages to gently extract structure. The wine is aged for 18 to 24 months in large, neutral Austrian oak casks (Stockinger) ranging from 20 to 30 hectoliters, avoiding any new oak influence. It is then settled in concrete tanks before bottling without animal-based fining agents.