# Burzi Runcaja Langhe Nebbiolo (2023)

- **Producer:** Azienda Agricola Burzi Alberto
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Nebbiolo
- **Region:** Piemonte, Italy
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 14.5%
- **Average price:** €21
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 16–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** cherry, raspberry, redcurrant, rose, violet, herbaceous, mint, fennel, butter, vanilla, cedar, forest floor, tobacco, dried apricot, leather, tar

## About this wine

Azienda Agricola Burzi Alberto is a boutique winery in La Morra, Piedmont, founded in 2012 by siblings Alberto and Caterina Burzi. They aim to fulfill their grandparents' dream of estate-bottling their historic family grapes, previously sold to a local cooperative. Operating with a traditional yet precise methodology, the duo focuses on creating clean, vertically structured, and terroir-expressive wines with minimal oak influence. The Runcaja cuvée is a testament to this philosophy, showcasing the potential of young Nebbiolo vines from prestigious crus that would otherwise qualify for Barolo.

## Interesting facts

- The name 'Runcaja' is a dialectal term for the prestigious Roncaglia vineyard, a clever way to denote origin under Langhe DOC rules.
- Grapes are sourced from crus that qualify for Barolo, making this an elegant 'baby Barolo' from younger vines.
- The entire Burzi estate produces only 20,000-25,000 bottles annually, making this wine exceptionally limited.
- The winery was founded in 2012 by Alberto and Caterina Burzi to honor their family's winemaking heritage.

## Food pairing

This Nebbiolo's bright acidity, refined tannins, and complex aromatics of red berries, floral notes, and earthy undertones make it a versatile partner for Northern Italian cuisine. Its structure can handle richer proteins and earthy flavors, while its elegance complements delicate pasta dishes and mushroom-based preparations. The wine's ability to cut through richness with its acidity makes it ideal for dishes with butter or moderate fat content.

## Wine making process

Grapes are hand-harvested from young vines (under 15 years) planted at approximately 300 meters elevation in calcareous clay, limestone-rich marl, and sandy soils in La Morra. The winery employs sustainable, organic-oriented viticulture. Fermentation begins spontaneously in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, with a brief maceration of about 6 days to preserve fruit freshness. Malolactic fermentation occurs in neutral, seasoned 500-liter wood barrels. The wine is then aged for approximately 6 months in large, old oak casks, followed by a minimum of 3 months in neutral concrete tanks before bottling.