GB Burlotto: producer profile plus top wines tasted

Gazing out over the hills of Barolo from the belvedere of Verduno, Fabio Alessandria points out Monvigliero as well as Verduno’s lesser-known crus. Besides two hectares in the former, his family has vineyards in Breri, Rocche dell’Olmo, Boscatto and Neirane.

It’s a mild sunny morning in mid-November. All is quiet as Piedmont has been declared a red zone – again. Normally the park would be buzzing with tourists and kids. ‘I spent my youth playing ball here,’ says Fabio. The fifth-generation winemaker at GB Burlotto, he is deeply rooted in Verduno.

Scroll down for 13 GB Burlotto wine tasting notes and scores

One of Barolo’s historic names, Giovan Battista Burlotto was born in 1842. He inherited a working farm from an uncle when he was just a young boy and decided to focus exclusively on viticulture and winemaking. ‘At that time in Piedmont, this was very uncommon,’ recounts Fabio. A true pioneer, Giovan Battista sold by the bottle rather than the cask, and his esteemed wines were even sent to the Royal House of Savoy.

A family affair

After his death in 1927, the estate was passed down to Fabio’s great-grandfather Francesco, who passed it on in turn to his son – Fabio’s grandfather – Ignazio. When Ignazio passed away in 1968 Fabio’s mother, Marina inherited the property at the age of 17. She married Giuseppe Alessandria a few years later and together they grew the estate.

Throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, Piedmont was still emerging from post-war depression. Fabio, who watched his parents work tirelessly with little gratification, had no plans to follow in their footsteps. With an aptitude for maths, he considered becoming an accountant, ‘until a friend convinced me I was crazy,’ he discloses.

He switched to Alba’s oenology school and went on to earn a degree in vinification and viticulture from the University of Turin in 1999. Since then, Fabio has worked full time alongside his parents and sister, Cristina: GB Burlotto is unequivocally a family affair.

The Burlotto approach

The estate now counts over 16 hectares in four of Barolo’s communes, with plantings dating back to 1958. Viticulture is essentially organic, though not certified. ‘We haven’t used chemical fertilisers for over 20 years, and we don’t use herbicides or synthetic products,’ states Fabio.

In the cellar, the approach has changed little. When stainless steel and roto-fermenters were introduced in Piedmont in the 1990s, Burlotto continued using upright wooden vats for fermentation. Nevertheless, winemaking is anything but dogmatic.

Fermentation temperatures as well as maceration and ageing times vary according to the vintage. Above all, Fabio strives for a gentle extraction. He has switched to manual filling and pump-overs within the last six years in the quest for less invasive tannins.

Large casks, mostly 35hl, are favoured for ageing and the Barolos mature anywhere from 20 to 36 months.

In the mid-1990s, the family began replacing Slavonian with French oak mainly due to the inconsistent quality of the former. ‘French wood is less tannic and more refined,’ Fabio adds. ‘It is better adapted for the elegance of Verduno.’

GB Burlotto: Fact box

Date founded: 1850

Owner: Marina Burlotto

Winemaker: Fabio Alessandria

Hectares under vine: 16ha (8ha for Barolo)

Key vineyards: Monvigliero, Rocche dell’Olmo, Neirane, Breri, Cadìa, Cannubi, Castelletto,

Wines produced: Barolo, Pelaverga, Barbera, Freisa, Dolcetto, Sauvignon Blanc

Annual production: 90,000 bottles

The crus

Early adopters of cru bottlings, Marina and Giuseppe introduced their Cannubi and Monvigliero labels in 1982.

The winery’s flagship, Monvigliero has always been made with 100% Nebbiolo stem inclusion and lengthy macerations – just as Fabio’s grandfather Ignazio crafted all of his Barolo.

The distinct style captures the finesse and fragrance of Monvigliero, and its success has contributed to the renown of this great cru. The estate’s other two Barolos bring together diverse parcels in Verduno. ‘We don’t want to lose that history of blending,’ Fabio explains. As with the Cannubi, grapes for these are typically destemmed.

A third cru bottling has been added to Burlotto’s stable as of the 2018 vintage, thanks to the purchase of a one-hectare plot in the Monforte d’Alba subzone, Castelletto. ‘We couldn’t pass up the opportunity,’ says Fabio. The family had long considered having vineyards in Barolo’s three valleys, and with Monvigliero in the extreme north, Cannubi right in the middle and Castelletto in the far southeast, ‘our experience in Barolo is complete.’

Not just Barolo

As deserving as Burlotto’s Baroli are of their accolades, it is a mistake to overlook the rest of the range. Over eight of the estate’s 16 hectares are planted to other Langhe grapes, in large part on the hill of Cadìa which abuts Monvigliero. Dolcetto and Barbera are distinctly Verduno-esque, and the Freisa is among the region’s most seriously delicious examples of the grape.

The only interloper is Sauvignon Blanc, which Marina and Giuseppe planted in 1986 on a patch of chalky soil.

Above all, Burlotto is also a reference for the now fashionable Pelaverga grape. A local speciality of Verduno, it was widespread in the township’s vineyards in the 1800s but by the middle of the last century, plantings were scarce. ‘My grandfather, Ignazio was the only one left vinifying and bottling a pure Pelaverga,’ says Fabio.

A keen bond with the past is palpable at GB Burlotto. The tasting room is housed in Verduno’s first church. Built in 1704, the Cappella di S. Rocco al Pasquero was purchased by Francesco Burlotto in 1932 after it was deconsecrated. It was here that Fabio presented the new releases from 2019. These varietal bottlings brilliantly capture the freshness of the vintage. ‘It is a classic year with lots of acidity and tension,’ he describes.

These 2019s were followed by Burlotto’s 2016 Barolos, each well-defined and deliberate. The loveliness and immediacy of the ‘classico’ Barolo is countered by the intensity and profundity of the Acclivi. And as beautiful as the Monvigliero is, the Cannubi in 2016 is thrillingly visceral. I recall being similarly moved to tears when I tasted Burlotto’s 2013 Monvigliero in 2017.

While unquestionably ageworthy, Burlotto’s Barolos don’t need decades to come around. Even the cru bottlings are typically accessible and harmonious at seven to eight years old. They reflect Fabio’s own personal preference. He describes drinking a well-aged Barolo as an emotional experience, best enjoyed on its own. ‘But when I am eating, I prefer a Barolo between seven to 15 years old that still has energy, acidity and tannins to balance the dish.’

To illustrate his point, Fabio opened a 2011 and 2004 Monvigliero to accompany a simple lunch of classic piedmontese fare: vitello tonnato, carne cruda, insalata russa… Both were poised, in their optimal drinking windows yet not on the precipice of decline.

Throughout all of Burlotto’s wines, there is a precision and balance suggestive of a mathematician, but their individuality and eloquence reveals the soul of an artist.

Michaela’s GB Burlotto picks:

The flagship: GB Burlotto, Monvigliero, Barolo

The must try: GB Burlotto, Barolo

The hidden gem: GB Burlotto, Pelaverga

Tasting the wines of GB Burlotto:

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