Brisk, Bright Barolo

Members of the Baudana family have farmed vines in the northern end of Serralunga for so long that both the hamlet and the MGA share their name. Luigi Baudana and his wife, Fiorina, managed the family’s 6.4 vineyard acres for three decades, making two single-cru Barolos, one from Baudana and the other from Cerretta. When Luigi began to contemplate retirement in 2005, he met Aldo Vaira, owner of the G.D. Vajra estate in the neighboring Barolo commune. Aldo’s son, Giuseppe, began to help Luigi out in the vineyards and the cellar, and the relationship became official in 2009 when the Vaira family assumed ownership of the Serralunga estate. They agreed to keep Luigi’s name on the labels, and to consult with him about winemaking and vineyard management at the estate.

One significant decision, even before the Vairas became owners, was to create a Barolo that blended fruit from the estate’s younger vines. First produced in the 2005 vintage and named Barolo Serralunga d’Alba, it became Barolo del Comune di Serralunga d’Alba in 2010 when the category was created by the new MGA rules. They later added fruit from Costabella, another Serralunga cru where they had acquired some vines. The 2019 bottling seamlessly combines the fruit from these three MGAs in a wine that is fresh and elegant, its crisp red fruit tones propelled by brisk acidity and brightened by notes of spearmint and orange peel. Great Barolo is never cheap, but this wine offers one of the best quality-price ratios we found this year.

Every week, our editors highlight a wine that intrigued them in our blind panel tastings, expanding on their tasting note in this space. These are entirely editorial choices; there are no paid placements. Subscribers can also access the original tasting note by searching here.

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