At the top of the village of Verduno, on the northern edge of the Barolo zone, Castello di Verduno keeps alive both classic Nebbiolo and a grape almost no one else grows.
Backstory
The castle was begun in the early 16th century. In 1838 King Carlo Alberto of Savoy bought it and entrusted it to the enologist General Staglieno, who made some of the first vinifications of Nebbiolo that laid foundations for modern Barolo. The Burlotto family acquired the castle in 1909. Today the estate is led by Franco Bianco and his wife Gabriella Burlotto, uniting two winemaking families, with enologist Mario Andrion running the cellar since 2000.
The Region
The estate is based in Verduno, in the Barolo zone of Piedmont's Langhe, and also farms vineyards in Barbaresco. Verduno holds the great Monvigliero cru, an amphitheater of south-facing vines on Sant'Agata marl, clay and sand with a high limestone content.
Vineyards and Farming
The estate works around ten hectares, split between Verduno, planted to Nebbiolo and Pelaverga, and Barbaresco, planted to Nebbiolo, Dolcetto and Barbera. The vineyards are farmed organically with close attention in both vines and cellar.
Winemaking
Mario Andrion ferments with native yeasts and favors minimal sulfur. The top Nebbiolo wines see long macerations and aging in large old barrels, while the varietal bottlings are largely raised in stainless steel to keep their freshness.
The Wines
The range includes Barolo from crus such as Monvigliero and Massara, Barbaresco, Barbera d'Alba, Dolcetto d'Alba, Langhe Nebbiolo, and the estate's signature Verduno Pelaverga, a light, savory and spicy red indigenous to the village.
