We have already talked about the Giovanni Sordo winery, a historic producer in the Barolo area. The company’s vineyards stretch for about 53 hectares and we have previously described the tasting of its 8 Barolo Crus and the stunning Vertical of Barolo Perno., Today, we will talk about the Ravera Cru and the vertical tasting of this Barolo coming from the municipality of Novello, we are going to understand how the wine evolves according to the characteristics of the area where the vineyards are planted. We will discover that the Ravera Cru is very different from the Perno one, the subject of the previous article.
The “Menzione Geografica Aggiunta” (MGA) Ravera stretches almost exclusively in the municipality of Novello, with a small encroachment into Barolo. From a geological point of view, Ravera is an area belonging to the Tortonian formation, that emerged from the sea in a much more recent time than, for example, Perno which took its origin in the Helvetian period. The soli here is quite loose and rich, made up of white marls on top of more compact layers of brown-grey marl.
The Nebbiolo grapes for Barolo wine are grown in a plot of about 2.5 hectares, located between 420 and 450 metres above sea level, with south-southeast exposure. The vineyard is trained with a traditional Guyot pruning system; the vines are about twenty years old, and the planting density is of about 4,000 vines per hectare, with yields that do not exceed 80 quintals per hectare.
After harvest, once in the winery, the grapes are destemmed and vinified. The alcoholic fermentation takes place in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks, followed by a submerged cap maceration that lasts between 4 to 7 weeks, depending on the vintage. The following malolactic fermentation is carried out at a controlled temperature of 20°C. After racking, the wine is stored in stainless steel vats for a few months and matures for two years in large Slavonian oak barrels. The wine is then aged again in stainless steel vats for no more than 6 months before spending a minimum of 6 months in the bottle, before release.
Let’s now move on to the description of the vertical tasting.
Barolo Ravera 2020
The winter was mild with little rainfall. The dry and sunny beginning of spring guaranteed the start of the vegetative cycle, then the rainy May and June caused a slowing down in the phenological development of the vines. The water stored in the soil and the low summer temperatures prevented water stress. The wide diurnal range in September allowed a rapid development of polyphenols, that matched a steady technological maturation. The Nebbiolo was in optimal conditions at harvest time in early October.
The wine was deep garnet in colour at the centre of the glass with orange shades on the rim and on the nose it was still closed. Slowly aromas of violet emerge, followed by red and black fruit such as red cherry, blackberry and sour cherry, hints of liquorice, backing spices, charred wood and balsamic nuances. In the mouth, it was a structured, warm wine with fine tannic texture and pronounced freshness. It had an excellent long finish with liquorice aftertaste.
Barolo Ravera 2019
The severe cold winter lasted until February and was followed by a period of rain and low temperatures until mid-March. The vegetative cycle was characterised by heavy rainfall and by a subsequent retention of water in the soil. The first warm period of beginning of summer was followed by a heat wave in late July and at the end of the season thunderstorms were very common. Harvest took place from the end of September; there was a slight reduction in yields but the crop was of high quality and balanced.
It was a bright garnet Barolo with orange reflections. On the nose, we found a wide range of aromas. At the beginning there were floral hints of violet, followed by the fruity scents of blueberry and plum jam; then, the tertiary aromas such as tobacco and cloves were quite subtle. In the mouth, the wine was austere, with powerful tannin that bind to flavours and freshness. This was a dynamic wine with a long finish with minty tones.
Barolo Ravera 2013
The vegetative growth cycle of the vine was influenced by the uncertain beginning of spring, with low temperatures in March and April and intense rainfall until the end of May. Since June, the weather conditions slowly improved, with a favourable summer for the plant development. Nevertheless, the vines were unable to catch up the phenological delay accumulated and the Nebbiolo was not harvested until late October.
A dark garnet wine in colour, with a broad and composite olfactory bouquet. On the nose, it began with fruity aromas of plum and blackberry jam, joined by tertiary hints of tobacco, roasted coffee beans, black pepper, ending up on balsamic tones. In the mouth, the wine was warm and austere, with silky tannin and a vibrant enveloping freshness that makes it seem younger than its over ten years from harvest. The wine is at the beginning of its developing path, but still had a long finish on balsamic tones.
Barolo Ravera 2011
The 2011 was a vintage with a short ripening season, generally with low yields. The winter was regular both in terms of temperatures and rainfall; the following spring had average temperatures compared to the one in the previous vintages. In summer, there was a wide temperature variability, with the September rains that allowed the Nebbiolo grapes to reach a balanced ripening both on a technical and phenological point of view. A very good vintage with very healthy grapes.
In the glass, the wine was bright garnet in colour with orange reflections on the rim. On the nose, it offered a wide range of aromas, red fruit jam followed by tertiary notes, such as forest floor, coffee, tobacco, and mint on the finish. In the mouth, it offered a warm sensation, with a fine tannic texture, as well as detectable acidity and savouriness. The finish was very long on minty nuances.
The Barolo Ravera vertical tasting from the Sordo winery was an experience that allowed us to discover the character of this Cru of Barolo. It was an opportunity to understand the huge differences, not only in vintages, but also between different Barolo plots. The varied geological origin of the area contributes to mark, in a unique way, the wines of this wonderful land that will never cease to surprise us.
