Barolo Vigna Rionda 2015 Luigi Oddero

Tasting Notes

The first thing that catches the eye is the nose. Dried roses, sweet cherry, notes of tar and savory notes, somewhere between balsamic herbs and crushed stone. On the palate, Vigna Rionda 2015 shows the warmth of this vintage. Ripe red fruit comes to the fore, followed by a full tannin backbone with a classic Serralunga grip. The finish is long, with salty notes and faint licorice. Powerful, but not heavy. Needs air and time.

Grape Varieties

Barolo is always Nebbiolo; DOCG rules don't allow blending. So what sets the Vigna Rionda version apart? Location. The compact marl and limestone (Lequio formation) in Serralunga gives Nebbiolo a denser and more structured profile than on the sandy soils of La Morra. This is why this wine is suitable for long aging and why Luigi Oddero considers it his flagship.

Cellaring Potential

This cru will continue to develop well into the 2040s. Why? Serralunga's tannins need time to soften; it should be stored horizontally at 12-14°C. If the wine is opened young, decant it for at least 2 hours.

The Producer

Fratelli Luigi Oddero is located in the hamlet of Santa Maria in La Morra, where the current estate was founded in 2006. It was in 2006 that Luigi parted ways with his brother Giacomo and left the historic cellar along with plots of vineyards. He died in 2009 and the winery is now run by his wife Lena and their children, Maria and Giovanni. The winemaking team has former Bruno Giacosa winemaker Dante Scaglione as a consultant. The pedigree is evident in the bottles.

Terroir & Climate

Vigna Rionda is one of the most talked about cru in Barolo, and for good reason. The vineyard sits 280-320 meters above sea level, south to southwest on compact calcareous marl mixed with sand and limestone called the Lequio Formation. What does this mean for the wines? Low water retention, fine fruit and concentrated tannins. Serralunga's reputation as a producer of long-lived Barolo is due to these soils. La Morra provides the flavor, Serralunga the backbone.

Winemaking

Luigi Oddero's approach is traditional. Fermentation takes place in concrete tanks and aging takes place in large oak barrels. Why? Because large oak barrels let in less oxygen per liter of wine, so oak doesn't dominate Nebbiolo's flavor. Instead of vanilla and toast, you get tar, roses and cherries. No herbicides are used in the vineyards, and pheromone diffusers are used instead of insecticides to control moths on the vines.

Food Pairing

Serralunga's tannins crave fats and proteins. Try:

• Brasato al Barolo
• beef braised for hours in the same wine.
• Tajarin with white truffles from Alba is a Piedmontese classic.
• Agnolotti del Plin, roasted meat with sugo.
• Aged Castelmagno, so salty it cuts through the structure.

Serve at 16-18°C. Decant young bottles 2 hours before drinking and old bottles 1 day before drinking.