Barolo Undicicomuni is arguably Arnaldo Rivera’s most important wine. Spiced cedar, leather and scorched earth on the nose. The palate is wild and savory with notes of crushed raspberry, figs, cinnamon, star anise alongside velvety dusty tannins and fresh acidity. It’s stylish meaty and delicious and super uber Nebbiolo cool. Blending fruit from across the Langhe’s eleven Barolo villages, it epitomizes the quintessential values of traditional, historic Barolo. While the ArnaldoRivera single vineyard Barolos are stunning, it is the Barolo Undicicomuni that demands the winemaker’s greatest attention. He is required to blend different fruit and terroir expressions from diverse villages, just as an artist balances colors to complete his work of art. This means that the Barolo Undicicomuni is naturally Arnaldo Rivera’s most complex Barolo. A shorter ageing in wood, instead of the 32 months of each cru, allows the wine to be more accessible and suitable for early drinking. A consistently great example of Barolo.
The soils of these terroirs are mostly clayey and sandy calcareous marls.
Vinification: destemming and crushing in a protected atmosphere; maceration for two days at low temperature (12-14 C), alcoholic fermentation at a controlled temperature (28-30 C) on the skins for a total of around 13 days, with targeted pumping over and delestage maximizing the extraction of color, aroma and tannic structure.
Ageing: Refinement 20 months in French oak wood using the following capacities: 50% in small barrels (25Hl), 25% in large barrels (50Hl) and 25% in second and third passage tonneaux. Follows a year of aging in bottle before sales.
Arnaldo Rivera Undicicomuni, 750ml, Barolo, Italy, 2016
Italy