Vinum Vitae Est Barolo DOCG 2021

Product Info

Barolo, often called the "King of Wines", is one of Italy's great reds, and this DOCG from the Vinum Vitae Est range is made from 100% Nebbiolo grown on calcareous clay soils and picked by hand in October. After destemming and crushing, the wine ferments on its skins at 28-30°C for around 16-20 days to extract colour and structure. Following malolactic fermentation it is aged for 38 months, including at least 18 months in large 25-50 hectolitre French oak casks, in line with Barolo DOCG rules.

The colour is an intense garnet with orange nuances. The nose is elegant, with violet, small red fruits and leather, and the palate is structured and harmonious, with persistent, soft tannins. At 14% ABV it is built for lengthy cellaring, but already offers real pleasure with food after a little air.

Serve at 18-20°C, ideally decanted. It pairs beautifully with pasta in mushroom or cheese sauces, Alba white truffle, red meat and game stews, pot roasts and mature cheeses.

About the producer

Terre del Barolo is a growers' cooperative based in Castiglione Falletto, founded in 1958 by local schoolteacher and mayor Arnaldo Rivera. Today around 300 member growers farm more than 600 hectares across the eleven villages of the Barolo appellation, and every wine is made exclusively from Langhe grapes. Vinum Vitae Est ("wine is life"), or VVE, is the cooperative's signature range.

About the region

The Langhe sits in Piedmont, in Italy's north-west, around the town of Alba. Its steep, rolling vineyard hills are home to Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto, and the area is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage wine landscape.