Fratelli Alessandria Barolo Gramolere 2015

At the northern edge of the Barolo zone, the Alessandria family, since the mid-19th century, has called this beautiful landscape home. In 1870, when the family first established their farm, calling it Fratelli Alessandria, Verduno was the center of Barolo winemaking—it was here where families first crafted dry Nebbiolo wines in the style we know today. Today Verduno is experiencing a renaissance, and it is the “brothers” Alessandria who are guiding the wines of Verduno back to the heights they once held. It is of course a family affair—the brothers Gian Battista and Alessandro, and Alessandro’s son, Vittore, are the stewards of this generations-old estate.

Fratelli Alessandria does not contract any fruit, they own and farm everything themselves. Their holdings in the cru of Gremolere (in Monforte d'Alba, a bit of a trek from their winery in Verduno) is an amazing plot. Their vines here are over 40 years old and grow at an elevation of 1200 feet with perfect Southern exposure. The resulting wines are a bit more powerful and muscular than their Verduno bottlings, but their light touch and hands-off approach is still evident here.