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In his book, Canon Domenico Massé wrote about “Il Paese del Barolo” (“the village of Barolo”), mentioning that to create that very type of wine, were the Marquises Falletti at the beginning of the XIX century; they were the first to produce it with painstaking care in their very extensive Barolo estates.

The homeland of Barolo, that literally means “low place”, is located in the heart of the Langhe hilly area overlooking Alba; it’s actually one of the hill formations that originated, in different periods, following the emergence of the seabed. Geographically, it is surrounded by higher hills that protect it from the weather and excessive ventilation; it is also characterized by the presence of two subzones: the older “Elveziano” to the east, and the younger “Tortoniano”, to the west.

The story began in 1807, when the Marquis of Barolo, Carlo Tancredi Falletti, married Juliette Colbert of Maulévrier, a French noblewoman, a descendant of the famous finance minister of the Sun King. It was Juliette who understood the great potential of the wine produced in Barolo which, only after a complete fermentation and prolonged ageing in wood, could reveal all the typical features of the soil and of that Nebbiolo vine.
On the death of the noblewoman, the prestigious Falletti dynasty died out with no heirs left.
The “Opera Pia Barolo” was thus created in their honour, in the beautiful Palazzo Barolo, in Turin.
This story is intertwined with that of the Abbona family, who had founded their own “Cavalier Felice Abbona e Figli” winery in the small square at the foot of the entrance arch to the castle of the Marquises of Barolo.

Pietro Abbona was born in those years and working with dedication and competence in his father’s cellars, he managed to acquire the “Opera Pia Barolo” estate, that is, those ancient winemaking and ageing cellars of the Marquises of Barolo.
Since 1929, Marchesi di Barolo has belonged to the Abbona family which still runs the company today (the third generation of the family) with Ernesto Abbona and his wife Annamaria at the helm.
The company philosophy is focused on enhancing the very unique features of each vine, without stressing, nor boosting the actual cultivation and growth. The company manages about 300 acres of vineyards, making wine from the main native vines of the Langhe, Roero and Monferrato.

All the plants have been painstakingly inserted on the most suitable soil and with the best exposure to the sun: only by taking so much care, it is now possible to obtain excellent Crus, enhancing the traditional vines and their priceless uniqueness.

Barolo Cannubi is the best wine produced by this company and its grapes come from the Cannubi hill, a wide and gentle hill, located in the middle of the valley that divides the two large sub-areas and their unique composition of clays, calcareous and bluish marl, tuff, sandstone and sand.

A very particular microclimate is part of this dramatic soil difference: since the territory is protected by the Alps and the Apennines, the Langhe area enjoys a more temperate climate. The remarkable temperature range also contributes to the grape extraordinary aroma and fragrance, crystallizing the very fruit skin.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)