Smile. That’s what first comes to mind when I think of the Gianfranco Alessandria family of four. I have not met any family that smiles as much as and beautifully as they do. And while they smile a lot, they also work hard every day to make the best wine possible. Marta, the youngest daughter and last to officially join the family business just finished her studies at oenology school, and brings a lot of energy with her to work. The family travel the world to promote their wine and their story, and if you’re lucky you can catch up with them in New York, London, Verona or at their winery in Monforte.
Wines of Gianfranco Alessandria
Gianfranco Alessandria makes 8 wines in total, spread out over 5.5 hectares. In their portfolio they have a Barolo and a cru Barolo, Barolo San Giovanni. In addition to the usual suspects like Dolcetto d’Alba, Barbera d’Alba and Langhe Nebbiolo, they also make a barbera superiore named after Vittoria, a special Barolo called EnPiasì and a L’Insieme.
Winemaking
Their work is based on natural principles, respecting the time and methods required to obtain a product most correct in its form. They work as natural as possible only using minimal amounts of sulfur and copper sulfate, out of respect for the environment, as well as their own personal health. From the beginning Gianfranco Alessandria worked with a drastic reduction in the yields of grapes per hectare, which encouraged better ripening of the fruits, making them healthier and more robust to have a wine of higher quality. The vinification is with short macerations in temperature-controlled, vertical fermenters and ageing in small, french oak barrels. The way they work the and is a beautiful journey, which takes them among vineyards, winery and the world.
Fun fact
The EnPiasì wine is a result of Marta’s oenology education. The first year she made it, was for her exam, and to make it in time she had to declassify it from DOCG to DOC (she was missing a month or two of ageing.) EnPiasì means “a pleasure” and it sure was a pleasure to drink! And not it’s a part of the Gianfranco Alessandria portfolio
Fun fact II
Marta can sometimes be found at the local pizza restaurant, pitching in when they need extra hands!
Gianfranco Alessandria Portfolio
Wines available in:
Italy
United Kingdom
Australia
Canada
Russia
Japan
& other European countries
Barolo San Giovanni
A single vinyeard barolo, with vinyeard located in Monforte with a south-east exposure, this wine brings some of the best Monforte has to offer. The plants are 70 years old, spread out over 1 hectar, and with a drastic selection of the grapes (about 1.30kg per vine) the final wine is a perfect example of a barolo from this region.
Product name: Barolo San Giovanni
Grape: Nebbiolo
Classification: DOC
Color: intense ruby color with garnet
Fragrance: fruity and spicy aromas
Taste: right balance between acidity, tannin and structure.
VINIFICATION (Wine-making)
Ageing: 100% French Oak (50% new, 50% used) for 24 months
VINEYARD
% of Grape/Cépage: nebbiolo
Soil: mixed white soil: tufo-limestone and sand
Exposure: south-east
Age of plants: 60-65 years old
Barolo
The grapes come from the same vineyard as the San Giovanni, but some of the plants are younger, about 25-45 years old.
Product name: Barolo
Grape: Nebbiolo
Classification: DOCG
Number of bottles produced:
Color: ruby-garnet inflections
Fragrance: ripe fruit, wild rose and licorice
Taste: soft and balanced with focused tannins
VINIFICATION (Wine-making)
Ageing: 100% French oak (20% new, 80% used) for 24 months
VINEYARD
Soil: mixed white soil: tufo-limestone and sand
Exposure: south-east
Year of plantation: 1975-2000
Langhe Nebbiolo
For the Langhe Nebbiolo, Gianfranco Alessandria uses young nebbiolo plants. The wine spends about 6 months in barrique, with 15-20% new oak.
Product name: Langhe Nebbiolo
Grape: Nebbiolo
Classification: DOC
Colour: garnet highlight
Fragrance: wild rose and delicate red fruits
Taste: elegant with rounded tannins
VINIFICATION (Wine-making)
Ageing: French oak (10% new, 90% used) for 5-6 months
VINEYARD
Soil: mixed white soil: tufo-limestone and sand
Exposure: south-east
Year of plantation: 2005-2018
Barbera d’Alba Vittoria
The Barbera d’Alba Vittora is named after the oldest daugther, Vittoria. It’s a barbera superiore, so in contrast to the other barbera, this wine is aged in wood for about 18 months.
Product name: Barbera d’Alba Vittoria
Grape: Barbera
Classification: DOC
Colour: intense ruby, purple hues. Garnet hue when ageing
Fragrance: herbaceous and fruity aromas with hints of mature black fruit
Taste: long and persistent finish with balancing acidity
VINIFICATION (Wine-making)
Ageing: French oak (40% new, 60% used) for about 18 months. (Second passage only)
VINEYARD
Exposure: south-east
Year of plantation: from 1936 +
Barbera d’Alba
This is their “regular” barbera, aged only in steel tanks for about 6 months, allowing the fruit to express itself naturally.
Product name: Barbera d’Alba
Grape: Barbera
Classification: DOC
Color: ruby red dark color, very intense
Fragrance: hints of red fruit like cherry, blackberry, strawberry
Taste: medium bodied, velvety and important acidity
VINIFICATION (Wine-making)
Ageing: steel tank for about 5-6 months
VINEYARD
Exposure: south-east
Year of plantation: 1960 – 2009
Dolcetto d’Alba
Dolcetto, the every day wine, is made in stainless steel tanks. The dolcetto is known for its very intense ruby red color. Some of the plants that are used for this wine were planted in 1970.
Product name: Dolcetto d’Alba
Grape: Dolcetto
Classification: DOC
Color: ruby red with intense violet hues
Fragrance: fresh, fruity
Taste: fresh, fruity and youthful
VINIFICATION (Wine-making)
Ageing: steel tank for about 5-6 months
VINEYARD
Exposure: south-east
Year of plantation: 1970+
Barolo EnPiasì
The EnPiasì wine is a result of Marta’s oenology education. The first year she made it, was for her exam, and to make it in time she had to declassify it from DOCG to DOC (she was missing a month or two of ageing.) The name EnPiasì means “a pleasure”.
Product name: Barolo EnPiasì
Grape: Nebbiolo
Classification: DOCG
Number of bottles produced: 150 magnum
Colour: light ruby color, with garnet reflections
Fragrance: fruity and spicy aromas
Taste: fresh and vigorous, round palate. Right balance between acidity round tannins and structure
VINIFICATION (Wine-making)
Method: harvest by hand, around middle of October. Destemming by hand, berry by berry. Fermentation is 1000lt barrel (frenc oak) for about 12-15 days with temperature around 24-26Malolactic fermentation in steel tanks.
Temperature: 24-26 degrees celcius
Length: 12-15 days
Aging: 100% French oak (third passage) in 225lt barrel for 24 months
VINEYARD
% of Grape/Cépage:
Soil: mixed white soil: tufo-limestone and sand
Exposure: south-east
Year of plantation/age of plants: 60-65 years old
L’Insieme Langhe Rosso
L’Insieme is group of winegrowers from the Langhe, united by a project, a dream and a goal. Elio Altare is the founder. The project aims to make wines which, under a single brand, tell a story of friendship and collaboration, of hard work, shared passion for the Langhe and its outstanding grapes. The dream is that, from this union, the resultant label will be a symbol of friendship and mutual aid. A wine that is our personal way of thanking the land that gave us our roots and its support.
Our goal is to make L’Insieme wine a practical ethical tool, allowing us to fund projects of high social value as a way of giving back to our local area a part of the good fortune and beauty it has given us. The wine is It is actually a combination obtained from the individual decisions taken by each producer, from traditional grape varieties such as the Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto, with grapevines introduced only recently to the Langhe area, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Pinot Nero.
Product name: L’Insieme Langhe Rosso
Grape: 2015: 40% barbera, 60% Nebbiolo. 2016: 10% cabernet sauvignon, 10% pinot noir, 40% barbera, 40% nebbiolo
Classification: DOC
Colour: intense garnet color
Fragrance: ripe red fruit wrapped in spices
Taste: compact flavors
