Burlotto Langhe Freisa

Burlotto Langhe Freisa is a wine that should not be forgotten. Freisa is an underappreciated grape, in my humble opinion, and should get some more attention. But before we dive into this underrated grape variety, let’s have a look at the history of G.B. Burlotto!

Burlotto

Giovan Battista Burlotto worked as a winemaker for seventy-seven years, and in that time he became world renowned. In addition to his accomplishments as a winemaker, he also made history by being the first to sell Barolo in bottle! After G.B. Burlotto’s death in 1927, the driving force behind the winery went with him and it wasn’t until his great-grandson Fabio Alessandria took over that the winery was brought back to its former glory.

Fabio continues the legacy of G.B., and has himself gained notoriety for his excellent work. His wines receive high marks and high praise from prominent wine critics. The focus is often on Barolo, and in the case of Burlotto, Monvigliero gets a lot of attention. But I think a good winemaker is defined not just by his Barolo, but the other wines like Dolcetto or Freisa. And Fabio does not disappoint!

Freisa

Freisa likely originates from Piemonte, and plantings date all the way back to the 18^th century. Traditionally it was produced as a light sparkling wine, but today you’ll find full sparkling and still Freisa. Similar to Nebbiolo, Freisa has both tannins and acidity. Typical aromas are raspberry, strawberry and violets.